The present invention relates to a highlighting preparation and to a method for highlighting hair and additionally relates to a highlighting kit.

For the avoidance of doubt, the term "highlight", (as used herein as a verb) includes not only the act of bleaching or lightening hair, that is the removal of the hair\'s natural colour, but also the act of tinting or colouring hair by the addition of a suitable dye. The term "highlight" (as used herein as a noun) means hair that has been highlighted while the term "highlighting preparation" refers to a preparation suitable for use, either in isolation or with some other item, for highlighting hair.

It has been fashionable for many years for people, particularly women, to highlight their hair. Traditionally this practice has been conducted by hairdressers out recently kits have been introduced to enable people to highlight their hair at home.

One of the most convenient ways of highlighting hair is by the application of a bleaching agent such as hydrogen peroxide or urea peroxide. Unfortunately, hyrdogen peroxide is relatively unstable and decomposes to form water and oxygen in the presence of organic matter and alkalis as well as in the presence of metals, metallic salts, light, agitation and heat. However, hydrogen peroxide is comparatively stable in the presence of a slight excess of acid or a stabiliser such as acetanilide or phenacetin. As a result hydrogen peroxide can be stored for prolonged periods, typically in a cool place in smooth amber glass bottles which are protected from the light and closed with glass stoppers, paraffined corks or plastic or lacquered metal screw caps.

In order to bleach hair a dilute solution of stable hydrogen peroxide is destabilised by the addition of an activating agent capable of changing the solution from one that is is slightly acidic to one that is neutral or alkaline. This change in the pH value induces an instability in the hydrogen peroxide solution and results in the liberation of nascent oxygen when the destabilised solution is brought into contact with organic matter such as hair. It is this oxygen that causes the bleaching of the hair.

Ammonia and cetain ammonium salts such as the hydroxide and carbonate are typical of the activating agents used for this purpose. Indeed, the most widely used activating agent comprises a solution of ammonia gas in water which is simply referred to by hairdressers as "ammonia".

Because the bleaching agent becomes destabilised once the activating agent has been added the resulting mixture has in the past had to be used in a relatively short period after its preparation to avoid a reduction in bleaching ability due to loss of oxygen. This in turn has meant that for each highlighting preparation a separate mixture has had to be prepared. This practice is clearly costly and wasteful.

A further disadvantage of the highlighting methods of the prior art is that because a new mixture must be prepared for each highlighting preparation it is difficult to ensure a uniformity of consistency and strength between successive preparations. This can lead to a new set of problems. For example, the addition of too much ammonia can cause the hydrogen peroxide to decompose too quickly resulting in only partial lightening of the hair. The excess ammonia can also have a deleterious effect on the hair by stripping the natural oils from the cuticle. Similarly, if the highlighting mixture is \' too alkaline this can cause a swelling of the hair shaft leaving it

weakened even after thorough rinsing while the addition of too much or too concentrated a solution of hydrogen peroxide can result in over decolouration leaving dry and brittle hair. In extreme cases too concentrated a solution of hydrogen peroxide can even result in gangrene of the scalp.

It is an object of the present invention to address these problems associated with the prior art.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a highlighting preparation comprising a highlighting agent held by a lining material mounted on a pliable substrate.

In a preferred embodiment, the highlighting agent includes an activating agent preferably containing ammonia or an ammonium salt. In another embodiment the highlighting agent may include a blueing agent while in yet a further embodiment the highlighting agent may include a tinting agent. In still a further embodiment the highlighting agent may include a foaming agent.

Advantageously, the pliable substrate may comprise a metallic foil and in particular may comprise an aluminium foil.

Preferably, the lining material and pliable substrate are rectangular and of such a size that the pliable substrate extends beyond the lining material in all directions. In addition, the size of the highlighting preparation may be such that the length of the longer side of the lining material is greater than, or substantially equal to, twice the length of that portion of the hair to be highlighted.

According to a second aspect of the present inven¬ tion, there is provided a method of highlighting hair comprising the steps of bringing a first highlighting agent held by a material into contact with a second highlighting agent to form a highlighting mixture and wrapping the hair in the said material for a period dependent upon the extent of highlighting required.

In a preferred embodiment of this second aspect, said first or second highlighting agent may include an activating agent, the activating agent preferably containing ammonia or an ammonium salt. In a further embodiment said first highlighting agent may include a blueing agent while in yet a further embodiment said first highlighting agent may include a tinting agent. In still a further embodiment said first highlighting agent may include a foaming agent.

In a preferred embodiment said second highlighting agent may include a bleaching agent, the bleaching agent preferably containing hydrogen peroxide or urea peroxide.

Advantageously, the second highlighting agent may be applied as a solution to the material by which the first highlighting agent is held while the material itself is preferably mounted on a pliable substrate and wrapped about the hair by folding the substrate.

According to a third aspect of the present inven¬ tion, there is provided a highlighting kit including at least one highlighting preparation comprising a a first highlighting agent held by a lining material mounted on a pliable substrate and a second highlighting agent contained separately therefrom.

Advantageously the second highlighting agent may include a bleaching agent, the bleaching agent preferably containing hydrogen peroxide or urea peroxide.

Preferably the second highlighting agent is contained in a container capable of dispensing a predetermined quantity thereof.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a highlighting prepara¬ tion in accordance with the present invention; and

Figure 2 is a schematic representation of the high¬ lighting preparation of Figure 1 being used to highlight hair.

Referring initially to Figure 1, the highlighting preparation 10 is shown to comprise a generally rectangular substrate 12 on which is mounted a smaller, concentric rectangle of lining material 14.

The substrate 12 is formed of a pliable material such as a metallic foil, and in particular aluminium foil, and is of sufficient surface area to extend beyond the lining material 14 in all directions. Being rectangular, the substrate 12 has two longer sides 16 and 18 and two shorter sides 20 and 22. An imaginary fold line 24 is shown generally bisecting the two longer sides 16 and 18.

The lining material 14 on the other hand comprises a pad which is impregnated with a highlighting agent such as an activating agent. The activating agent may typically contain ammonia or an ammonium salt and may be present in the form either of a solid or a liquid.

In use, a second highlighting agent containing a bleaching agent typically hydrogen peroxide, is applied to the lining material 14 in such a way that it mixes with the impregnated activating agent and forms the highlighting mixture of the prior art. The hair to be highlighted is then selected by a process known as "weaving" in which alternate hair portions are lifted up from the head and laid on top of the highlighting preparation 10 that is brought close to the head for that purpose. As shown in Figure 2, the hair to be highlighted is generally arranged on the highlighting preparation 10 in such a way that it extends from one of the shorter sides, say side 20, a distance just short of the fold line 24. The highlighting preparation 10 is then folded along fold line 24 so that that half of the highlighting preparation 10 not covered by hair overlies that half that is thereby surrounding the hair above and below. The edges of the highlighting preparation 10, including those of the two shorter sides 20 and 22, are folded inwardly to prevent the accidental escape of the highlighting mixture

known as "bleeding" and left for a short period. The length of this period is typically between 10 and 20 minutes but may vary depending on the hair type, the concentration of any hydrogen peroxide contained in the bleaching agent used and the highlighting effect required.

In a typical highlighting mixture the ammonia or ammonium salt contained in the activating agent changes the pH value of the bleaching agent and causes the hydrogen peroxide solution to become destabilised. Once- destabilised the hydrogen peroxide solution decomposes in the presence of organic matter, such as hair, to form water and nascent oxygen. The oxygen liberated in this process causes the hair to be bleached by progressively removing the black, brown, red and yellow pigments from the hair while the other reaction product, the water may be dealt with in the usual way.

Because the oxygen progressively removes the coloured pigments in the order that it does there is a tendency for the hair to turn an orange colour. To counteract this effect in a second embodiment the lining material 14 may be impregnated with a blueing agent in addition to the activating agent.

When the desired period has elapsed, the highlighting preparation 10 is unwrapped and the hair removed before the highlighting preparation 10 is then discarded. Any excess highlighting mixture remaining on the hair is rinsed away leaving the hair the desired colour.

The above method provides an advantage over prior art methods in that none of the highlighting mixture is wasted.

In addition the highlighting preparation 10 is . provided with a predetermined quantity of an activating agent thereby removing the possibility of either too much or too little of the activating agent being present in the

highlighting mixture. In order to ensure that the correct quantity of bleaching agent is also present in the highlighting mixture all that is required is to provide the bleaching agent in a container capable of dispensing a predetermined quantity at a time. Such a container may either include a device for dispensing a measured quantity from a larger volume of bleaching agent or alternatively may be such that the entire contents of the container constitutes the correct quantity of bleaching agent to be applied to the lining material 14.

By providing the bleaching agent in this way it is possible to prolong its practical shelf life in that it would remove the possibility of any excess bleaching agent being returned to its container and causing the destabilisation of the remaining contents.

The shelf life of the highlighting preparation 10 is also anticipated to be of an acceptable duration, particularly if the highlighting preparation is packaged and stored appropriately. To this end it is noted that the substrate 12 may be provided with a film of material such as PVC to protect the substrate 12 from reacting with the alkaline activating agent held by the lining material 14.

The method described also provides the advantage that by applying the bleaching agent to the lining material 14 prior to the placement of the hair upon the highlighting preparation 10, a more even distribution and uniform consistency of highlighting mixture may be achieved. In addition the subsequent alignment of the hair on the highlighting preparation 10 is made easier by the surface of the lining material 14 already being wet.

In an alternative method the hair to be highlighted may be laid on top of the open highlighting preparation 10 prior to the bleaching agent being applied to the lining material 14. . The bleaching agent is then subsequently applied directly to the hair which, since it is lying on

the lining material 14, causes the bleaching agent to come into contact with the activating agent held by the lining material 14. The highlighting preparation 10 is then wrapped about the hair in the manner previously described, sealed and left. The advantage of this alternative method is that the hair is in contact with the highlighting mixture from the moment that it is formed however, on balance, the former method is preferred.

The highlighting preparation 10 may be provided in a variety of sizes so as to facilitate the highlighting of various lengths of hair. In particular, the length of the two longer sides 16 and 18 may be increased so as to produce a more elongate highlighting preparation 10 than is shown in Figure 1. However, whatever the size of the highlighting preparation 10, the lining material 14 is preferably mounted on the substrate 12 in such a way that the substrate 12 projects from beneath the lining material 14 on all sides thereby creating a pliable border region that in use may be folded upon itself to prevent the accidental escape of the highlighting mixture.

In a third embodiment the lining material 14 may, in addition to the activating agent, be also impregnated with a foaming agent. Thus, when the bleaching agent is applied to the lining material 14 it mixes with both the activating agent and the foaming agent to produce a high¬ lighting mixture of a more uniform consistency. The use of a foaming agent in this way also enables a more even coating of the hair to be achieved thereby ensuring that the highlighting preparation 10 provides a uniform highlighting effect if left for any given period of time. At the same time the risk of "bleeding" is reduced by thickening the resulting highlighting mixture.

When using a foaming agent it is to be noted that the highlighting mixture benefits from being left for a few seconds to allow the foaming agent to take effect before the hair to be highlighted is laid on top of the

highlighting preparation 10. This provides a further reason for preferring the first described method of use.

In all of the above embodiments, the extent of the highlighting effect achieved at least in part depends upon the concentration of the bleaching agent. Thus, the same highlighting preparation 10 may be used in conjunction with any one of, say, three applicators containing different concentrations of hydrogen peroxide to produce different highlighting effects.

In a fourth embodiment the highlighting preparation 10 may be used to highlight hair by tinting the hair with an additional colour. Thus, the lining material 14 may, in addition to the activating agent, be also impregnated with a suitable tinting agent, again present in the form either of a solid or a liquid. The resulting highlighting preparation 10 is then used in the same way as has been described including the steps of applying the bleaching agent to the lining material 14, wrapping the highlighting preparation 10 about the hair, sealing it and leaving for a few minutes before then removing and discarding.

Again a foaming agent may be held by the lining material 14 in addition to the activating agent and the tinting agent.

In all of the foregoing embodiments the highlighting agent need not necessarily be impregnated into the lining material 14 as has been described but may, for example, be contained in a layer sandwiched between the lining material 14 and the pliable substrate 12. In such an arrangement the highlighting agent is simply held by the lining material 1 .

From the foregoing it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the embodiments described provide a highlighting preparation that is simple to use and that avoids the making of excess quantities of highlighting mixture that subsequently have to be discarded.