In particular it relates to hair conditioning compositions which improve the combability, softness or manageability of the hair.

Background to the Invention Hair care compositions which provide conditioning to the hair are well know in the art. Such compositions comprise one or more conditioning agents. The purpose of the conditioning agent is to make the hair easier to comb when wet and more manageable when dry, e. g. less static and fly- away. They also make the hair feel softer. Typically, these conditioning agents are either water-insoluble oily materials which act by spreading on the hair in the form of a film, or cationic surfactant materials or polymers, which adsorb onto the hair surface.

These conditioning materials can be employed in a variety of product forms including cleansing shampoos, rinse-off conditioners (usually applied to the hair after shampooing) and leave-on products such as hair oils or serums, mousses and styling products.

Typically, water-insoluble oily conditioning materials are dispersed in aqueous products in the form of small droplets or particles in order to facilitate the stability of the

dispersion to phase separation and to enhance the deposition of the oily material onto the hair.

A preferred water-insoluble oily conditioning material is based on silicone polymers. The use of silicones as conditioning agents in hair conditioning compositions is well known, and widely documented in the patent literature.

Generally, dispersed droplets of silicone are suspended in the composition which, when applied to the hair, deposits the silicone material on the hair shaft resulting in the formation of a film. Whilst their use gives good conditioning, for example wet comb properties, there is a need to further improve the conditioning behaviour of hair conditioning compositions.

Moreover, silicones are expensive ingredients compared to many other components, and there is a need to obtain a higher level of conditioning without the use of higher levels of silicones in hair conditioning compositions.

Furthermore, certain negatives are associated with silicones for some consumers. Repeated use of compositions with high levels of silicones can lead to a build up of silicone on the hair and undesirable effects such as a heavy, oily feel to the hair.

There is therefore the need for hair treatment compositions which can provide conditioning benefits to the hair (i. e. reduction in friction of the hair when wet and/or dry) with lower levels of silicone than conventionally used.

Alternatively, there is a need for hair treatment

compositions which provide improved conditioning for the same level of silicone in the composition.

W099/44565 and W099/44567 (Unilever) disclose shampoo compositions containing a combination of an amino- functionalised silicone and an insoluble non-amino functional insoluble silicone. In W099/44565, the particle size of the non-amino functional silicone is less than 2 micrometres. In W099/44567, the non-amino functional silicone has a viscosity of at least 500,000 cSt (mm2sec-1). In both documents, the two silicone components are incorporated into the shampoo composition as separate emulsions.

W099/49836 (Unilever) discloses rinse-off conditioner formulations containing an amino-functional silicone corresponding to a defined general formula and having a mole percent amino functionality of at least 1 mole %. The formulations may further comprise emulsified particles of a non-amino functionalised silicone.

W099/53889 (Unilever) discloses shampoo compositions containing emulsified particles of a first insoluble silicone having a particle size of from 0.15 to 30 micrometres and a second insoluble silicone having a particles size less than 0.10 micrometres. The silicones are incorporated into the shampoo as preformed aqueous emulsions.

W097/12594 (L'Oreal) describes hair compositions containing at least one silicone-grafted polymer with a polysiloxane

backbone grafted by non-silicone organic monomers and at least one silicone selected from silicones containing a quaternary amine function, silicone resins and silicone gums.

US 6,028, 041 (L'Oreal) and EP 0 811 371 (L'Oreal) disclose the use of a mixture of at least one aminated silicone and at least one insoluble silicone of viscosity less than or equal to 100 Pa.s at 25°C (100,000 cSt = 100,000 mm2sec-1) in conditioning hair-care compositions. The two silicones are added as separate components.

W098/18443 (Procter & Gamble) discloses shampoo compositions containing a first non-volatile conditioning agent of particle size less than 2 micrometres and a second non- volatile conditioning agent of particle size greater than 5 micrometres. The non-volatile conditioning agents may be silicones.

None of the above prior art documents disclose the use of intimate blends of combinations of silicones which result in individual particles comprising a mixture of silicones. In contrast, they describe addition of emulsions of each of the constituent silicone components separately to the hair compositions.

W098/43599 (Unilever) discloses a hair treatment composition, such as a shampoo or conditioner, comprising a silicone component comprising (i) 0.01 to 50% by weight of a silicone gum having a viscosity greater than 1 million cSt

(mm2sec-1), (ii) 30 to 95% by weight of a silicone fluid having a viscosity of less that 100,000 cSt (mm2sec-1), and (iii) 0.1 to 10% by weight of an amino functionalised silicone. The silicone component is preferably added as a single blend which may be in the form of a silicone mixture which is added to the composition during manufacture or alternatively it may be in the form of an aqueous emulsion which is added to the composition during manufacture.

This disclosure requires the presence of a high viscosity silicone gum in order to provide the lubricity required to give good conditioning. Such high viscosity gums present problems for processing and blending, because of their high viscosity.

We have surprisingly found that an intimate blend comprising a combination of a first silicone having a viscosity of less than 100,000 mm2sec-1 at 25°C and a second silicone which is functionalised can be used in hair cleansing and treatment compositions to provide excellent conditioning benefits. In contrast to the teaching of W098/43599, it is not necessary to have a third, high viscosity silicone gum component in order to achieve the benefit of improved conditioning.

Instead, a conditioning benefit is surprisingly obtained by combining two components which each provide low lubricity when used in isolation from each other.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In a first aspect, this invention provides a hair conditioning composition comprising from 0.01% to 10% by weight of a conditioning surfactant and droplets of a silicone blend, the silicone blend comprising (i) from 50 to 96% by weight of the silicone content of the blend of a first silicone having a viscosity of less than 100,000 mm2sec-1 at 25°C, and (ii) from 4 to 50% by weight of the silicone content of the blend of a second silicone which is functionalised.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION By water-insoluble it is meant that a component is less than 0.1% soluble by weight in water at 25 °C.

As used hereinafter, the term"first silicone"refers to component (i) of the silicone blend, i.e. the silicone having a viscosity of less than 100,000 mm2sec-1 at 25°C, and the term"second siliconen refers to component (ii) of the silicone blend, i. e. the silicone which is functionalised.

Silicone Component The silicone content of the compositions of the invention provided by the silicone content of the silicone blend is suitably in the region of from 0.1 to 20%, preferably from 1 to 10% by weight of the composition.

Other silicones may optionally be added to the compositions as separate components which are not incorporated into the silicone blend.

The first silicone is present in an amount of at least 50% by weight based on the total silicone content of the silicone blend in the hair conditioning composition and the second silicone is present in an amount of at least 11% by weight based on the total silicone content of the silicone blend in the hair conditioning composition.

It is preferred if the first silicone is water-insoluble.

It is also preferred if the second silicone is water- insoluble. It is also preferred if both silicones are non- volatile, i. e. they have a vapour pressure of 0.01 atmospheres or less at 25°C.

The silicone component of the compositions according to the invention is provided as a single blend which is added to the composition during manufacture. This single blend may simply be in the form of a silicone mixture, which can be added to the composition during manufacture.

However, it is preferred that the single blend is in the form of an aqueous emulsion which is added to the composition during manufacture. Pre-formed aqueous emulsions of silicone may have advantages in that they themselves may be easier to handle or process than the"raw" silicone ingredients of the silicone component.

In any event, when added to the hair conditioning composition, the silicone component becomes the internal phase of an emulsion which itself constitutes the hair conditioning composition, and which is preferably water based.

A further feature of the invention is that the silicone present in the composition, when added as an already homogenised mixture, will be present in the hair conditioning composition as a homogeneous mixture of silicones. That is, each silicone droplet in the composition will have essentially the same composition and will comprise a mixture of the two types of silicone which together make up the silicone component of the composition, i. e. first silicone and second silicone. Typically the mixture of the two types of silicones will be a single phase solution, but alternatively, it may be an intimate blend of two phases.

First Silicone The first silicone is present at a level of at least 50% by weight, preferably at least 60%, more preferably at least

70% based on the total weight of the silicone content in the silicone blend in the composition.

The first silicone has a viscosity of less than 100,000 mm2sec-1 at 25°C preferably less than 50,000 mm2sec-1 at 25°C, more preferably less than 10,000 mm2sec-1 at 25°C. It is even more preferred if the viscosity of the first silicone is less than 4,000 mm2sec-1 at 25°C, most preferably less than 2,000.

Suitably, the first silicone has a molecular weight of less than 100,000 Dalton.

Suitable as the first silicone are polydiorganosiloxanes, preferably derived from suitable combinations of R3SiOo. s and R2SiO units, where each R independently represents an alkyl, alkenyl (e. g. vinyl), alkaryl, aralkyl or aryl (e. g. phenyl) group. R is most preferably methyl. Thus, preferred first silicones for use in the silicone component of compositions of the invention are polydimethylsiloxanes (which have the CTFA designation dimethicone), optionally having end groups such as hydroxyl. Good results have been obtained with dimethicone.

Suitable materials include the DC200 series of silicone fluids, available from Dow Corning. Members of the Viscasil series of silicones, available from General Electric Silicones, are also suitable.

The first silicone is not functionalised other than optionally by end groups such as hydroxyl.

Second Silicone The second silicone is present at a level of at least 4% by weight, preferably at least 11%, more preferably at least 14% based and most preferably at least 19% by weight based on the total weight of the silicone component in the silicone blend of the composition.

Suitably, the second silicone has a viscosity of less than 100,000 mm2sec-1 at 25°C, preferably less than 50,000 mm2sec- 1 at 25°C, more preferably less than 10,000 mm2sec-1 at 25°C.

It is even more preferred if the viscosity of the second silicone is less than 4,000 mm2sec-1 at 25°C, most preferably less than 2,000.

Suitably, the second silicone has a molecular weight less than 100,000 Dalton, preferably less than 50,000 Dalton.

The second component of the silicone blend is a functionalised silicone. Suitable functionalised silicones include, for example, amino-, carboxy-, betaine-, quaternary ammonium-, carbohydrate-, hydroxy-and alkoxy-substituted silicones.

Preferably, the functionalised silicone contains multiple substitutions.

For the avoidance of doubt, as regards hydroxyl-substituted silicones, a polydimethylsiloxane merely having hydroxyl end groups (which have the CTFA designation dimethiconol) is not considered a functionalised silicone within the present invention. However, a polydimethylsiloxane having hydroxyl substitutions along the polymer chain is considered a functionalised silicone.

Preferred functionalised silicones are amino-functionalised silicones. Suitable amino functionalised silicones are described in EP 455,185 (Helene Curtis) and include trimethylsilylamodimethicone as depicted below, and are sufficiently water insoluble so as to be useful in compositions of the invention: Si (CH3) 3-O- [Si (CH3) 2-° ~] X- [Si (CH3) (R-NH- CH2CH2 NH2)-0-] y-Si (CH3) 3 wherein x + y is a number from about 50 to about 500, and the weight percent amine functionality is from 0. 03% to 8%, and wherein R is an alkylene group having from 2 to 5 carbon atoms. Preferably, the number x + y is from 100 to 300, and the weight percent amine functionality is from 0. 03% to 8%.

As expressed here, the weight percent amine functionality is measured by titrating a sample of the amino-functionalised silicone against alcoholic hydrochloric acid to the bromocresol green end point. The weight percent amine is calculated using a molecular weight of 45 (corresponding to CH3-CH2-NH2)-

Suitably, the weight percent amine functionality measured and calculated in this way is from 0. 03% to 8%, preferably from 0.5% to 4%.

An example of a commercially available amino-functionalised silicone useful in the silicone component of the composition of the invention is DC-8220 available from Dow Corning, which has a viscosity of 150 mm2s-1 at 25°C and a weight percent amine functionality of 2.0%.

By"amino functional silicone"is meant a silicone containing at least one primary, secondary or tertiary amine group, or a quaternary ammonium group. Examples of suitable amino functional silicones include: polysiloxanes having the CTFA designation"amodimethicone". Specific examples of amino functional silicones suitable for use in the invention are the aminosilicone oils DC-8220, DC-8166, DC-8466, and DC-8950-114 (all ex Dow Corning), and GE 1149-75, (ex General Electric Silicones). Suitable quaternary silicone polymers are described in EP-A-0 530 974. A preferred quaternary silicone polymer is K3474, ex Goldschmidt.

The viscosity of silicones can be measured at 25°C by means of a glass capillary viscometer as set out further in Dow Corning Corporate Test Method CTM004, July 20 1970.

Silicone Gum Silicone gums are typically employed in conditioning compositions in order to provide conditioning benefits.

These are polyorganodisiloxanes, typically with a viscosity

of greater than 1 million mm2sec-1 at 25 °C. Such gums are not needed in compositions according to the invention.

Because of the processing difficulties inherent in using such gums it is preferred if silicone gums with a viscosity greater than 1 million mm2sec-1 are present at levels less than 0.1% by weight of the silicone component in the silicone blend, more preferably less than 0.01%, most preferably less than 0. 001%.

Silicone Blend One method for preparing compositions according to the invention is to first prepare liquid blend comprising a first silicone with a viscosity of less than 100,000mm2sec-1 at 25°C and a second functionalised silicone. This blend can then be added along with the other components comprising the hair conditioning composition, followed by suitable mixing of the composition in order to ensure that the blend is dispersed as droplets of a suitable size.

However it is preferred if the silicone blend is first formed into an aqueous emulsion prior to incorporation into the hair conditioning composition. Thus another aspect of the invention is a method for incorporating droplets of silicone blend, the silicone blend comprising a first silicone with a viscosity of less than 100,000 mm2sec-1 at 25°C and a second functionalised silicone, into a hair conditioning composition, comprising the steps of; i) forming an intimate, non-aqueous blend comprising the first silicone and the second silicone,

ii) preparing an aqueous emulsion comprising droplets comprising both the first silicone and the second silicone in the same droplets and iii) mixing said aqueous emulsion with the hair conditioning composition; such that the mean droplet diameter is greater than 5 micrometres in the hair conditioning composition.

Suitable emulsifiers for use in the preparation of the aqueous emulsion are well known in the art and include anionic, cationic, zwitterionic, amphoteric and nonionic surfactants, and mixtures thereof. Examples of anionic surfactants used as emulsifiers for the silicone particles are alkylarylsulphonates, e. g. , sodium dodecylbenzene sulphonate, alkyl sulphates e. g. , sodium lauryl sulphate, alkyl ether sulphates, e. g. , sodium lauryl ether sulphate nEO, where n is from 1 to 20, alkylphenol ether sulphates, e. g. , octylphenol ether sulphate nEO where n is from 1 to 20, and sulphosuccinates, e. g. , sodium dioctylsulphosuccinate.

Examples of nonionic surfactants used as emulsifiers for the silicone particles are alkylphenol ethoxylates, e. g., nonylphenol ethoxylate nEO, where n is from 1 to 50 and alcohol ethoxylates, e. g. , lauryl alcohol nEO, where n is from 1 to 50, ester ethoxylates, e. g. , polyoxyethylene monostearate where the number of oxyethylene units is from 1 to 30.

It is preferred if the emulsifier is blended into the silicone blend prior to the formation of the aqueous emulsion of the mixture droplets.

A preferred process for preparing oil-in-water emulsions of the mixed silicone droplets which can then be incorporated into the hair treatment compositions involves use of a mixer. Depending upon the viscosities of components of the silicone mixture a suitable mixer should be chosen so as to provide sufficient shear to give the required final particle size of the emulsion. Examples of suitable benchtop mixers spanning the range of necessary shear are Heidolph RZR2100, Silverson L4R, Ystral X10/20-750 and Rannie Mini-Lab 7.30VH high pressure homogeniser. Other mixers of similar specification are well known to those skilled in the art and can also be used in this application. Equally it is possible to manufacture oil-in-water emulsions of this description on larger scale mixers which offer similar shear regimes to those described above.

The required amounts of the first and second silicones are combined under shear to produce a uniform mixture. To this mixture a suitable emulsifier system is added slowly with further shear. Examples of suitable emulsifier systems for this application are given above. As is well known to those skilled in the art, the emulsifier system can be used to help to control the final particle size of the emulsion.

When the addition of the emulsifier is complete the aqueous portion of the emulsion is added slowly with the required

level of shear so as to produce an emulsion with the desired particle size.

It is preferred if the aqueous phase of the emulsion contains a polymeric thickening agent to prevent phase separation of the emulsion after preparation. Preferred thickening agents are cross-linked polyacrylates, cellulosic polymers or derivatives of cellulosic polymers.

Alternatively the order of addition of these materials may sometimes be varied in order to achieve the same outcome.

Preferably, the mixer is also capable of having the temperature of mixing controlled, e. g. it comprises a jacket through which a heat transfer fluid can be circulated.

Preferably, the D3, 2 average particle size of the silicone droplets in the emulsion and also in the final composition is from 0.01 to 20 micrometres, more preferably from 0.1 to 10 micrometres even more preferably from 1 to 5 micrometres.

Silicone particle size may be measured by means of a laser light scattering technique, for example using a 2600D Particle Sizer from Malvern Instruments.

Hair Conditioning Compositions Hair conditioning compositions according to the invention may suitably take the form of conditioners, sprays, mousses, oils, styling products, hair colouring products or lotions.

Preferred hair conditioning composition forms are conditioners and mousses.

Conditioner Compositions Compositions in accordance with the invention may be formulated as conditioners for the conditioning of hair (typically after shampooing) and subsequent rinsing.

Conditioning Surfactant Such a conditioner may comprise one or more conditioning surfactants which are cosmetically acceptable and suitable for topical application to the hair.

Suitable conditioning surfactants are selected from cationic surfactants, used singly or in admixture.

Cationic surfactants useful in compositions of the invention contain amino or quaternary ammonium hydrophilic moieties which are positively charged when dissolved in the aqueous composition of the present invention.

Examples of suitable cationic surfactants are those corresponding to the general formula: [N (Rl) (R2) (R3) (R4)] (X) in which R1, R2, R3, and R4 are independently selected from (a) an aliphatic group of from 1 to 22 carbon atoms, or (b)

an aromatic, alkoxy, polyoxyalkylene, alkylamido, hydroxyalkyl, aryl or alkylaryl group having up to 22 carbon atoms; and X is a salt-forming anion such as those selected from halogen, (e. g. chloride, bromide), acetate, citrate, lactate, glycolate, phosphate nitrate, sulphate, and alkylsulphate radicals.

The aliphatic groups can contain, in addition to carbon and hydrogen atoms, ether linkages, and other groups such as amino groups. The longer chain aliphatic groups, e. g. , those of about 12 carbons, or higher, can be saturated or unsaturated.

The most preferred cationic surfactants for conditioner compositions of the present invention are monoalkyl quaternary ammonium compounds in which the alkyl chain length is C16 to C22.

Examples of suitable cationic surfactants include: cetyltrimethylammonium chloride, behenyltrimethylammonium chloride, cetylpyridinium chloride, tetramethylammonium chloride, tetraethylammonium chloride, octyltrimethylammonium chloride, dodecyltrimethylammonium chloride, hexadecyltrimethylammonium chloride, octyldimethylbenzylammonium chloride, decyldimethylbenzylammonium chloride, stearyldimethylbenzylammonium chloride, didodecyldimethylammonium chloride, dioctadecyldimethylammonium chloride, tallowtrimethylammonium chloride, cocotrimethylammonium chloride, PEG-2 oleylammonium chloride and salts of these where the chloride is replaced by

halogen, (e. g. , bromide), acetate, citrate, lactate, glycolate, phosphate nitrate, sulphate, or alkylsulphate.

Further suitable cationic surfactants include those materials having the CTFA designations Quaternium-5, Quaternium-31 and Quaternium-18. Mixtures of any of the foregoing materials may also be suitable. A particularly useful cationic surfactant for use in hair conditioners of the invention is cetyltrimethylammonium chloride, available commercially, for example as GENAMIN CTAC, ex Hoechst Celanese.

Salts of primary, secondary, and tertiary fatty amines are also suitable cationic surfactants. The alkyl groups of such amines preferably have from about 12 to about 22 carbon atoms, and can be substituted or unsubstituted.

Particularly useful are amido substituted tertiary fatty amines. Such amines, useful herein, include stearamidopropyIdimethylamine, stearamidopropyidiethylamine, stearamidoethyldiethylamine, stearamidoethyldimethylamine, palmitamidopropyld imethylamine, palmitamidopropyldiethylamine, palmitamidoethyldiethylamine, palmitamidoethyldimethylamine, behenamidopropyldimethylamine, behenamidopropyldiethylamine, behenamidoethyldiethylamine, behenamidoethyldimethylamine, arachidamidopropyldimethylamine, arachid amidopropyldiethylamine, arachidamidoethyldiethylamine, arachidamidoethyldimethylamine, diethylaminoethylstearamide.

Also useful are dimethylstearamine, dimethylsoyamine, soyamine, myristylamine, tridecylamine, ethylstearylamine, N-

tallowpropane diamine, ethoxylated (with 5 moles of ethylene oxide) stearylamine, dihydroxyethylstearylamine, and arachidyl behenylamine. These amines are typically used in combination with an acid to provide the cationic species.

The preferred acid useful herein includes L-glutamic acid, lactic acid, hydrochloric acid, malic acid, succinic acid, acetic acid, fumaric acid, tartaric acid, citric acid, L- glutamic hydrochloride, and mixtures thereof; more preferably L-glutamic acid, lactic acid, citric acid. Cationic amine surfactants included among those useful in the present invention are disclosed in U. S. Patent 4,275, 055 to Nachtigal, et al. , issued June 23,1981.

The molar ratio of protonatable amines to H from the acid is preferably from about 1: 0.3 to 1: 1.2, and more preferably from about 1: 0.5 to about 1: 1.1.

In the conditioners of the invention, the level of cationic surfactant is preferably from 0.01 to 10, more preferably 0.05 to 5, most preferably 0. 1 to 2 % by weight of the total composition.

Fatty Materials Conditioner compositions of the invention preferably additionally comprise fatty materials. The combined use of fatty materials and cationic surfactants in conditioning compositions is believed to be especially advantageous, because this leads to the formation of a lamellar phase, in which the cationic surfactant is dispersed.

By"fatty material"is meant a fatty alcohol, an alkoxylated fatty alcohol, a fatty acid or a mixture thereof.

Preferably, the alkyl chain of the fatty material is fully saturated.

Representative fatty materials comprise from 8 to 22 carbon atoms, more preferably 16 to 22. Examples of suitable fatty alcohols include cetyl alcohol, stearyl alcohol, behenyl alcohol and mixtures thereof. The use of these materials is also advantageous in that they contribute to the overall conditioning properties of compositions of the invention.

Alkoxylated, (e. g. ethoxylated or propoxylated) fatty alcohols having from about 12 to about 18 carbon atoms in the alkyl chain can be used in place of, or in addition to, the fatty alcohols themselves. Suitable examples include ethylene glycol cetyl ether, polyoxyethylene (2) stearyl ether, polyoxyethylene (4) cetyl ether, and mixtures thereof.

The level of fatty alcohol material in conditioners of the invention is suitably from 0.01 to 15, preferably from 0.1 to 10, and more preferably from 0.1 to 5% by weight of the composition. The weight ratio of cationic surfactant to fatty alcohol is suitably from 10: 1 to 1: 10, preferably from 4: 1 to 1: 8, optimally from 1: 1 to 1: 7, for example 1: 3.

Cationic Polymer A cationic polymer is an optional ingredient in conditioning compositions of the invention, for enhancing conditioning 5 performance of the composition.

The cationic polymer may be a homopolymer or be formed from two or more types of monomers. The molecular weight of the polymer will generally be between 5 000 and 10 000 000 Daltons, typically at least 10 000 and preferably from 100 000 to 2 000 000. The polymers will have cationic nitrogen containing groups such as quaternary ammonium or protonated amino groups, or a mixture thereof.

The cationic nitrogen-containing group will generally be present as a substituent on a fraction of the total monomer units of the cationic polymer. Thus when the polymer is not a homopolymer it can contain spacer non-cationic monomer units. Such polymers are described in the CTFA Cosmetic Ingredient Directory, 3rd edition. The ratio of the cationic to non-cationic monomer units is selected to give a polymer having a cationic charge density in the required range.

Suitable cationic conditioning polymers include, for example, copolymers of vinyl monomers having cationic amine or quaternary ammonium functionalities with water soluble spacer monomers such as (meth) acrylamide, alkyl and dialkyl (meth) acrylamides, alkyl (meth) acrylate, vinyl caprolactone and vinyl pyrrolidine. The alkyl and dialkyl substituted monomers preferably have C1-C7 alkyl groups, more preferably C1-3 alkyl groups. Other suitable spacers include vinyl esters, vinyl alcohol, maleic anhydride, propylene glycol and ethylene glycol.

The cationic amines can be primary, secondary or tertiary amines, depending upon the particular species and the pH of the composition. In general secondary and tertiary amines, especially tertiary, are preferred.

Amine substituted vinyl monomers and amines can be polymerized in the amine form and then converted to ammonium by quaternization.

The cationic conditioning polymers can comprise mixtures of monomer units derived from amine-and/or quaternary ammonium-substituted monomer and/or compatible spacer monomers.

Suitable cationic conditioning polymers include, for example : - copolymers of 1-vinyl-2-pyrrolidine and 1-vinyl-3- methyl-imidazolium salt (e. g. chloride salt), referred to in the industry by the Cosmetic, Toiletry, and Fragrance Association, (CTFA) as Polyquaternium-16.

This material is commercially available from BASF Wyandotte Corp. (Parsippany, NJ, USA) under the LUVIQUAT tradename (e. g. LUVIQUAT FC 370); - copolymers of 1-vinyl-2-pyrrolidine and dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate, referred to in the industry (CTFA) as Polyquaternium-11. This material is available commercially from Gaf Corporation (Wayne, NJ, USA) under the GAFQUAT tradename (e. g. , GAFQUAT 755N); cationic diallyl quaternary ammonium-containing polymers including, for example, dimethyldiallyammonium chloride homopolymer and copolymers of acrylamide and dimethyldiallylammonium chloride, referred to in the industry (CTFA) as Polyquaternium 6 and Polyquaternium 7, respectively; mineral acid salts of amino-alkyl esters of homo-and co- polymers of unsaturated carboxylic acids having from 3 to 5 carbon atoms, (as described in U. S. Patent 4,009, 256); cationic polyacrylamides (as described in W095/22311).

Other cationic conditioning polymers that can be used include cationic polysaccharide polymers, such as cationic cellulose derivatives, cationic starch derivatives, and cationic guar gum derivatives. Suitably, such cationic polysaccharide polymers have a charge density from 0.1 to 4 meq/g.

Cationic polysaccharide polymers suitable for use in compositions of the invention include those of the formula: A-O-[R-N (R) (R) (R) X], wherein: A is an anhydroglucose residual group, such as a starch or cellulose anhydroglucose residual. R is an alkylene, oxyalkylene, polyoxyalkylene, or hydroxyalkylene group, or combination thereof. R1, R2 and R3 independently represent alkyl, aryl, alkylaryl, arylalkyl, alkoxyalkyl, or alkoxyaryl groups, each group containing up to about 18 carbon atoms. The total number of carbon atoms for each cationic moiety (i.e., the sum of carbon atoms in R1, R2 and R) is preferably about 20 or less, and X is an anionic counterion.

Cationic cellulose is available from Amerchol Corp.

(Edison, NJ, USA) in their Polymer JR (trade mark) and LR (trade mark) series of polymers, as salts of hydroxyethyl cellulose reacted with trimethyl ammonium substituted epoxide, referred to in the industry (CTFA) as Polyquaternium 10. Another type of cationic cellulose includes the polymeric quaternary ammonium salts of hydroxyethyl cellulose reacted with lauryl dimethyl ammonium-substituted epoxide, referred to in the industry (CTFA) as Polyquaternium 24. These materials are available from Amerchol Corp. (Edison, NJ, USA) under the tradename Polymer LM-200.

Other suitable cationic polysaccharide polymers include quaternary nitrogen-containing cellulose ethers (e. g. as described in U. S. Patent 3,962, 418), and copolymers of etherified cellulose and starch (e. g. as described in U. S. Patent 3,958, 581).

A particularly suitable type of cationic polysaccharide polymer that can be used is a cationic guar gum derivative, such as guar hydroxypropyltrimonium chloride (commercially

available from Rhone-Poulenc in their JAGUAR trademark series).

Examples are JAGUAR C13S, which has a low degree of substitution of the cationic groups and high viscosity.

JAGUAR C15, having a moderate degree of substitution and a low viscosity, JAGUAR C17 (high degree of substitution, high viscosity), JAGUAR C16, which is a hydroxypropylated cationic guar derivative containing a low level of substituent groups as well as cationic quaternary ammonium groups, and JAGUAR 162 which is a high transparency, medium viscosity guar having a low degree of substitution.

Preferably the cationic conditioning polymer is selected from cationic cellulose and cationic guar derivatives.

Particularly preferred cationic polymers are JAGUAR C13S, JAGUAR C15, JAGUAR C17 and JAGUAR C16 and JAGUAR C162.

The cationic conditioning polymer will generally be present in compositions of the invention at levels of from 0.01 to 5, preferably from 0.05 to 1, more preferably from 0.08 to 0.5 % by weight of the composition.

Mousses Hair conditioning compositions in accordance with the invention may also take the form of aerosol foams (mousses) in which case a propellant must be included in the composition. This agent is responsible for expelling the other materials from the container and forming the hair mousse character.

The propellant gas can be any liquefiable gas conventionally used for aerosol containers. Examples of suitable propellants include dimethyl ether, propane, n-butane and isobutane, used singly or in admixture.

The amount of the propellant gases is governed by normal factors well known in the aerosol art. For hair mousses, the level of propellant is generally from 3 to 30, preferably from 5 to 15 % by weight of the total composition.

Hair Oils and Lotions Hair oils are also suitable conditioning compositions according to the invention. Hair oils are predominantly comprise water-insoluble oily conditioning materials as described herein. Lotions are aqueous emulsions comprising water-insoluble oily conditioning materials. Suitable surfactants can also be included in lotions to improve their stability to phase separation.

Adjuvants The compositions of the present invention may also contain adjuvants suitable for hair care. Generally such ingredients are included individually at a level of up to 2, preferably up to 1 % by weight of the total composition.

Among suitable hair care adjuvants, are: i) natural hair root nutrients, such as amino acids and sugars. Examples of suitable amino acids

include arginine, cysteine, glutamine, glutamic acid, isoleucine, leucine, methionine, serine and valine, and/or precursors and derivatives thereof.

The amino acids may be added singly, in mixtures, or in the form of peptides, e. g. di-and tripeptides. The amino acids may also be added in the form of a protein hydrolysate, such as a keratin or collagen hydrolysate. Suitable sugars are glucose, dextrose and fructose. These may be added singly or in the form of, e. g. fruit extracts. A particularly preferred combination of natural hair root nutrients for inclusion in compositions of the invention is isoleucine and glucose. A particularly preferred amino acid nutrient is arginine.

(ii) hair fibre benefit agents. Examples are: - ceramides, for moisturising the fibre and maintaining cuticle integrity. Ceramides are available by extraction from natural sources, or as synthetic ceramides and pseudoceramides.

A preferred ceramide is Ceramide II, ex Quest.

Mixtures of ceramides may also be suitable, such as Ceramides LS, ex Laboratoires Serobiologiques.

Mode of Use The compositions of the invention are primarily intended for topical application to the hair and/or scalp of a human subject, either in rinse-off or leave-on compositions, to improve hair fibre surface properties such as smoothness, softness, manageability, cuticle integrity, and shine.