Subject of the Invention

The subject of the invention relates to a product, which enables the skin to be disinfected without causing irritation, by way of release of a certain quantity of disinfectant agent to the skin at a certain rate for an extended duration of time, i.e. by way of controlled release of the agent to the skin, and which at the same time provides the care for the skin by means of the antioxidant substances that are possible to be contained in said product and that are released in a controlled manner.

State of the Art

Hygiene is one of the main factors affecting the human health. The pathogenic microorganisms such as bacteria and the virus accumulate on the skin surface, which is the part of the body that is exposed to the highest extent of contact with the surfaces during the day. Many of the infections occurring in the skin and in any part of the body develop upon the spread of the pathogenic microorganisms to these areas of the body. Consequently, regular disinfection of the skin is the measure of first priority required to be taken to prevent especially the infectious diseases.

Today, the alcohol-based or non-alcohol-based disinfectant products in gel, foam or liquid form, which are practically applied to the skin and require no rinsing and drying, are used in order to inactivate the pathogenic microorganisms accumulating on the skin to thereby prevent the same from spreading over the skin and from being transmitted from one person to another. Since they do not necessitate the rinsing and drying processes after being applied on the skin, such products provide the users with the ease of use and reduce the water consumption.

Due to their ingredients, the action of most of the products that are used in the state of the art and that provide effective disinfection is not sustainable. This leads to the use of the products continuously and in high quantities so that they can provide the desired level of action for the desired length of time. The permanent use of these products causes the reduction of the natural moisturizing factors, beneficial microorganisms and water content in the skin and the disruption of the natural structure of the skin. The disruption of the skin structure also leads to a decrease in the production of the lipids with moisturizing action and it becomes impossible to provide the skin's need for moisture from the lipids either. The loss of water causes the skin to dry and the itching, exfoliation and cracks develop on the dry skin. The pathogenic microorganisms accumulate in these cracks having the characteristics of an open wound and thus cause infection in the course of time.

In order to prevent the continued use of disinfectants in high quantities from disrupting the structure and health of the skin, the skin care products, which nourish and moisturize the skin and reinforce the natural flora of the skin, are applied to the skin as a second process following the disinfectant use. However, the use of more than one product is costly for the users and the performance of more than one process leads to time loss. Consequently, the products are needed, which provide controlled disinfection and thus are effective for a long time and reduce the quantity and frequency of the disinfectant use, and which additionally prevent the irritation of the skin and thus eliminate the requirement to provide care to the skin after disinfecting the same.

Controlled release is a process whereby an active ingredient is delivered from within a system to a target area over an extended period of time, at a specified rate and at the required quantity and thus the active ingredient is enabled to maintain its action for a long time in said area. Encapsulation is the process whereby a thin coating is formed around this active ingredient. This coating/carrier/capsule is the system from which the active ingredient is to be released. Cubosomes are the nano-size carriers with cubic liquid crystal structure providing controlled release. Owing to their ability to encapsulate the hydrophobic, hydrophilic and amphiphilic substances, their non-toxic nature, their biocompatible nature, their ability to enhance the skin permeability, their long-term thermodynamic stability, their feature of being easy to manufacture and economical, and their wide internal surface area, the cubosomes are frequently used as a carrier in the manufacture of the controlled-release drugs and cosmetics. Owing to the controlled release carried out by the use of the cubosomes, it is ensured that the active ingredient is not administered instantaneously in a high quantity to the target area and the active ingredient does not penetrate the skin and thus the irritation does not develop in the skin.

In order to disinfect the skin by way of controlled release of disinfectant active ingredients to the skin in specified quantities, thus providing long-lasting effect in the skin as well as avoiding the irritation of the skin, a controlled release product comprising a delivery system, preferably cubosomes, which contains at least one type of disinfectant active ingredient/agent, has been developed within the scope of the invention. As a result of releasing a specified quantity of disinfectant agent to the skin at a specified rate and for an extended duration of time, the quantity and frequency of the disinfectant use is reduced and thus the disruption of the skin structure is prevented.

The product according to the invention may further provide the effects of repairing the skin, enhancing the cell viability and increasing the beneficial microorganisms and natural moisturizing factors in the skin flora, by way of nourishing the skin with the antioxidant substances, which said product may additionally include and which are released in a controlled manner. In this case, the skin care agents such as the controlled- release antioxidants and the disinfectant agents are separated, wherein the skin care agents are enabled to rapidly penetrate the skin, whereas the disinfectant agents are enabled to remain on the skin surface to disinfect the skin without irritating the same. In this way, it becomes possible, by the use of the same product, to additionally provide care to the skin in a controlled manner and the use of a separate skin care product is not needed after the use of disinfectant.

Object of the Invention

An object of the invention is to develop a product, which enables the skin to be disinfected without causing irritation, by way of release of a certain quantity of disinfectant agent to the skin at a certain rate for an extended duration of time, i.e. by way of controlled release of the agent to the skin. Another object of the invention is to develop a product, which is suitable for further comprising the skin care products, especially the agents with antioxidant property, and which thus, as a single product, has the functions of both performing the controlled skin cleansing and providing the skin care and eliminates the requirement to use two separate products to achieve said functions.

Another object of the invention is to develop a product, which enables the skin care agents such as the controlled-release antioxidants and the disinfectant agents to be separated and enables the skin care agents to rapidly penetrate the skin while enabling the disinfectant agents to remain on the skin surface.

Another object of the invention is to enable the use of the cubosomes, which provide controlled release, have large internal surface area and feature the ability to encapsulate many different agent types, for providing the controlled release of the disinfectants and/or skin care agents to the skin, in other words, to confer to the cubosomes a new field of use.

Another object of the invention is to enable the maximum quantity of active ingredient that a certain quantity of skin product may contain to be increased owing to the use of the cubosomes, which have large internal surface area and provide controlled release.

Description of the Invention

The subject of the invention relates to a product, which enables the skin to be disinfected without causing irritation, by way of release of a certain quantity of disinfectant agent to the skin at a certain rate for an extended duration of time, i.e. by way of controlled release of the agent to the skin.

The product according to the invention basically comprises a capsule carrier that contains at least one disinfectant agent.

The product according to the invention comprises the carrier preferably at a ratio of 80- 90% by weight.

The product according to the invention comprises deionized water in a suitable quantity, i.e. in a quantity sufficient to complement the product to 100%, depending on the quantity of carrier said product comprises or further depending on the quantities of all the additives in case said product also comprises such additives.

The carrier present in the product according to the invention contains the disinfectant agent preferably at a ratio of 60-80% by weight.

The disinfectant agent/s contained in the carrier that is present in the product according to the invention may be selected from but not limited to cationic/hydrophilic compounds, preferably quaternary ammonium compounds, ammonium compounds, ethanol and isopropyl alcohol. The disinfectant agent does not penetrate the skin; it remains on the skin surface and disinfects the skin without irritating the same.

In a preferred embodiment of the product according to the invention, the carrier contains, preferably at a ratio of 10-20% by weight, at least one type of skin care agent, which enables to nourish the skin and thus enables to reinforce the skin flora, moisturize the skin and/or repair the skin. In this embodiment, the skin care agent/s may be selected from but not limited to hydrophilic compounds the examples of which may include glycerin; hydrophobic compounds with antioxidant nature the examples of which may include resveratrol and vitamins A, D and E; aloe vera; and hyaluronic acid. The skin care agent/s with hydrophobic and fat-soluble nature penetrate/s the skin and enhance cell viability in the subcutaneous layers. The skin care agent/s with hydrophilic and water-soluble nature such as glycerin remain/s along with the disinfectant agent on the skin surface and prevent/s the irritation of the skin.

In a preferred embodiment of the product according to the invention, the carrier that the product comprises is cubosome. Cubosomes are preferred for the reasons of their ability to encapsulate the hydrophobic, hydrophilic and amphiphilic substances, their non-toxic nature, their biocompatible nature, their long-term thermodynamic stability, their feature of being easy to manufacture and economical, and their wider internal surface area as compared to the other carriers. The cubosome carrier does not penetrate the skin and continues its function by remaining on the skin surface. In the embodiments of the product according to the invention comprising cubosomes as the carrier, the cubosome carrier is obtained by the use of a composition comprising at least one lipid or a lipid mixture and at least one surfactant and/or mixtures thereof.

In said embodiments, the surfactant/s may be selected from but not limited to nonionic surfactants, preferably poloxamers, sorbitan esters, polyoxyethylene sorbitans, polyoxyethylene ethers; anionic surfactants, preferably phosphatidylserine derivatives, phosphatidic acid derivatives, sodium dodecyl sulfate; and cationic surfactants, preferably l,2-dioleoyl-3-trimethylammonium propane, dimethyldioctadecylammonium chloride, N-[l-(l,2-dioleoyloxy)propyl]-N,N,N- trimethylammonium chloride, l,2-dioleoyl-3-ethylphosphocoline and 3P-[N-[(N',N'- dimethylamino)ethane]carbamoyl] cholesterol.

In said embodiments, lipid/s is/are selected from but not limited to the monoglycerides, preferably monoolein, monopalmitolein, monomyristolein, monoelaidin and monoerucin, and/or from the mixtures comprising vegetable oils and/or animal fats and/or iodine-containing oils and/or triglycerides along with monoolein. The triglyceride/s may be selected from but not limited to triacetin, tributyrin, tricaproin, tricaprylin, tricaprin and triolen; the iodine-containing oil/s may be selected from but not limited to lipiodol, iodized poppy seed oil, ethiodol and iodized soybean oil; and the vegetable oil/s may be selected from but not limited to soybean oil, cottonseed oil, olive oil, opium oil, linseed oil and sesame oil.

In a preferred embodiment of the product according to the invention, the carrier is obtained by the use of a composition, which comprises a lipid/surfactant mixture at a ratio of 2.5-10% by weight.

In a preferred embodiment of the product according to the invention where said product comprises cubosomes as the carrier, the cubosome carrier is obtained via the bottom-up method. In this way, smaller particles that maintain stability for a longer time are obtained. In this embodiment, the carrier contains at least one hydrotrope compound preferably at a ratio of 10-20% by weight. An aqueous phase in which the lipid/s, surfactant/s and hydrotrope compound/s are present together is obtained. The cubosomes are obtained by way of subjecting the aqueous phase to vibration stirring. The described product according to the invention disinfects the skin in a controlled manner without irritating the same and prevents the skin disorders originating from the pathogenic microorganisms. Owing to the product, the disinfection action is enabled to be long-lasting and the necessity to use the disinfectant continuously and in a high quantity in order to maintain the desired level of effect for the desired period of time is eliminated. In case the product additionally comprises the skin care agents, the product alone may achieve the functions of skin cleansing and skin care; the product may further be easily manufactured and easily applied. The skin care agents such as the controlled- release antioxidants and the disinfectant agents are separated, wherein the skin care agents are enabled to rapidly penetrate the skin, whereas the disinfectant agents are enabled to remain on the skin surface to disinfect the skin without irritating the same. Owing to the use of the cubosomes with large internal surface area for the controlled disinfection, the maximum quantity of active ingredient that a certain quantity of product may comprise is increased.