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COMPOSITION

FELX ⁾ OFTHE INVENTION

The present invention relates to compositions and, in particular, to a composition for application to a surface and magnetically permeable particles for the composition.

The invention has been developed primarily for use as a topical exfoliant composition having magnetically permeable particles and will be described hereinafter with reference to this application. However, it will be appreciated that the invention is not limited to this particular field of use and can be used, inter alia, as a cosmetic, skin care product, depilatory agent, skin cream, topical emollient, moisturiser, polisher, cleaner, or hand or skin wash having magnetically permeable particles suspended therein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Exfoliant compositions for the skin have been long known. Such compositions are generally sold as cosmetic or beauty treatment products and used to give the skin a more youthful or clean appearance.

The exfoliant compositions typically include an abrasive in the form of crushed nut shells suspended in a lubricant fluid. The lubricant fluid can be simply a lubricant or include cleaning agents or other material as preferred. Such lubricants, etc. can disadvantageously irritate a person's skin by the scratching action when exfoliating with the crushed nut shells.

The exfoliant compositions are topically applied to the skin of a person by rubbing it over portions that are to be exfoliated. The rubbing of the exfoliant compositions over the skin detaches skin flakes, dirt, etc from the skin. Once rubbed over the skin, the exfoliant is removed from the skin by washing. This usually includes washing the skin with a soap or cleanser.

The action of crushing nut shells, although especially common in topical exfoliants, causes the crushed shells to have relatively sharp edges. The action of rubbing crushed nut shells, regardless of size, with relatively sharp edges over the skin

disadvantageous^ results in scratches to the skin. The action of rubbing the exfoliant over the skin and scratching the skin needs to be addressed after the exfoliant is washed off by the application of a moisturiser or other emollient. The scratching is not always readily repairable.

It can be seen that not only do the conventionally known exfoliants unnecessarily scratch skin, a two or more step application process is required to exfoliate the skin and leave it in a satisfactory condition.

Similarly to the case of topical exfoliants, there are many commercially available cleaners, scourers, depilatory agents, etc., that are applied to a surface only to be removed and a second composition applied. For example, a cleaning substance having abrasive particle disposed in viscous liquid base. Once applied, the abrasive is washed or wiped away and a separate polish is applied.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the invention to provide a composition that will remove the need to wash an exfoliant composition applied to skin and then apply a repairing agent such as a moisturiser for example.Or to provide an exfoliant that minimises the scratching of a persons skin, or to provide a useful alternative.

SUMMARY OP THE INVENTION

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is disclosed a composition for application to a surface, the composition including a base carrier substance and a plurality of magnetically permeable particles suspended therein, said magnetically permeable particles being removable from said base carrier substance of the composition by a magnet.

According to second aspect of the present invention there is disclosed magnetically permeable particles when used in a composition for application to a surface wherein the composition includes a base carrier substance and a plurality of magnetically permeable particles suspended therein, said magnetically permeable particles being removable from the base carrier substance of the composition by a magnet.

According to third aspect of the present invention there is disclosed a method of providing a composition for application to a surface, the method including the steps of suspending a plurality of magnetically permeable particles in a base carrier substance, the magnetically permeable particles being removable from the base carrier substance of the composition by a magnet.

According to fourth aspect of the present invention there is disclosed method of applying a composition to a surface wherein the composition includes a base carrier substance and a plurality of magnetically permeable particles suspended therein, the method including the steps of applying the composition to the surface and applying a magnetic field thereto, the magnetic field removing the magnetically permeable particles from the base carrier substance of said composition.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a package having a composition and a magnet, the composition being for application to a surface and including a base carrier substance and a plurality of magnetically permeable particles suspended therein, the magnetically permeable particles being removable from the base carrier substance of the composition after application to a surface by magnetic field applied thereto by the magnet.

It will be appreciated that the term magnetically permeable particles as used throughout this specification is used to denote particles that will exhibit an attractive force in response to a magnetic field applied thereto by a magnet.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION QF THE DRAWINGS

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a front perspective view of a person applying an exfoliant composition according to the preferred embodiment; Fig. 2 is a side view of the person of Fig. 1 showing the removal of the exfoliant composition;

Fig.3 is a close up view of a portion of the person of Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 is like view to Fig. 1 showing part of the composition removed.

DFTATT F.n πPSCRTPTTON

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, there is provided an exfoliant composition for application to surface in the form of a person's skin. The composition includes a base carrier substance Ln the form of an emollient A plurality of magnetically permeable particles are suspended in the emollient base carrier substance.

As noted, it will be appreciated that the term magnetically permeable particles as used throughout this specification is used to denote particles that will exhibit an attractive force in response to a magnetic field applied thereto by a magnet. In the preferred embodiment, the magnetically permeable particles are iron particles.

The magnetically permeable particles are removable from the base carrier substance of the composition by a magnetic field applied to the composition. In the preferred embodiment, the magnetically permeable particles raoge in size from 20 microns to 200 microns. Furthermore, the magnetically permeable particles are substantially round having non-sharp edges and are preferably spherical. In the preferred embodiment, the magnetically permeable particles do not include any edges sharp enough to scratch the skin of a person when rubbed thereover. .

In the embodiment shown in the drawings, the exfoliant composition is formed from the following ingredients: magnetically permeable iron particles sized as above forming approximately 55% by weight of the composition; and the base carrier substance is formed from petrolatum; shea butter; macrocrystalline wax; lanolin; squalene; olive oil; avocado oil; evening primrose oil; macadamia nut oil; polysorbate-20; tocopherol acetate (vitamin-E); retinyl palmitate (vitamin- A); titanium dioxide; butylphenyl methyipropional; linalool; alpha-isomethy] ionone; hexyl cinnamal; hydroxisohexyl-3-cyclohexane carboxaldehyde; citronellol; benzyl benzoate; benzyl alcohol; geraniol; benzyl salicylate; and eugenol,

The ingredients in the composition other than the magnetically permeable particles serve a variety of functions such as a lubricating agent, a skin emollient and fragrances. It will be appreciated that the base carrier substance can be composed of any preferred substance or substances.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 4, there is shown a person 1 using the exfoliaαt composition 2 of the preferred embodiment. Fig. 1 shows the person rubbing the exfoliant composition 2 over their face. The action of rubbing magnetically permeable particles 4 over the skin 3 causes flakes of skin, loose skin, dirt, etc. to be dislodged from the skin and suspended in the exfoliant composition 2.

The composition of the preferred embodiment is most preferably rubbed over the skin 3 for 1 to 2 minutes. A rare earth magnet 5 is moved into close proximity, ideally up to 10mm from the skin 3, to the composition 2 and the magnetically permeable exfoliant particles 4 are attracted to the magnet 5. The process of removing the particles 4 from the composition 2 is shown in Figs. 2 and 3. It will be appreciated that the magnet 5 does not need to contact the applied composition 2 and a rare earth magnet is most preferably used.

It is most preferred that -when the magnet 5 is passed over the exfoliant composition 2 applied to the skin 3 of the person, the magnet S is substantially enclosed in a tissue 6. However, any other non-metallic sheet-like material such as plastic or a fabric can preferably be used. This is shown in side view in Fig. 3. In this way, the magnetically permeable particles 4 do not directly contact the magnet 5 when passed over the composition 2. The particles 4 can then be removed from, the magnet 5 by simply removing the tissue 6.

Fig.4 shows the person after the magnetically permeable particles 4 have been removed from the composition 2 by the magnet, leaving emollient base carrier substance 7. The emollient base substance 7 can be left on the skin for predetermined period and then wiped off or washed off, or just left when base carrier substance 7 is a moisturiser for example.

It can therefore be seen that the exfoliant composition 2 advantageously allows the exfoliant 4 to be applied by a person 1 by in a single treatment without the need for washing the skin 3. Furthermore, it can be seen that the magnetically permeable particles 4 of the exfoliating composition 2 do not include sharp edges that scratch the skin 3 of a person 1.

Although not illustrated, the composition is packaged in ajar composed of plastic, glass or ceramic or other non-magnetically permeable substance such as aluminium. for example. A similarly non-magnetically permeable jar lid is also provided.

The rare earth magnet is conveniently packaged in a recess in an outer carton package, both on top of and outside the jar. The attractive force between the magnet and the magnetically permeable panicles in the composition is minimised by keeping the magnet a few millimetres away from, the tap of the composition.

It is noted that any other preferred packaging arrangement can be used. For example, the jar lid can include a sheet-like insert composed of a magnetically permeable material such as tin, iron, etc. disposed intermediate the top of the lid and a lid sealing membrane. In this way, the magnet can be retained by the top of the lid.

It will be appreciated the foregoing describes only one preferred embodiment of the present invention and modifications, obvious to those skilled in the field of the invention, can be made thereto without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, the composition can be a cosmetic, skin care product, depilatory agent, skin cream, topical emollient, moistαriser, polisher, cleaner, or hand or skin wash.

In such cases, the magnetically permeable particles can be selected from cleaning agents, polishing agents, catalysts and scouring agents. Depending on the intended use of the composition, the base carrier substance can be a powder, slurry, emollient, solvent, moisturiser, medicament, oil, wax, lubricant, gel, dye, polish or any other preferred substance.

The magnetically permeable particles are composed of a metal or metal alloy or other particle that is magnetically permeable and is capable of being removed from the composition by a magnet. Most preferably, the magnetically permeable particles are ferromagnetic.

The magnetically permeable particles can have a smaller or larger size than is described with reference to the preferred embodiment depending on the use of the composition. For example, the magnetically permeable particle size can be in the range of less than 1 micron to 900 microns or more depending on the application of the composition.

Likewise, the magnetically permeable particles need not be spherical but can be ovoid or any other preferred regular or irregular shape. In some embodiments of the composition, the magnetically permeable particles can include sharp edges when scratching is not a material concern.

It will also be appreciated that the magnetic can be a non-rare earth permanent magnet such as a ferrous or ceramic magnet, or can be an electromagnet. For example, the magnet can formed from include nickel, cobalt, iron or manganese.

The magnetically permeable particles can also be used as catalysts in the composition, or reactive agents whereby the particles react after application of the composition before being removed by the magnet.