Method of measuring attributes of personal care articles and compositions

• US 20050262952A1
• Filed: 08/02/2005
• Published: 12/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Inventors: Cohen, Jason C., Kruchoski, Benjamin J., Minerath, Bernard J. III, Reece, Barry T., Buettner, Elizabeth J., Geiser, Kimberly M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,155,991 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/865.700
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/411 Detecting or monitoring allergy or intolerance reactions to an allergenic agent or substance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4824 Touch or pain perception evaluation A61B5/4821 takes precedence

Abstract

Novel methods for measuring the soothing attributes of personal care compositions are disclosed. The methods disclosed are particularly suitable for measuring and comparing the soothing attributes of facial tissue to determine which facial tissue is most soothing to damaged skin. The methods include damaging the skin of a test subject to a predetermined amount, contacting a test tissue. In a preferred embodiment, the amount of skin damage on the skin is determined by the test subject.

Claims

1. A method of measuring a sensory attribute of a personal care composition, the method comprising:

providing a product including a personal care composition;

inducing an amount of damage onto an area of skin of a test subject;

contacting the damaged area of skin on the subject with the product to determine the amount of soothing of the personal care composition, the contacting including contacting the product with the damaged area of skin; and

rating the amount of soothing of the product after the contacting.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the sensory attribute being measured is the soothing ability of the personal care composition.

3. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the personal care composition is selected from the group consisting of facial tissue, bath tissue, absorbent articles, skin lotions, vapors, paper towels, wipes, solids, skin care powders, emulsions, absorbent articles, creams, and solutions.

4. The method as set forth in claim 3 wherein the personal care composition is a facial tissue.

5. The method as set forth in claim 4 wherein the damage is induced onto the area of skin of the test subject by one of the group consisting of the test subject, a technician, an instrument, or any combination thereof.

6. The method as set forth in claim 5 wherein the level of damage induced onto the area of skin is determined by one of the group consisting of test subject, technician, instrument, or any combination thereof.

7. The method as set forth in claim 6 wherein the damage is induced by a damage inducing agent selected from the group consisting of an economy facial tissue, chemical or biochemical agent, emory cloth, tape stripping, paper towel, cloth handkerchief, bath tissue, and light grade sandpaper.

8. The method as set forth in claim 7 wherein the damage is induced onto the area of skin to a predetermined level utilizing from about 1 to about 1000 damage inducing cycles.

9. The method as set forth in claim 8 herein the damage is induced onto the area of skin to a predetermined level utilizing from about 1 to about 250 damage inducing cycles.

10. The method as set forth in claim 8 herein the damage is induced onto the area of skin to a predetermined level utilizing from about 1 to about 100 damage inducing cycles.

11. The method as set forth in claim 8 wherein each damage inducing cycle comprises from about 1 to about 1000 wipes.

12. The method as set forth in claim 11 wherein each damage inducing cycle comprises from about 1 to about 500 wipes.

13. The method as set forth in claim 11 wherein each damage inducing cycle comprises from about 1 to about 250 wipes.

14. The method as set forth in claim 11 wherein the level of damage on the skin area is rated after each damage inducing cycle by the test subject utilizing a visual analog scale.

15. The method as set forth in claim 14 further comprising a waiting period of from about a few seconds to a few minutes between damage inducing cycles.

16. The method as set forth in claim 15 wherein the level of damage on the skin area is rated after each damage inducing cycle utilizing a method selected from the group consisting of expert grading methods, sensory methods, and instrumental methods.

17. The method as set forth in claim 16 wherein the damage inducing cycles are continued until the predetermined level of damage on the skin area is reached.

18. The method as set forth in claim 17 wherein the contacting of the personal care composition to the damaged skin comprises from about 1 to about 100 contacting cycles.

19. The method as set forth in claim 18 wherein the contacting cycles comprise wiping the personal care composition on the damaged area of skin from about 1 to about 100 times.

20. The method as set forth in claim 19 wherein the amount of soothing of the personal care composition is rated by the test subject after each contacting cycle.

21. The method as set forth in claim 20 wherein the rating of the soothing of the personal care composition is done using a method selected from visual analog scale methods, magnitude estimation methods, labeled dissimilarity scale methods, and preference scoring methods.

22. The method as set forth in claim 21 wherein the test subject is a healthy test subject.

23. The method as set forth in claim 22 wherein the healthy test subject is trained.

24. The method as set forth in claim 22 wherein the healthy test subject is untrained.

25. The method as set forth in claim 21 wherein the test subject is a sick test subject.

26. The method as set forth in claim 25 wherein the sick test subject is trained.

27. The method as set forth in claim 25 wherein the sick test subject is untrained.