PROCESS FOR RELAXING OR STRAIGHTENING HAIR, USING WEAK DICARBOXYLIC ACIDS WITH HEAT

• US 20110256084A1
• Filed: 10/28/2009
• Published: 10/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: L'Oreal SA
• Original Assignee: L'Oreal SA
• Inventors: Dixon, Felicia, Yee, Ming, Pistorio, Bradford, Ellington, Angela
• Granted Patent: US 8,513,200 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 424/70.2
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 2800/24 Thermal properties
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 8/042 Gels
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 8/36 Carboxylic acids; Salts or anhydrides thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 8/362 Polycarboxylic acids
• CPC Class Codes: A61Q 5/04 Preparations for permanent waving or straightening the hair

Abstract

A process for straightening or relaxing hair comprising the following steps: (a) providing a hair straightening or relaxing composition having a pH ranging from 8 to 11.5, and containing, in a cosmetically acceptable medium, at least one weak acid chosen from monocarboxylic, dicarboxylic and tricarboxylic acids, their salts, and mixtures thereof; (b) contacting the hair with the hair straightening or relaxing composition to form treated hair; and (c) straightening or relaxing the treated hair by applying heat, wherein hydroxide-containing compounds are not used. Disclosed herein is also a preferred hair straightening or relaxing composition.

Claims

1. A process for straightening or relaxing hair, comprising the following steps:

(a) providing a hair straightening or relaxing composition having a pH ranging from 8 to 11.5, and containing, m a cosmetically acceptable medium, at least one weak acid chosen from monocarboxylic, dicarboxylic and tricarboxylic acids, their salts, and mixtures thereof;

(b) contacting the hair with the hair straightening or relaxing composition to form treated hair; and

(c) straightening or relaxing the treated hair by applying heat,

wherein hydroxide-containing compounds are not used.

2. The process of claim 1, wherein the hair straightening or relaxing composition used in step (a) has a pH of at least 9.

3. The process of claim 1, wherein the at least one weak acid is chosen from dicarboxylic acids, and preferably from malic acid, maleic acid, itaconic acid, oxalic acid, malonic acid, mesoxalic acid, fumaric acid, succinic acid, tartaric acid, alpha-ketogluta[pi]c acid, iminodiacetic acid, galactartic acid, adipic acid, glutaric acid, their salts, and mixtures thereof.

4. The process of claim 1, wherein the at least one weak acid is employed in the hair straightening or relaxing composition in an amount of from 0.1% to 50% by weight, preferably from 0.5% to 20%, more preferably from 0.5% to 10% by weight, even more preferably from 1% to 5% by weight, based on the total weight of the composition.

5. The process of claim 1, wherein the hair straightening or relaxing composition used in step (a) further contains at least one viscosity modifying agent, in a preferred amount of 0.1% to 10.0% by weight, more preferably from 0.5% to 5.0% by weight of the total weight of said composition.

6. The process of claim 5, wherein the viscosity modifying agent is chosen from:

(a) cationic polymers, and preferably polyquaternium-37;

(b) polysaccharides or polysaccharide derivatives and preferably;

celluloses and derivatives thereof, such as hydroxyalkyl cellulose polymers and alkyl hydroxyalkyl cellulose polymers such as hydroxyethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, cetyl hydroxyethyl cellulose;

methyl cellulose and its derivatives such as carboxymethyl cellulose, hydroxymethylcellulose derivatives such as hydroxypropyl methylcellulose and hydroxybutyl methyl cellulose,;

quaternized celluloses and hydroxyethylcelluloses;

natural or synthetic gums, and preferably xanthan gum, guar gum;

starch and starch derivatives;

(c) homopolymers and copolymers of carboxyvmyl monomers, and preferably homopolymers and copolymers of (meth) acrylic acid.

7. The process of claim 1, wherein the hair straightening or relaxing composition used in step (a) further contains at least one denaturant capable of disrupting hydrogen bonds in the hair, in an amount of from 0.1% to 25% by weight, based on the total weight of the composition.

8. The process of claim 1, wherein step (c) is performed with simultaneous use of means for smoothing hair at a temperature of at least 100<

0>

C, and preferably using a flat iron having a heating temperature ranging from 150 to 200<

0>

C.

16. The process of claim 2, wherein the at least one weak acid is chosen from dicarboxylic acids, and preferably from malic acid, maleic acid, itaconic acid, oxalic acid, malonic acid, mesoxalic acid, fumaric acid, succinic acid, tartaric acid, alpha-ketoglutaric acid, iminodiacetic acid, galactartic acid, adipic acid, glutaric acid, their salts, and mixtures thereof.

17. The process of claim 2, wherein the at least one weak acid is employed in the hair straightening or relaxing composition in an amount of from 0.1% to 50% by weight, preferably from 0.5% to 20%, more preferably from 0.5% to 10% by weight, even more preferably from 1% to 5% by weight, based on the total weight of the composition.

18. The process of claim 3, wherein the at least one weak acid is employed in the hair straightening or relaxing composition in an amount of from 0.1% to 50% by weight, preferably from 0.5% to 20%, more preferably from 0.5% to 10% by weight, even more preferably from 1% to 5% by weight, based on the total weight of the composition.

19. The process of claim 2, wherein the hair straightening or relaxing composition used in step (a) further contains at least one viscosity modifying agent, in a preferred amount of 0.1% to 10.0% by weight, more preferably from 0.5% to 5.0% by weight of the total weight of said composition.

20. The process of claim 3, wherein the hair straightening or relaxing composition used in step (a) further contains at least one viscosity modifying agent, in a preferred amount of 0.1% to 10.0% by weight, more preferably from 0.5% to 5.0% by weight of the total weight of said composition.

9. A gel composition for straightening or relaxing hair having a pH ranging from 8 to 11.5 and containing, in a cosmetically acceptable medium:

at least one weak acid chosen from monocarboxylic, dicarboxylic and tricarboxylic acids, their salts, and

mixtures thereof, and—

at least one viscosity modifying agent.

10. The composition of claim 9, wherein the at least one weak acid is chosen from dicarboxylic acids, and preferably from malic acid, maleic acid, itaconic acid, oxalic acid, malonic acid, mesoxalic acid, fumaric acid, succinic acid, tartaric acid, alpha-ketoglutaric acid, iminodiacetic acid, galactartic acid, adipic acid, glutaric acid, their salts, and mixtures thereof.

11. The composition of claim 9, wherein the at least one weak acid is employed m the hair straightening or relaxing composition in an amount of from 0.1% to 50% by weight, preferably from 0.5% to 20%, more preferably from 0.5% to 10% by weight, even more preferably from 1% to 5% by weight, based on the total weight of the composition.

12. The composition of claim 9, wherein the at least one viscosity modifying agent is present in a an amount of 0.1% to about 10.0% by weight, more preferably from 0.5% to 5.0% by weight of the total weight of said composition.

13. The composition of claim 9, wherein the viscosity modifying agent is chosen from:

(a) cationic polymers, and preferably polyquaternium-37;

(b) polysaccharides or polysaccharide derivatives and preferably;

celluloses and derivatives thereof, such as hydroxyalkyl cellulose polymers and alkyl hydroxyalkyl cellulose polymers such as hydroxyethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, cetyl hydroxyethyl cellulose;

methyl cellulose and its derivatives such as carboxymethyl cellulose, hydroxymethylcellulose derivatives such as hydroxypropyl methylcellulose and hydroxybutyl methyl cellulose,;

quaternized celluloses and hydroxyethylcelluloses;

natural or synthetic gums, and preferably xanthan gum, guar gum;

starch and starch derivatives;

(c) homopolymers and copolymers of carboxyvinyl monomers, and preferably homopolymers and copolymers of (meth) acrylic acid, such as;

polyacrylic acid, acrylic acid/ethyl acrylate copolymers, acrylic acid/polyallyl sucrose copolymers.

14. The composition of claim 9, further containing at least one denaturant capable of disrupting hydrogen bonds in the hair, present in an amount of from 0.1% to 25% by weight, preferably from 0.5% to 10% by weight, and more preferably from 1% to 5% by weight, based on the total weight of the composition, and chosen from guanidine carbonate;

halide, sulfate, or phosphate derivatives of guanidine;

urea;

alkyl or cyclic derivatives of urea; and

mixtures thereof.

15. The composition of claim 9, further containing at least one pH adjusting agent chosen from carbonate, bicarbonate, phosphate, and borate salts of alkali and alkali earth metals;

primary, secondary and tertiary amines;

sulfonic acid compounds; and

mixtures thereof.