Colored formulations for application to human skin

• US 6,086,858 A
• Filed: 06/15/1999
• Issued: 07/11/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: IPA
• Original Assignee: IPA
• Inventors: McEleney, John, Reenstra, Wende, Vock, Curtis A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dodson, Shelley A.
• Application Number:
  US09/333,088
• Time in Patent Office: 392 Days
• Field of Search: 424/59, 424/60, 424/78.02, 424/78.03, 424/401, 424/514, 424/844, 424/846, 424/847
• US Class Current: 424/59
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 2800/45 Colour indicators, e.g. pH- or Redox indicators
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 8/4973 with oxygen as the only hetero atom
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 8/498 having 6-membered rings or their condensed derivatives, e.g. coumarin
• CPC Class Codes: A61Q 17/04 Topical preparations for affording protection against sunlight or other radiation; Topical sun tanning preparations

Abstract

A lotion such as a sunscreen includes a color indicator which brightly colorizes the lotion until the lotion is applied to human skin, wherein after the colored lotion changes color or turns clear. A physiological color indicator such as a pH indicator, a colorant or color indicator can be used, alone or in combination, to colorize the lotion in accord with the invention. The lotion is suitable for use in lotion, gel, mousse or medication that is best applied in an even and uniform manner to the skin. Accordingly, one preferred use of the invention is in UV-protection sunscreens so that a user can ensure even distribution of the sunscreen on the body. A sunscreen of the invention can also include an emollient, such as jojoba oil, an emulsifier, a surfactant, such as sorbitol, water, and a pH adjuster, such as triethanolaminie.

Claims

1. A sunscreen composition for application to human skin, comprising:

one or more of a thickener, an emulsifier, an emollient, a surfactant, a preservative, a perfume, and a film former;

a sunscreen agent; and

a bright color indicator which (a) ensures that the composition intensely contrasts human skin color, when applied to the skin, so that human vision easily discerns an area of the skin covered by the composition, and (b) substantially disappears after a short period of time following distribution on the skin.

2. A composition according to claim 1, wherein the color indicator comprises a pH indicator.

3. A composition according to claim 1, wherein the color indicator comprises a colorant.

4. A composition according to claim 1, wherein the short period is less than approximately four minutes.

5. A sunscreen composition for application to human skin, comprising:

one or more of a thickener, an emulsifier, an emollient, a surfactant, a preservative, a perfume, and a film former;

sunscreen agent; and

a red, blue, purple, or green color indicator which ensures that the composition has an intense color, other than color of human skin, when applied to skin, and which changes color when distributed over the skin.

6. A sunscreen composition of claim 5, wherein the color indicator changes to clear, or to a color substantially representative of human skin, after a short time period after distribution over the skin.

7. A sunscreen composition of claim 5, wherein the color indicator comprises a pH indicator.

8. A sunscreen composition of claim 5, wherein the color indicator comprises a colorant.

9. A sunscreen composition of claim 5, wherein the emollient comprises jojoba oil.

10. A sunscreen composition of claim 5, wherein the surfactant comprises sorbitol.

11. A sunscreen composition of claim 5, further comprising a pH adjuster.

12. A sunscreen composition of claim 11, wherein the pH adjuster comprises triethanolamine.

13. A method of manufacturing a sunscreen composition, comprising the steps of:

creating a formulation of a sunscreen agent and one or more of a thickener, an emulsifier, an emollient, a surfactant, a preservative, a perfume, and a film former to form the composition; and

mixing a brightly colored indicator with the formulation such that the composition has high contrast to human vision when applied to distinct areas of the skin, and such that the composition becomes substantially colorless in those areas after prolonged contact with the skin.

14. A method of claim 13, wherein the step of mixing a brightly colored indicator comprises mixing a pH indicator with the formulation.

15. A method of claim 13, wherein the step of mixing a brightly colored indicator comprises mixing a red, blue, purple, or green color indicator with the formulation.

16. A method of claim 13, wherein the step of mixing a brightly colored indicator comprises mixing a colorant with the formulation.

17. A method of claim 13, wherein the step of creating a formulation comprises including a jojoba oil emollient with the formulation.

18. A method of claim 13, wherein the step of creating a formulation comprises including sorbitol with the formulation.

19. A method of claim 13, further comprising adding a pH adjuster to the formulation.

20. A sunscreen composition for application to human skin, comprising:

a sunscreen agent, and

a color indicator which ensures that the composition has an intense color, in high contrast to human skin color, when applied to skin, and which becomes substantially colorless,

after a short time period following even distribution over the skin, the time period being between one half and ten minutes.

21. A composition according to claim 20, wherein the color indicator comprises a pH indicator.

22. A composition according to claim 20, wherein the color indicator comprises means for imparting a color selected from the group of blue, red, violet and fluorescent.