Liquid cleansing composition comprising lamellar phase inducing structurant with low salt content and enhanced low temperature stability

• US 6,426,326 B1
• Filed: 08/03/2000
• Issued: 07/30/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Unilever Home & Personal Care Usa Division Of Conopco, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Unilever Home & Personal Care Usa Division Of Conopco, Inc.
• Inventors: Puvvada, Sudhakar, Mitra, Shuman
• Primary Examiner(s): Kopec, Mark
• Assistant Examiner(s): Petruncio, John M
• Application Number:
  US09/632,061
• Time in Patent Office: 726 Days
• Field of Search: 510/130, 510/158, 510/159, 510/417, 510/426, 510/488, 510/491, 510/537
• US Class Current: 510/130
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 2800/596 Mixtures of surface active compounds
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 8/0295 Liquid crystals
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 8/361 Carboxylic acids having more than seven carbon atoms in an unbroken chain; Salts or anhydrides thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 8/442 substituted by amido group(s)
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 8/463 containing sulfuric acid derivatives, e.g. sodium lauryl sulfate
• CPC Class Codes: A61Q 19/10 Washing or bathing preparations
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 1/02 Anionic compounds C11D1/002, C11D1/004, C11D1/008 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 1/10 Amino carboxylic acids; Imino carboxylic acids; Fatty acid condensates thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 1/123 derived from carboxylic acids, e.g. sulfosuccinates
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 1/146 Sulfuric acid esters
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 1/29 Sulfates of polyoxyalkylene ethers
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 1/88 Ampholytes; Electroneutral compounds C11D1/002, C11D1/004, C11D1/008 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 1/90 Betaines
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 1/92 Sulfobetaines ; Sulfitobetaines
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 1/94 Mixtures with anionic, cationic or non-ionic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 17/0026 Structured liquid compositions, e.g. liquid crystalline phases or network containing non-Newtonian phase
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/2006 Monohydric alcohols
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/2079 Monocarboxylic acids-salts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/2093 Esters; Carbonates

Abstract

The invention relates to liquid cleansing compositions in lattellar phase which possess a lotion-like appearance conveying signals of enhanced moisturization. However, these liquids often undergo an irreversible decrease in viscosity under freeze/thaw conditions, losing their moisturization signals. The use of low salt levels in amphoteric and anionic surfactants in a structured liquid product has been found to improve its freeze/thaw stability.

Claims

1. An aqueous lamellar structured liquid composition, comprising:

a surfactant selected from the group consisting of amphoteric, zwitterionic, or a mixture thereof;

an anionic surfactant;

a lamellar structurant selected from the group consisting of fatty acids, fatty esters, trihydroxystearin, fatty alcohols; and

a strong electrolyte present in a concentration below a predetermined amount, said amount being sufficient to maintain 65% or greater of said liquid composition'"'"'s initial viscosity after freeze thawing.

2. The composition of claim 1 wherein the strong electrolyte is equal to or below about 1.1 weight percent.

3. The composition of claim 1 wherein the weight percent ratio of anionic surfactant to strong electrolyte is in the range of 8:

1 to 100;

1.

4. The composition of claim 1 wherein the weight percent ratio of anionic surfactant to strong electrolyte is in the range of 10:

1 to 50;

1.

5. The composition of claim 1 wherein the weight percent ratio of amphoteric surfactant to strong electrolyte is in the range of 3:

1 to 100;

1.

6. The composition of claim 1 wherein the weight percent ratio of amphoteric surfactant to strong electrolyte is in the range of 5:

1 to 50;

1.

7. The composition of claim 1 wherein the amphoteric or zwitterionic surfactant is selected from either cocamidopropyl betaine, or an alkali metal salt of alkyl amphoacetate.

8. The composition of claim 1 wherein the total concentration of the amphoteric or zwitterionic surfactant is in the range of about 3 to 30 weight percent of the total composition.

9. The composition of claim 1 wherein the anionic surfactant is selected from the group consisting of alkali metal or ammonium alkyl ether sulfate, alkali metal or ammonium alkyl sarcosinate, alkali metal or ammonium alkyl sulfosuccinate, and alkali metal or ammonium alkyl sulfate.

10. The composition of claim 1 wherein at least one surfactant is selected from the group consisting of an amphoteric, zwitterionic, or anionic surfactant;

and said at least one surfactant has an R value less than or equal to 0.15 where $R=\frac{\left[\%<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>\mathrm{salt}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>\mathrm{in}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>\mathrm{surfactant}\right]}{\left[\%<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>\mathrm{active}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>\mathrm{in}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>\mathrm{surfactant}\right]}.$

11. The composition of claim 1 wherein at least one surfactant is selected from the group consisting of sodium lauroamphoacetate or cocamidopropyl betaine;

and said at least one surfactant has an R value less than or equal to 0.15 where $R=\frac{\left[\%<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>\mathrm{salt}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>\mathrm{in}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>\mathrm{surfactant}\right]}{\left[\%<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>\mathrm{active}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>\mathrm{in}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>\mathrm{surfactant}\right]}.$

12. The composition of claim 1 wherein the concentration of anionic surfactant is in the range of about 2 to 40 weight percent.

13. The composition of claim 1 wherein the lamellar structurant is selected from the group consisting of lauric acid, isostearic acid, trihydroxystearin, palm kernel acid, capric acid, oleic acid, and caprylic acid.

14. The composition of claim 1 wherein the concentration of lamellar structurant is in the range of about 0.5 to 10 weight percent.

15. The composition of claim 1 wherein said composition has an initial viscosity in the range of 15,000 to 300,000 (cps).

16. The composition of claim 1 wherein said composition has an initial viscosity in the range of 30,000 to 150,000 (cps).

17. The composition of claim 1 wherein said composition has an initial viscosity in the range of 60,000 to 140,000 (cps).

18. The composition of claim 1 wherein its freeze thaw viscosity is not less than 65% of said composition'"'"'s initial viscosity after one freeze thaw cycle.

19. The composition of claim 1 wherein its freeze thaw viscosity is not less than 65% of said composition'"'"'s initial viscosity after two freeze thaw cycle.

20. The composition of claim 1 wherein its freeze thaw viscosity is not less than 65% of said composition'"'"'s initial viscosity after three freeze thaw cycles.

21. The composition of claim 1 wherein its freeze thaw viscosity is not less than 80% of said composition'"'"'s initial viscosity after one freeze thaw cycle.

22. An aqueous lamellar structured liquid composition, comprising:

at least 5 weight percent of surface active material;

about 3 to 30 weight percent of one or more amphoteric, or zwiterionic surfactants or a blend thereof;

about 2 to 40 weight percent of an anionic surfactant;

about 0.5 to 10 weight percent of a lamellar structurant selected from the group consisting of fatty acids, fatty esters, fatty alcohols, or trihydroxystearin; and

less than about 1.1 weight percent of a strong electrolyte.

23. The composition of claim 22 wherein the amphoteric surfactant is sodium lauroamphoacetate.

24. The composition of claim 22 wherein the zwitterionic surfactant is cocamidopropyl betaine.

25. The composition of claim 22 wherein the anionic surfactant is selected from the group consisting of alkali metal or ammonium alkyl ether sulfate, alkali metal or ammonium alkyl sarcosinate, alkali metal or ammonium alkyl sulfate, and alkali metal or ammonium alkyl sulfosuccinate.

26. The composition of claim 22 wherein at least one surfactant selected from the group consisting of an amphoteric, zwitterionic, or anionic surfactant;

and said at least one surfactant has an R value less than or equal to 0.15 where $R=\frac{\left[\%<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>\mathrm{salt}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>\mathrm{in}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>\mathrm{surfactant}\right]}{\left[\%<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>\mathrm{active}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>\mathrm{in}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>\mathrm{surfactant}\right]}.$

27. The composition of claim 22 wherein at least one surfactant selected from the group consisting of sodium lauroamphoacetate or cocamidopropyl betaine;

and said at least one surfactant has an R value less than or equal to 0.15 where $R=\frac{\left[\%<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>\mathrm{salt}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>\mathrm{in}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>\mathrm{surfactant}\right]}{\left[\%<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>\mathrm{active}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>\mathrm{in}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>\mathrm{surfactant}\right]}.$