Personal care composition with color change indicator

• US 6,733,766 B2
• Filed: 05/06/2002
• Issued: 05/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Unilever Home & Personal Care USA (Unilever PLC)
• Original Assignee: Unilever Home & Personal Care USA (Unilever PLC)
• Inventors: Padlo, Ewa Urszula, Gott, Robert Edward, Slavtcheff, Craig Stephen
• Primary Examiner(s): Dodson, Shelley A.
• Application Number:
  US10/139,808
• Publication Number:
  US 20030206878A1
• Time in Patent Office: 736 Days
• Field of Search: 424/401, 510/130, 510/418, 514/844, 514/846
• US Class Current: 424/401
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 2800/42 Colour properties
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 8/29 Titanium; Compounds thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61Q 19/02 for chemically bleaching or whitening the skin
• CPC Class Codes: A61Q 19/10 Washing or bathing preparations
• CPC Class Codes: A61Q 9/04 Depilatories

Abstract

A substantially dry composition, especially for personal care products is provided which includes a colorant activatable in water to release a visual color, and an oil-soluble carrier. The colorant is insoluble in the carrier and the visual color is not imparted to the composition in its substantially dry state. Addition of water to the composition activates a color change which renders the visual color perceivable by a consumer. Color changes can be associated as a signal of performance by a consumer.

Claims

1. A personal care substantially dry composition comprising:

(i) from about 0.000001 to about 2% by weight of the composition of a colorant activatable by water to reveal a visual color, the colorant not being encapsulated and requiring no physical breakdown of encapsulating walls for activation; and

(ii) from about 20 to about 99.9% by weight of the composition of an oil-soluble carrier, wherein the colorant is insoluble in the carrier and the visual color is not imparted to the composition in its substantially dry state.

2. A composition according to claim 1 wherein the oil-soluble carrier is selected from the group consisting of hydrocarbons, C₁-C₃₀ esters of carboxylic acids, vegetable oils, silicones and combinations thereof.

3. The composition according to claim 1 wherein the oil-soluble carrier is present in an amount from about 60 to about 95% by weight of the composition.

4. The composition according to claim 1 wherein the colorant is present in an amount from about 0.0001 to about 0.5% by weight of the composition.

5. The composition according to claim 1 wherein the visual color imparted is other than white.

6. The composition according to claim 1 which is a product selected from the group consisting of skin cleanser, hair treatment, depilatory and skin lightening product.

7. The composition according to claim 1 further comprising a nonwoven substrate onto which the composition is impregnated.

8. The composition according to claim 1 wherein the composition in its substantially dry state is white in color resulting from the presence of titanium dioxide.

9. The composition according to claim 1 further comprising a water dispersible titanium dioxide in an amount from about 0.001 to about 2% by weight of the composition.

12. The composition according to claim 1 wherein the oil-soluble carrier has a solubiliry parameter value of greater than 10.5.

13. The composition according to claim 1 not containing sunscreen agents in sufficient amount to serve as a sunscreen product.

10. A personal care substantially dry composition comprising:

(i) from about 0.0001 to about 0.5% by weight of the composition of a water-soluble colorant activatable by water to reveal a visual color, the colorant not being encapsulated and requiring no physical breakdown of encapsulating walls for activation; and

(ii) from about 20 to about 99.9% by weight of the composition of an oil-soluble carrier having a solubility parameter value of greater than 10.5;

wherein the colorant is insoluble in the carrier and the visual color is not imparted to the composition in its substantially dry state.

11. The composition according to claim 10 wherein the oil-soluble carrier is present in an amount from about 60 to about 95% by weight of the composition and is selected from the group consisting of hydrocarbons, C₁-C₃₀ esters of carboxylic acids, vegetable oils, silicones and combinations thereof.

14. A personal care substantially dry composition comprising:

(i) from about 0.00000 1 to about 2% by weight of the composition of a colorant activatable by water to reveal a visual color; and

(ii) from about 60 to about 99.9% by weight of the composition of an oil-soluble carrier selected from the group consisting of hydrocarbons, C₁-C₃₀ esters of carboxylic acids, vegetable oils, silicones and combinations thereof, wherein the colorant is insoluble in the carrier and the visual color is not imparted to the composition in its substantially dry state.