WO2004032888A1

WO2004032888A1 - Shaving compositions

Info

Publication number: WO2004032888A1
Application number: PCT/US2002/031972
Authority: WO
Inventors: Bradley N. Ruben
Original assignee: Ruben Bradley N
Priority date: 2002-10-07
Filing date: 2002-10-07
Publication date: 2004-04-22
Also published as: AU2002348524A1

Abstract

A shaving composition that contains abrasive particles for aiding in conditioning the skin and/or a vasoconstrictor for preventing the bleeding from nicks and cuts. One method of shaving includes first massaging an abrasive composition on the skin prior to shaving with a water-based shaving lubricant, a preferred method is to use the a composite composition, which is first massaged into the skin for its abrasive and hair liberating effects and then the skin is shaved taking advantage of the lubricating nature of the composition. The abrasive particles have a hardness less than that of shaving blade metals and are preferably essentially non-pulverulent.

Description

SHAVING COMPOSITIONS

Background of the Invention

1. The field of the invention.

5 The present invention generally relates to shaving compositions and methods for their use.

2. The state of the art.

The art of shaving human skin, and particularly mens' faces, is

10. centuries old. Yet the process for shaving is essentially unchanged. The desired result is a smooth skin surface, but there are many obstacles.

The basic process of drawing a blade across the skin surface assumes that the skin surface is perfectly flat and has an essentially homogeneous surface with respect to such parameters as elasticity, tugor,

15 smoothness, hair type, and the like. Of course, every face possesses unique deviations from this normal, and so the shave may be close or too close in certain areas of the skin and not sufficiently close in others. The art has moved to compensate for these deviations in two general directions. One direction involves the use of improved shaving lubricants which are 0 designed to soften the beard, condition the skin, and otherwise provide an improved shaving environment. Typical lubricants are comprised of water- based foams or foamable gels with soap-like lubricants. The other direction involves manipulating the hair during cutting such that the hair is cut in an extended, taut condition; cutting the hair in such a condition 5 attempts to cut a longer portion of the hair so that the cut hair will reside sufficiently low in the hair follicle that the shave feels close. These manipulations are typically performed by means of a dual razor system (one blade disposed immediately behind and closely with another as in conventional disposable razors or a slidable hair-extending mechanism as 0 is used in certain electric razors.

In any shaving system, and particularly those which extend the hair prior to cutting, there is a likelihood that the cut hair will reside below the surface of the skin. In this condition, the hair is subject to growing back into the dermis or growing along and just below the surface of the skin rather 5 than back out through the opening of the hair follicle. This abnormal growth can cause infections, skin bumps ("razor bumps" or pseudofolliculitis barbae), and general cosmetic unsightliness, technically referred to as pseudofolliculitis (literally "false follicle" since the hair is growing in a nonexistent follicle). The art has considered the use of special brushes for the face prior to shaving to physically open the hair follicles and liberate the ends of the aberrant hairs, and improvements in lubricants to allow the razor blade to perform a similar function safely and/or to further condition the skin and the opening of the follicle. However, there is presently no significant method or formulation for alleviating this condition. Gabby et al. (US 4,046,874) describes a soapless shaving composition including a polyglycerol ester and an insoluble pulverulent bodying agent to provide the desired texture. The polyglycerol ester is not water soluble and must be foamed in a heated environment (125°-212° F.) A pulverulent is a composition that crumbles (i.e., can be pulverized), and so can be used to provide a more solid feel or body to the foam. Moore (US 4,944,939) describes a shaving preparation for preventing pseudofolliculitis barbae that includes a glucocorticoid to reduce inflammation and salicylic acid as a keratolytic agent.

In the normal process of skin turnover, the epidermis sheds cells. For various reasons, including oily skin, the shed skin cells are not always sluffed off well.

Yet another problem with shaving is nicks and cuts, which can even occur with an electric razor, and most commonly occurs with a bladed razor. Products for stemming the blood flow, besides the often-used piece of tissue paper, are applied after shaving. Most commonly used are aluminum-containing products, such as aluminum sulfate.

Summary of the Invention

The present invention provides a method for shaving which conditions the skin by first massaging the face with an abrasive composition and then shaving with a water-based lubricant. Preferred compositions include a shaving lubricant and at least one of abrasive particles or a topical vasoconstrictor. The preferred method thus comprises applying the composite composition, massaging the composition into the face, and then shaving with the composition already on the face. Detailed Description of Specific Embodiments

Abrasive compositions for use in cleansing the skin and face are known in the art; they are especially prevalent in the women's cosmetic market, and some compositions are also available for men's cosmetics and in acne preparations. Such compositions typically include a soap or surfactant designed for cleaning the skin, optional ingredients such as humectants, moisturizers, biocides (e.g., benzoyl peroxide), astringents, and the like, and abrasive particles. These abrasive particles are present to enhance desquamation and generally provide a very light abrasion to the skin. They are composed typically of cellulosic products, such as ground walnut shells, ground apricot kernels, or other plant material (e.g., bark, seed, shell, nut, or combinations thereof), although silica and alumina are also used. One commercially available formulation comprises on its list of ingredients the following: water; finely ground walnut shells; cetyl alcohol; glyceryl stearate; stearic acid; glyceryl stearate and PEG 100 stearate; propylene glycol; octyl hydroxystearate; octyl palmitate; sodium lauryl sulfate; oleyl betaine; sea kelp extract; aloe vera; finely ground apricot kernels; panthenol; allantoin; tetrasodium ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid; apricot kernel oil; sodium PCA; methylparaben; propyleneparaben; fragrance; potassium sorbate; retinyl palmitate (vitamin A); tocopherol acetate (vitamin E); quaternium-15; and coloring. (Available as "Apricot & Sea Kelp Scrub" from Freeman Cosmetic Corporation, Beverly Hills, California.) Determining the amount and fineness of the abrasive particles for a particular formulation is within the skill of the ordinary artisan. In fact, because of the variation in skin types, it is preferable that formulations within the scope of this invention be available in different grades of abrasiveness (e.g., very fine, fine, and medium) so that the user can determine which is optimal for his (or her) own use. This commercial composition is described on the labeling as an exfoliant. The surfactants and certain other components of that composition also aid in exfoliation, and it preferable to include such components in the present composition. The abrasive particles used in this invention are incorporated into a water-based shaving formulation. Such formulations useful in this invention include water-soluble (ionic) surfactants and/or skin lubricants to allow the razor blade to slide across the skin without catching on the skin or hair and penetrating the skin. One typical commercially available pressurized, foamable formulation lists as its ingredients: water, stearic acid, triethanolamine, butane, propane, diethylene glycol, dioctanoate/diisononanoate, sodium lauryl sulfate, laureth-23, cetyl alcohol, and fragrance. (Available from Faberge USA, Inc., New York, New York, as CUT GUARD Shave Cream.) Another commercially available pressurized, foamable formulation lists as its ingredients: dimethicone (active ingredient); (and as inactive ingredients) water, stearic acid, triethanolamine, propylene glycol, isobutane, palmitic acid, PPG-11 stearyl ether, coconut acid, aloe vera gel, palm oil glyceride, lanolin, propylene glycol dicaprylate/dicaprate, cetyl alcohol, fragrance, sodium metasilicate, trisodium EDTA, propane, and coloring. (Available from Noxell Corporation, Hunt Valley, Maryland, as Medicated NOXEMA Aloe & Lanolin Shave cream.) A shaving formulation may also be provided in powdered or solid form which must be dissolved in water and brought to a lather.

Pressurized dispensable compositions can be either foamed or a gel that is foamed on the area to be shaved.

The method of shaving comprises first massaging a cosmetically suitable abrasive composition on the face (or other skin area to be shaved) and then shaving the face with the assistance of a water-based lubricant. Thus, this invention provides the benefit of a kit which comprises a container/dispenser having an abrasive composition and another container/dispenser having a water-based shaving formulation. The compositions can be packaged separately as the commercially available compositions described above (the scrub in a flexible plastic tube with a screw top, and the shaving cream in conventional pressurized cans with shaving cream spray nozzles for foaming the composition) and then packaged together in a common container for storage.

The novel composition of this invention essentially comprises a conventional water-based shaving formulation with the addition of abrasive particles. The composition may also include ingredients such as stearic acid, sodium lauryl sulfate, EDTA, salicylic acid, and the like, and derivatives thereof, to aid in desquamation and exfoliation, as well as other conventionally added ingredients as in the compositions noted above. As mentioned, the amount and fineness of the abrasive particles used will vary depending upon the abrasive effect desired, and will vary among people because of their differing skin types and facial structures.

The abrasive particles should have a hardness which is less than that of steel and like compositions used for shaving blades, but which is sufficient to provide a safe abrading effect on the skin. Accordingly, preferred abrasive particle compositions are cellulosic, such as ground shells, ground kernels, coarse flours and meals, brans, and the like, and mixtures thereof, derived from cereals and other grains, nuts and legumes, fruit seeds and pits, wood and/or bark from trees and shrubs, and mixtures thereof; for example, willow bark may provide both abrasive and keratolytic effects. Various cosmetic abrasives can be found in CFTA Cosmetic Ingredient Handbook (Washington: The Cosmetic, Toiletry, and Fragrance Assn., 1988), including such relatively soft materials as chalk and com starch. Additionally, hard plastics can also be suitable, and especially thermosetting plastics since such cannot readily be recycled.

Although relatively soft materials like talc may be considered abrasive if rubbed on the skin for a long time, corn starch (usually with tricalcium phosphate, also conventionally considered an abrasive) is often sold as baby powder and so is not sufficiently abrasive to be useful in the present invention. On the Mohs hardness scale, talc has a value of 1 while steel has values ranging from about 5 to 8.5; accordingly, abrasive particles useful in this invention should typically have a hardness in the range of about 2 to about 4. Nevertheless, the function of the abrasive particles in this invention is to abrade the skin sufficiently to liberate the hairs that are not free and/or extending above the skin line. As such, various pulverulent compositions, ranging in hardness from talc to alumina, are not suitable for the present invention because of their ability to crumble. Although a pulverulent may function as an abrasive effective to liberate ingrown hairs if rubbed on the skin for a sufficiently long period of time, in practical terms a consumer will not be likely to use a product requiring an application period of more than one minute, and more typically will consider 15 seconds to be a tolerable period for rubbing or massaging the composition of this invention on the area to be shaved. The abrasive particles of the present invention are those which are essentially not pulverulent and can, in effect, maintain their integrity while abrading the skin directly above an ingrown hair, helped by the raised surface of the skin due to the underlying hair. Thus, while some pulverulence may be tolerated, when rubbed on the skin the abrasive particles should be essentially non-pulverulent so that when they are forced into (or onto) a "razor bump" they are not pulverized but instead abrade the skin. Ceramic and mineral abrasives can also be used, although increased wearing of the shaving blade may occur, the additional cost of replacement blades is significantly outweighed by the increased skin comfort and the perceived benefit in cosmetic appearance.

When used with a conventional pressurized, foamable composition, the valving and conduits for the effluent shaving cream must be sized to accommodate the size of the abrasive particles. Although the abrasive particles may cause wear in the dispensing device, such devices are typically designed not to be refilled and reused.

The composition and method of this invention are most effective when used on a continuing basis. The continual use provides a constant abrasion to the skin to quickly reach aberrantly growing hairs, and to promote the removal of dead skin cells and epidermis lying over hairs on the skin surface, and to open hair follicles.

In another embodiment, this invention incorporates a topical vasoconstrictor into the shaving composition so that vessels close to the surface of the skin are constricted, effectively reducing if not eliminating blood flow from nicks and cuts often experienced when shaving. Many topical vasoconstrictors are known, and such are commonly used either as nasal decongestants in an aerosolized form, or to relieve eye redness. Examples of topically known vasoconstrictors (and a brand name under which sold) include phenylephrine (sold 0.25% to 0.5% as Neo- Snyephrine), ephinephrine, norephinephrine, ethylnorephinephrine (Brokephrine), potassium chloride, methoxamine (Vasoxyl), oxymetazoline (Afrin), chlorpheniramine, phenylpropanolamine (Propagest), tetrahydrozoline (Visine), pseudoephidrine (Sudafed), mephenterine (Wyamine), metaraminol (Aramine), propylhexadrine, oxymetazoline (Otrium), naphalozine (Primine). In the present invention, the topical vasoconstrictor is present directly in the composition; for example, 0.1% to 1% phenylephrine. The vasoconstrictor also acts to condition the skin. Additional ingredients- can include those conventionally used in cosmetics, such as bodying agents, colorants, fragrances, emollients, demulcents, and the like. Further optional ingredients include medications to combat inflammation and/or infection (e.g., a glucocorticoid, benzoyl peroxide). Still further, a keratolytic agent, such as salicylic acid in the approximate amount of 1-5%, is also desirable, and is preferred for compositions that can be left on the skin for longer periods of time (e.g., with the aid of a humectant).

The invention having been described to enable one of ordinary skill in the art, such an artisan may derive modifications or additions thereto which are intended to be within the scope and spirit of the invention as defined by the following claims.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A method of shaving human skin which comprises first massaging a cosmetically suitable abrasive composition on an area to be shaved by a blade, applying a water-based shaving lubricant comprising a water-soluble soap or surfactant to the area, and shaving the area, wherein the abrasive particles have a hardness less than that of said blade.

2. The method as defined by claim 1 , wherein the abrasive composition and the shaving lubricant are applied simultaneously as a composite composition, massaging the composite composition, and then shaving.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of applying a topical vasoconstrictor to the skin to be shaved prior to shaving.

4. A shaving kit which comprises a container/dispenser comprising (i) a cosmetically suitable composition comprising essentially non- pulverulent abrasive particles having a hardness less than that of shaving blade metals and (ii) a container/dispenser comprising a water-based shaving lubricant including a water-soluble soap or surfactant, the containers being housed together in common packaging.

5. The kit of claim 4, wherein the container/dispenser further contains a topical vasoconstrictor.

6. A shaving composition which comprises: a water-based shaving lubricant and a water-soluble soap or surfactant; and essentially non-pulverulent, cosmetically-suitable abrasive particles having a hardness less than that of shaving blade metals.

7. The composition defined by claim 4, wherein said particles are selected from the group consisting of ground shells, ground kernels, coarse flours and meals, brans, and mixtures thereof, derived from cereals and other grains, nuts and legumes, fruit seeds and pits, wood and/or bark from trees and shrubs, and mixtures thereof.

8. The composition defined by claim 5, wherein said particles are comprised of ground walnut shells, ground apricot kernels, or a mixture thereof.

9. The composition defined by claim 6, wherein the composition is provided in a pressurized container for foaming.

10. The composition defined by claim 4, further comprising a keratolytic agent.

11. The composition defined by claim 4, wherein the abrasive particles comprise a thermoplastic.

12. A shaving composition, comprising a water-based shaving lubricant and a topical vasoconstrictor.

13. The shaving composition of claim 12, further comprising abrasive particles.

14. The shaving composition of claim 13, wherein The said particles are selected from the group consisting of ground shells, ground kernels, coarse flours and meals, brans, and mixtures thereof, derived from cereals and other grains, nuts and legumes, fruit seeds and pits, wood and/or bark from trees and shrubs, and mixtures thereof.

15. The shaving composition of claim 12, wherein the vasoconstrictor is phenylephrine, ephinephrine, norephinephrine, ethylnorephinephrine, potassium chloride, methoxamine, oxymetazoline), chlorpheniramine, phenylpropanolamine, tetrahydrozoline, pseudoephidrine, mephenterine, metaraminol, propylhexadrine, oxymetazoline, naphalozine, or a combination thereof, or a derivative thereof having the function of a vasoconstrictor.

16. The shaving composition of claim 13, wherein said particles are inorganic particles.