This invention relates to water-soluble and fat-restoring cosmetic and medicinal preparations which may be compounded in a variety of ways and used to treat the skin and the hair.
Cosmetic skin care has the object of preserving the normal condition of the skin and various preparations are known for this purpose. No sharp line of distinction can be drawn between cosmetic and medicinal preparations as they are interrelated in their functions. However, medicinal bath preparations are primarily intended to stimulate the metabolism of a diseased body by percutaneous action or to favorably influence the skin. Cosmetic bath preparations are, on the other hand, generally limited to the treatment of a healthy body and to the care of the body in a more restricted sense. The cosmetic bath additions, may, however, stimulate the entire metabolism and enhance a feeling of general well-being and either reduce or eliminate minor skin blemishes. Primarily, however, cosmetic bath additions are intended to assist or enhance the purifying effect of soap and water by softening the water and also to increase the appearance and feeling of good grooming by the application of ethereal oils and aromatic compounds. Such preparations are presently commercially available but it has been found that, as a result of the active substances and the surface-active purifying agents contained in such preparations, a defatting or degreasing of the skin surface sometimes occurs. These known preparations generally consist, at least partially, of materials which are active washing compounds and which frequently exhibit a fat-dissolving character because of their wetting effect.
In accordance with the present invention it has been found that cosmetic and medicinal preparations exhibit particularly favorable properties when substances are added thereto which, in addition to possessing a good water-solubility, cleansing action and purifying effect, also possess fat-restoring or regreasing properties. These substances are partial glyceride mixtures of saturated vegetable fatty acids having about 8 to 14 carbon atoms which have linked thereto, per hydroxyl group, 2 to 8 moles, preferably 4 to 8 moles, of ethylene oxide. Such substances are especially to be preferred which have 5 moles of ethylene oxide linked thereto per hydroxyl group.
The chemical characteristics of the partial glyceride mixtures employed in the present invention are as follows:
Compositions having the foregoing characteristics and which also have 5 moles of ethylene oxide chemically linked thereto per hydroxyl group give the best results.
The condensation products used in the compositions according to the present invention are novel and may be prepared as described in the following.
Four moles (176.2 grams) of ethylene oxide is reacted at a temperature of 100.degree.- 150.degree.C. with one mole (232.5 grams) of a partial glyceride mixture having the following fatty acid composition:
This fatty acid composition is obtained by fractionating coconut oil fatty acid, which contains significant amounts of caprylic and capric acids. The above fatty acid composition itself has the following characteristics:
The ethoxylated reaction product obtained is soluble in water and may be used in various cosmetic preparations as the emollient component.
When condensing 5 moles of ethylene oxide with 1 mole of partial glyceride mixture, 220.3 grams of ethylene oxide is required. For the addition of 6 moles of ethylene oxide, 264.3 grams of ethylene oxide is necessary, and for the addition of 8 moles of ethylene oxide, 352.4 grams thereof is required.
All of the free hydroxyl groups in the glyceride mixture are ethoxylated when reacted with the ethylene oxide. The final products, as noted above, are water-soluble and, thus, do not form emulsions with water.
Many diversified preparations can be prepared which have, in addition to the desired purifying effect on the skin, a desired fat-restoring effect. About 10 to 50 percent by weight of such substances can be added to various cosmetic preparations, exemplary of which are skin milks, skin sprays, skin creams, as well as skin and hair shampoos. In the case of hair dressings or tonics, an addition of 2 to 10 percent by weight, preferably 5 percent by weight, has been found to be suitable.
Exemplary formulations in accordance with the present invention are further illustrated in the following specific examples, in which all percentages are by weight:
The expression "partial glyceride" in the present application is meant to refer to mixtures of mono- and diglycerides of the recited acids.
The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.