Skin Lightening Composition

This invention relates to a cosmetic composition and, more particularly, this invention relates to a skin lightening composition.

Skin lighteners are known in the art and serve a useful purpose in the repertoire of cosmetics. They are usually gentle acting and are used on a localized area of the skin to "bleach" dark or blotchy areas which commonly form on the skin of elderly people.

A serious disadvantage of the prior art skin lighteners is the necessity to keep the skin shielded from the rays of the sun after use of the preparation. It is well known that excessive exposure to the sun or other ultraviolet radiation, even for a relatively short period of time, after use of a skin lightening preparation, could result in harmful side effects usually associated with overexposure to the sun.

It is, therefore, a primary object of the present invention to provide a skin lightening composition which is gentle acting and with which the user may be exposed to the sun after use.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a skin lightening composition which includes means for screening the harmful rays of the sun.

Consistent with these objects, and others which will become apparent as the description of the invention, a composition is provided which includes a stabilized hydroquinone "bleaching" agent and a sunscreen agent in a gentle cosmetic base. The cosmetic base generally comprises an emulsion of an oil phase and a water phase. The oil phase comprises an emollient. Emollients are organic substances having a boiling point higher than water and these substances remain on the skin as a vehicle for the critical blend of dyes. Suitable emollients for the present invention include, but are not limited to, aliphatic alcohols having 4 to 20 carbon atoms, glycols having 2 to 3 carbon atoms, fatty acids having from 12 to 20 carbon atoms and the esters thereof. These emollients are, for example, isostearyl alcohol, stearic acid, glyceryl monostearate, cetyl alcohol, isopropyl lanolate, isopropyl myristate, isopropyl palmitate and the like.

To enhance applicability onto the skin, small amounts of surfactants are included in the present cosmetic preparation. These include, for example, nonionic surfactants such as polyoxyethylene esters or ethers or other suitable surfactants known in the emulsion art. See, for example, McCutcheon, "Detergents and Emulsifiers" (1964).

The water phase also includes an emollient as well as other ingredients whose functions are apparent to one skilled in the art. Such ingredients are chelating agents such as EDTA and citric acid. Other such additives are preservatives to prevent microbial contamination. Such preservatives illustratively are the alkyl esters of p-hydroxybenzoic acid such as, for example, propyl paraben, methyl paraben, and anti-oxidants such as butylated hydroxyanisole compositions. Protective colloids and thickeners may also be included.

The vehicle is produced by mixing together these selected emollients, preservatives, anti-oxidants, and surfactants by simple but thorough blending. More specifically, the ingredients of the water phase and the oil phase are separately mixed and then the phases are combined. The skin lightening active ingredient, hydroquinone, is initially dissolved in the water phase and the sunscreen agent, which may be any conventional sunscreen agent such as 2-ethoxyethyl p-methoxycinnamate or amyl p-dimethylaminobenzoate, in the oil phase. The oil phase preferably also contains mineral oil.

Having described the invention in more general terms, the following illustrative examples are provided for a better understanding of the practice of the instant invention. It is to be distinctly understood that the examples are in no way limiting.

The composition of the instant invention is made up of the following ingredients in the proportions shown, in percent by weight:

To make the composition, the water of Phase B is first placed in a stainless steel, steam-jacketed kettle equipped with a Lightnin' Mixer and counter-rotating mixers. The Lightnin' Mixer is started to provide fairly vigorous stirring, and the Veegum is sprinkled in and allowed to completely hydrate.

The methyl paraben is dissolved in the propylene glycol in a separate vessel and the Cellosize added to the propylene glycol mixture. The propylene glycol mixture is stirred well to disperse the Cellosize and then added to the Veegum-water mixture. The Germall and Sequestrene are added to the kettle and dissolved.

Phase A is made in a separate stainless steel, steamjacketed kettle by adding all of the ingredients of Phase A and mixing.

Both phases are then heated to 75.degree. C.

In the meantime, the sodium sulfite and the sodium metabisulfite are dissolved in the water for Phase C.

When Phase A (the water phase) is at 50.degree. C., the citric acid solution is added followed by the hydroquinone and, finally, by Phase C.

When both Phases A and B are at 75.degree. C., using counter-rotating mixers, the oil phase (Phase A) is strained through nylon cloth into the water phase (Phase B). The combined phases are stirred for 10 minutes and then cooled. When the mixture is at 50.degree. C., the perfume is added. The mixture is cooled to 30.degree. C. and is ready for use.

A composition having the preferred proportion of ingredients was prepared following the procedure set forth in Example 1. The composition is as follows:

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the hydroquinone is included as the active ingredient for "bleaching" the skin. Since hydroquinone is a reducing agent, and oxidizes freely in air, the sodium sulfite and sodium metabisulfite are included as stabilizers. Since these latter ingredients have a greater affinity for the oxygen than does hydroquinone, they prevent oxidation of the hydroquinone.

Having described the invention by reference to the illustrative examples, it will be appreciated that the objects set forth at the outset have been successfully achieved. It is clearly understood that the scope of the invention is not to be limited by the exemplary matter but is only limited by the appended claims.