Betaine Based Cosmetic Formulations

This invention relates to thickeners and foam boosters for use in cosmetics such as hair and skin care formulations.

Betaines are known in general as thickeners and foam boosters in hair and skin care formulations, such as shampoos and soaps. An example of such known betaine is MIRATAINE.RTM. ODMB-35 which is an oleyl betaine derived from dimethyl-oleyl amine. This betaine has good thickening properties but is a gel and is therefore difficult to work with. An object of the invention is to avoid such handling difficulties while still maintaining thickening and foam boosting properties by use of specific betaine compositions.

The invention is concerned with a blend of cocoamidopropyl betaine and oleamidopropyl betaine which have thickening and foam boosting properties and maintain the required viscosity on combination with ingredients conventionally used in cosmetic formulations such as hair and skin care products.

In one aspect of the invention, cocoamidopropyl betaine (CB) and oleamidopropyl betaine (OB) are combined in ratios of from about 1:4 to about 3:2 of CB to OB. At ratios of higher than 3:2, the blends tend to gel and become more difficult to solubilize.

In another aspect, blends of CB and OB are incorporated in cosmetic formulations such as conventional hair and skin care formulations, for instance shampoos and soaps, particularly soft soaps.

In yet another aspect of the invention, the blends of CB and OB are incorporated in cosmetic formulations containing rich emollients such as Jojoba oil, sweet almond oil and Vitamin E. The CB/OB blends of the invention are capable of incorporating larger amounts of such emollients without adverse effect to the viscosity of the formulation. Generally, prior art formulations contain about 0.1% Jojoba oil. The present blends of betaines can efficiently emulsify up to about 0.5% Jojoba oil.

The CB/OB blends of the invention are generally present in amounts of from about 5 to 30% by weight based on the total cosmetic composition. Shampoos and liquid soaps generally contain about 5 to 10% by weight and bath gels generally contain about 10 to 30% by weight of the CB/OB blends.

The cosmetic formulations comprise a suitable cosmetic carrier. The composition of the carrier depends on the purpose for which the final composition is intended. Thus, different carriers will be used dependent on whether the composition is to be used as a shampoo, a soap etc. These carriers are as described in the art. They may contain surfactants such as sodium lauryl sulfate, sodium lauryl ether sulfate, sodium lauryl sarcosinate, lauroamphocarboxyglycinate or co-coamphocarboxyglycinate, solvents such as glycol and propylene glycol, proteins, citric acid, coloring agents, preservatives, fragrances, mineral oils, thickeners such as sodium chloride, PEG 6000 distearate, PEG 80 sorbitan laurate, cocamide DEA, lauramide DEA or hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, vitamins, silicones, emollients such as lanolin, isopropyl palmitate, isopropyl myristate or petrolatum and viscosity builders such as carageenan, carbomers or cocamidopropyl hydroxy sultaine.

The following examples serve to illustrate the invention but they are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

The following shampoo formulations were prepared using the blend of the invention comprising CB and OB in a ratio of 1:1 in formulation B and comparing this with formulations A and C outside the scope of the invention. The pH of each formulation is adjusted to 7.0. Miranol.RTM. 2MCAS MODIFIED is a mixture of the lauryl sulfate and laureth-3 sulfate salts of a dicarboxymethylated derivative of a cocoimidazoline.

The viscosities were measured Brookfield viscometer Model LVT with spindle #4 at 12 rpm after one minute at 25.degree. C. in this Example and the following Examples.

The viscosity results show CB/OB to provide a better thickening effect than cocoamidopropyl betaine. Cocoamidopropyl betaine and CB/OB were shown to be equivalent in foam boosting property.

Cedepal TD 404M in the following soap formulation is sodium tridecyl ether sulfate (3 moles of ethylene oxide).

The pH of each soap formulation is adjusted to 7.0.

The same results as above in the shampoo evaluations as to viscosity and foam boosting effect were observed.

The results thus show that the best increase in viscosity properties is obtained with CB/OB.

This example shows effective incorporation of 0.2% Jojoba oil when using CB/OB in a ratio of 1:1. Cocoamidopropyl betaine (CB) alone is also capable of effective incorporation of the oil but results in a formulation of unsatisfactory viscosity.

Miranol C2M N.P is a disodium salt of carboxymethylated 2-cocoyl-1-hydroxyethyl-4,5-dihydro imidazoline derivatives. The CTFA name is cocoamphocarboxyglycinate.

The pH is adjusted to 7.0 for all formulations.

The example demonstrates effective incorporation of 0.5% Jojoba oil when using either CB/OB or CB alone. The first product is clear and has a higher viscosity than the second which is hazy.

Adjust pH to 7.0