US3034966A - Nail hardening composition and method of making same - Google Patents

Description

United States Pate 3,034,966 NAIL HARDENING CGMPOSITION AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Edwin W. Williams, 336 Central Park W., Apt. 17-B,

New York, N.Y., assignor of one-half to Doris Williams, New York, NY.

No Drawing. Filed Feb. 9, 1959, Ser. No. 791,802 2 Claims. (Cl. 167-85) This invention relates to an improved method of hardening or toughening nails, usefully applied to human finger or toe nails, for purposes of increasing the resistance of the nails to cracking, splitting, laminating or similar nail damage, and to improved compositions useful for such finger and toe nail treatment.

Certain finger or toe nails tend to harden and crack, laminate, split, ridge and the like, variable somewhat with the age and condition of individuals. Such damage also occurs sometimes in the occupational exposure of the nails to extensive wetting of the hands with strong alkaline waters, such as soaps, detergents, solvents, hair waving and coloring lotions, and sometimes the tendency of nails to crack results from deliberate cosmetic treatments to soften the surrounding skin and wetting the nails as by manicur-ing, including softening of the cuticle with alkalies whereby the subsequently dn'ed nails tend unduly to crack, laminate, etc. According to the present invention the nails are wetted with a nail hardening solution which increases the nail resistance to such damage.

I have discovered that nails treated with a solution of certain metal salts commonly classified as astringents, usually aqueous, tends to react with the nail proteins, i.e. keratin, and thereby toughen the nail surface, imparting substantially increased resistance to nail damage as described, such as cracking, splitting, laminating and the like. While these salts, as listed bleow, have the common characteristic of being astringent, I am not certain that their toughening eifect upon the nails is due to this property. The salts I found to be outstandingly useful for this purpose are the chlorides, sulfates and acetates of the metals aluminum, zirconium zinc and strontium, although other water soluble metal salts commonly classified as astringents may be used. Typical salts are aluminum sulfate, potassium alum, sodium alum, ammonium alum, zinc chloride, zinc sulfate, strontium sulfate, strontium chloride, strontium acetate, aluminum chloride, aluminum acetate, zinc acetate, zirconium chloride and the like.

Generally the treatment of the nail involves dipping or painting, i.e., wetting the nail thoroughly with an aqueous solution containing the salt in substantial astringent concentration, usually exceeding 1%, and preferably in the range of l to 5%. It is found that the hardening effect upon the nail takes place more rapidly at higher salt concentrations and temperatures. A substantial hardening effect, however, is available by maintaining the nail wet with a salt solution of about 1 to 5% for a period of about 1 to 20 minutes. The nail treating solution most usually applied at ambient temperature may be heated to a temperature as high as the body can comfortably tolerate, that is, approximately up to about 115 F., for a slighlty more rapid hardening eifect. At ambient temperature, solutions containing substantially less than 1% of the salt operate too slowly and, particularly at raised temperatures, solutions containing more than 5% of the salt are unnecessarily rapid, and may dry and pucker the skin of the finger tips.

For even coating and slightly enhanced penetration and for reduced tendency to evaporate the aqueous solvent, the solution desirably further contains a heavy water soluble polyhydroxy aliphatic alcohol, such as glycerine,

2 ethylene or propylene glycol, which are usually present in quantity ranging up to about 25%, preferably 5 to 25%, of the composition, the balance being water.

The astringent salts above listed have slight bacteriacidal effect on the skin and nails and therein have additional advantages in the present use. However, that incidental function of a nail treating composition to destroy bacteria under, on or about the skin area of the nails, may be supplemented by inclusion of other antibacterial substances, such as formaldehyde, sulfur and certain common antibiotics, such as bacitracin, neomycin and the like.

The present treatment of the nails by wetting with the salt solution, applied for several minutes, variable as defined above, is usefully applied as a direct treatment to nails tending to crack, split, etc., such application being made daily to several times a week depending on the severity, and until the condition has been substantially alleviated. However, this composition is usefully applied in the treatment of nails at the time when they are being manicured as another step in the manicuring process. For instance, after the nails have been trimmed and softened, as by treating with cuticle softening lotions, comprising alkaline solutions, and washed, the softened nails may then be dipped in the present nai-l hardening composition for several minutes, usually 5 to 10, washing in clear water and dried. The nail then may be coated with the usual lacquer or other cosmetic treatment desired for enhanced appearance. The composition hereof may contain other useful additives, such as perfumes, menthol, creaming agents, opaciiier and the like, to improve the attractiveness, saleability and utility of the product for this purpose.

The following examples illustrate the practice of this invention.

Example I Gr. Potassium alum, C.P 3 Glyceri-ne 10 Formaldehyde 0.01 Menthol 0.001 Water Balance to Example II Gr. Aluminum chloride, U.S.P 3. Propylene glycol l5 Perfume, coloring or opacifier, q.s. Water Balance to 100 Example III Gr. Aluminum acetate 2 Glycerine 5 Formaldehyde 0.1 Perfume, qis. Water Balance to 100 Example IV The composition of Example I is poured into a shallow glass tray and the nails are dipped therein for a period of 10 minutes at room temperature. The treatment is repeated every other day for 8 days. It is found that the tendency to crack of the nails is considerably reduced and they have become much harder.

Example V The composition of Example II is applied to the nails by painting each with a few drops of said solution. After 5 minutes the solution is washed ofi with clear water and after repeating the treatment about 4 times a week the nails are much harder as in Example IV. The nails may also be treated by wetting a cloth or cotton wad and placing upon the nails as a wet compress for a similar period of time. After the treatment of nails as described, they may be dried and lacquered or given any other usual treatment.

Example VI During a manicuring procedure, nails and cuticles are first softened with an alkaline solution in the conventional manner, then washed with clear water and then dipped for a period of minutes into a hardening solution having the composition of Example III and which has been warmed to a temperature of about 110 F. The nails are then washed, dried thoroughly, then highly bufied and finally given a coating of nail lacquer.

Certain modifications will occur to those skilled in the art and it is accordingly intended that the examples herein be given by Way of illustration and not limiting except as defined in the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. The method of hardening finger nails or the like comprising wetting the nails, in quantity sufficient to retard evaporation, with an aqueous solution of a water soluble salt selected from the group consisting of sulfates, chlorides and acetate of aluminum, zinc and strontium in concentration in the range of 15% and further containing 1-25% of a polyhydroxy aliphatic alcohol selected from the group consisting of glycerine, ethylene and propylene glycol.

2. The method of hardening finger nails or the like comprising submerging the nails for a period of at least five minutes in an aqueous solution of a water soluble salt selected from the group consisting of sulfates, chlorides and acetate of aluminum, zinc and strontium in concentration in the range of l'5% and further containing 125% of a polyhydroxy aliphatic alcohol selected from the group consisting of glycerine, ethylene and propylene glycol, with said solution being at a temperature not xceeding F.

References Cited in the file of this patent De Navarre: The Chem. and Manuf. of Cosmetics, D. Van Nostrand, N.Y., 1941, 'pp. 262, 298, 310, 322-326, 329.

US. Dispensatory, J. B. Lippincott, Phila., 24th -Ed., 1947, pp. 51, 485.

The Chemistry of Tanning Processes, Academic Press, Inc., N.Y., 1956, pp. 1-3, 4, 356-365.

The Natl Dispensatory, Lea Bros, Phila., Pa., 1896, pp. 166, 177, 1722-1725.

Hiss et al.: Standard Formulary, G. P. Engelhard and Company,Chicago, 1920, p. 1021.

Claims (1)

1. THE METHOD OF HARDENING FIGURE NAILS OR THE LIKE COMPRISING WETTING THW NAILS, IN QUANTITY SUFFICIENT TO RETARD EVAPORATION, WITH AN AQUEOUS SOLUTION OF A WATER SOLUBLE SALT SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF SULFATES, CHLORIDES AND ACETATE OF ALUMINUM, ZINC AND STRONTIUM IN CONCENTRATION IN THE RANGE OF 1-5% AND FURTHER CONTAINING 1-25% OF A POLYHYDROXY ALIPHATIC ALCOHOL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF GYLCERINE, ETHYLENE AND PROPYLENE GLYCOL.