US3814110A

US3814110A - Hair treatments

Info

Publication number: US3814110A
Application number: US00186450A
Authority: US
Inventors: H Cassidy
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1971-10-04
Filing date: 1971-10-04
Publication date: 1974-06-04
Anticipated expiration: 1991-06-04

Abstract

Freshly shampooed hair dries faster when the shampoo is rinsed out with water containing a small amount of wetting agent, preferably a nonionic surfactant, which lowers the surface tension of the water. The effect is enhanced if the wetting agent is also included in either the water used to pre-wet the hair before applying the shampoo or in the shampoo itself.

Description

United States Patent m1 Cassidy Y HAIR TREATMENTS [76] Inventor: Harry Eugene Cassidy, 2310 Gall Ave., North St. Paul, Minn. 55109 3.155.591 ll/l964 Hilfcr.... 424/70 3.563.901 2/l97l Crotty 252/l36 OTHER PUBLICATIONS Edward Sagarin Cosmetics [957 pgs. l030, and

[ June 4, 1974 532 and pg. 397. 393

Roher Scientific Modern Beauty Culture 1924 pg. 21 and 23 Edward Sagarin-Cosmetics-l957 pages 538-539, 1030, 532, 393 and 397 Primary ExaminerG. E. McNeill Attorney, Agent, or FirmRichard E. Brink [57 ABSTRACT Freshly shampooed hair dries faster when the shampoo is rinsed outwith water containing a small amount of wetting agent, preferably a nonionic surfactant, which lowers the surface tension ofthe water. The effect is enhanced if the wetting agent is also included in either the water used to pre-wet the hair before applying the shampoo or in the shampoo itself.

5 Claims, No Drawings 1 HAIR TREATMENTS This invention relates to new hair treatments, and particularly to a new method or new methods for cleansing the hair of the human head. The invention also relates to compositions which are new for this purpose. t

Teachings of the invention permit more rapid hair drying after a shampoo than has been possible by standard or customary practices heretofore. Thus, customers in a beauty salon may be processed more rapidly, with less time spent under a hair dryer, than customary heretofore. Under ideal conditions, the time under a hair dryer may be reduced as much as 50 percent, or possibly more (with consequent savings in power expenses, such as electricity for the dryer), by following the teachings hereof.

According to the invention, the hair of the human head is shampooed and rinsed so as to leave it with a substantially reduced water contentias compared to that water content present under standardior customary practices. The astonishing thing is thatthis highly advantageous result is promoted'not by a teaching involving use of special drying agents in rinse water, but by a teaching involving use of a very small amount of an organic wetting agent (surfactant) in the water. This would seem .to be quite contrary to what one would normally expect as a treatment to speed up the drying of human hair after a shampoo.'The normal or wellrecognized .characteristic of proteinaceousfibrous and ing is made possible by teachings of the invention, espe-' cially the step of rinsing with water containing a small quantity of an organic wetting agent. Instead of causing greater wetting of the head of hair, the apparent practical result of the procedures taught herein is that of less effective total wetting than in normal practice, with a consequent reduction of thetime needed for drying, and with such incidental further benefits as, for example, less tendency to snarl or tangle, a more silky feeling, and greater manageability. 1

Suitable wetting agents for use in practicing the invention are organic in character and are, at the limited concentrations employed, substantially soluble in water at practical shampoo and rinse temperatures (e.g., from about C. or room temperature up to about 55C. or possibly as high as about 60C., but normally between about 40C. and 55C.).

While improvement in the drying rate for the hair is achieved by adding a small quantity'of wetting agent to the rinse water, the degree of improved drying rate can vary dependent not only upon the specific wetting agent employed, but also upon other treatment factors. Surprisingly, the type of shampoo composition employed influences the ability to achieve speedy drying. Heretofore, the hair treatment industry has normally desired shampoo compositions of greater and greater wetting power and penetration for hair. Popular shampoo compositions currently available frequently contain special ingredients which increase wetting of the hair. Such shampoos may be used preliminarily to the special rinse step taught herein; and the-result will still be some shortening of the required time for the drying 'of the hair.

But for more pronounced shortening of the drying time, the shampoo composition employed preliminarily to the rinse treatment taught herein preferably is a shampoo composition of relatively lower or reduced penetrating or wetting quality for hair as-compared to the more popularly accepted formulas for shampoo. The effective result is that the shampoo step is accomplished preferably with what might be called minimum effective wetting and water penetration of the hair. The preferred shampoo step is thus analogous to an upholstery cleaning approach. Nevertheless, contrary to popular theory, shampoos of preferred properties are entirelyeffecti ve to cleanse the hair, and advantageously are more beneficial and kind to hair than popular conventional penetrating shampoo treatments.

Still'further, improvements in the drying time for the hair may be realized by not wetting dry hair with ordinary water as conventionally done preliminarily to applying a shampoo composition, but'instead, by applying, to the dry hair, a water composition consisting essentially of water to which a small quantity of organic wetting agent has beenadded. Such a preliminary treatment (involving. applying water to which a wetting agent hasbeen added) before applying the shampoo composition, effectively reduces (instead of increases) water penetration of the hair, and thus contributes further to improvement in the dryingtime following the rinse step of theinvention. Interestingly also, improvementin the drying time .is achieved when preferred shampoo compositions of the invention are pre-mixed with water and then applied to dry hair not preliminarily wetted with water.

Another but optional treatment step for hair in practile organic solvent in which a setting or holding ingre-v dient is dissolved. The volatile solvent is preferably one readily miscible or soluble in water, as, for example, an alcohol. Combined with the quick-drying setting lotion, or applied to. the hair in a separate step as-a separate composition, may be any of a variety of quick-drying hair conditioners, to improve reflective qualities, or softening or firming qualities or the like. The conditioner ingredient also is preferably applied in a dissolved state in a volatile organic solvent such as an alcohol;

But probably the most widely hailed benefit of the invention will be simply that of the reduction of time required for processing both men and women through 7 for the thicker heads of hair. But in all cases, the time normallyrequired for processing, particularly drying, can, in a relative sense, be reduced by practice of the invention; and it can be drastically reduced, by up to 50 percent or even more, especially when preferred shamother'way, under substantially identical drying c'ondi-. tions (such as temperature, air movement, and air humidity), the addition of wetting agent to the rinse water, preferably in combination withthe improved shampoo teachings hereof, reduces the time required for subsequent drying of the hair as compared to the time required for drying to an equivalent state (or equal degree of drying) after a rinse with the same water but without the added wetting agent. i

The rinse water composition of the invention consists essentially of rinse water (normally, ordinary tap water, but distilled water may be used) in which has been dissolved an organic wetting agent (surfactant) in the amount of at least about 3 parts by weight upto 500 parts or about 1,000 parts (0.1 percent), or slightly more, per million parts of water. The amount of water soluble wetting agent added and substantially uniformly dispersed is preferably very small, usually below 500 parts per million of water, .and is never more'th an one percent byweight of the rinse water (10,000 parts per million). A quantity as high as about onepercent by weight of the rinse water is normally more than is needed, but sometimes can be useful. Generally, the quantity added'will range from a fractional amount up to about a tenth of a percent by weight. Only as much as is needed to effect a reduction in surface tension as taught herein is employedythis is for the reason that larger quantities are unnecessary and cosmetically undesirable in' that they leaveunnecessary and undesir-- able quantities of residue on the hair, without any redeeming value for the extra residue. Very small additions are completely effective for practice of the invention; and the slight trace residue left in dried hair is harmless. very little remains in the hair since the effect of the addition is to cause the water to run-off or sheet 'off the hair, carrying with it a proportional amount of without the addition, up to a reduction as great as '40 percent or 50 percent, or even possibly as great as 70 percent, below the value for the water ordinarily employed without the addition.

The reason for stating the reduction in terms of a percent reduction below the value for water without the addition is because different persons operating a testing machine, or forthat matter, different test machines, can provide different absolute values (in dynes per centimeter, usually at a set temperature such as 25C.) for the same fluid. For example, the value for a water sample at 25C. may be determined to be 72 or 76 dynes per centimeter, or any other figure approximately within that range. But percent reduction figures from the value for any water sample. without the addition Anionic and cationic as well as nonionic wetting agents can be useful in practicing the invention; but by far the most preferred are the nonionic wetting agents. Furtherjthese wetting agents contain an organic radical or. portion as a part of the total molecule thereof. Hydrophillic .organic radicals are most preferred. In short, nonionic wetting-agents are recommended. The wetting agent preferably does not chemically react with the hair; it is preferably inert tothe hair. Truly toxic wetting agents should be avoided; but none seem to be toxic. Further, the concept of toxicity is a relative one and depends in no small measure upon the special scalp properties or allergenic characteristics of individual persons. Also, the exceedingly small quantity of wetting agent required permits an extra-ordinarily broad selection of effective wetting agents without encountering any toxicity problems; and none have been encountered in a' multitude of tests with different wetting agents and with different individuals having a variety of hair and scalp characteristics. Also, wettingagents in the minute amounts employed have been found to be substantially odorless, which is desirable. In a very practical sense, the minute quantity of wetting agentv present. in the treatment renders pl-l considerations unimportant. The small qu'antity of wetting agent does not greatly affect the pH of ordinary tap water as used in rinses heretofore. I

Addition of the organic wetting agent to the rinse water is accomplished before the. water is appliedto the the water. Alternately, a drop or two of wetting agent can be added to a vessel containing afew gallons of rinse water. It isquite suitable, and preferable, to first dilute the wetting agent with water (for example, to a concentration between about 5 and percent by weight) before metering the diluted wetting agent into the water; Water soluble wetting agents which are solid (as distinguished from liquid) at selected rinse temperatures may be'added conveniently to, and dissolved in, the rinse water. For'example, one may place a cake of the solid material in the spray nozzle head of a shampoo rinse apparatus. Where this is contemplated, the rate of solubility for the selected wetting agent may be adjusted by forming the cake so that the wetting agent is dispersed in-an inert binder material, thereby reducing the rate at which the effective ingredient, i.e., the

v cause foaming or unnecessarydetergent action or such substantial alteration of the rinse water as to make it no longer an effective rinse. Further, for most dramatic improvement in drying time following a rinse, the quantity of the rinse water composition worked through the hair is just sufficient to remove the shampoo lather or suds. Thus, application of the rinse water composition is preferably terminated promptly after the suds of the shampoo step are removed.

More than one type of wetting agent may be included in the rinse water; and this is illustrated by employing mixtures including nonionic and, for example, a cationic, wetting agent. Also very minor amounts (e.g., up to about 1 percent, or possibly 2 percent by weight, based onthe weight of the water) of other water soluble ingredients such as, for example, alcohol (e.g., isopropyl alcohol), urea, phosphates, and a variety of other soluble ingredients normally inert to the wetting agent --'may be included, if desired.

A multitude of water soluble organic wetting agents or surfactants are available commercially and are useful in practicing the invention. Wetting agents which are liquid or solid at room temperature are useful. An illustrative liquid one is nonylphenoxypoly (ethyleneoxy) ethanol. Many other useful polyalkenoxy (polyethenoxy)'nonionic compounds are known. Note, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,674,619, in which oxyethylated polyoxypropylene glycols, available commercially as Pluronics," are described; and U.S. Pat. 'No. 2,856,434, in which benzyl ethers of alkylphenoxy polyethoxyethanols, available commercially as Tritons," are described. Water soluble'aliphatic polyether compounds, especially straight chain ones (available commercially as Antarox, characterized as lowfoaming and biodegradable) are useful nonionics. Useful also are the variety of commercially available nonionic wetting agents at column 3 of U.S. Pat. No. 3,563,901. An illustrative solid cake wetting agent may be formed by cooling in molds a melted mixture (about 45C.) of percent by weight Antarox BL 330 (a water-woluble aliphatic polyether, from General Aniline and Film Corporation), 45 percent by weight Armid C (a fatty wax soluble in water, from Armour Company), and 45 percent tetrasodium pyrophosphate. Still other useful wetting agents are isopropyl naphthalene sodium sulfonate and sodium lauryl sulfonate. Esters of sugars and fatty acids (U.S., Pat. No. 3,481,881) offer further options for the wetting agent addition. Thus, the variety of possible organic wetting agent additions is not only extremely broad, but seems unlimited and will also grow as new organic wetting agent compositions are developed and made available.

The essential point is not the chemical molecule or structure of aselected wetting agent, but the fact of the addition to water for hair treatment, and the resulting achievement of the benefits taught herein. The fractional addition of any specific wetting agent is within the range specified hereinabove, and most preferably is no more than necessary to achieve a surface tension reduction between 5 percent and 40 percent. For example, between about 5 and L000 parts by weight of added wetting agent (aliphatic polyether such as Antarox LF344) per million of water effectively reduced the surface tension of tap water to which it was added, from an addition-free reading (as determined by the operator in this test) of 76 dynes per centimeter, to a reading of about 72 for the lowest addition down to about 52 for the highest a percentage reduction range from about 5 percent down to about 33 percent. Benefits of the invention were achieved throughout the noted range of addition, with surprisingly .little difference in terms of the improvement in drying time from the smallest to the largest addition.

In other words, the teaching of this invention is one where a critically lower limit of added wetting agent gives noticeable and even dramatic improvement; and further improvement of drying time is not truly directly proportional to increased quantity of the added wetting agent. In fact, practical benefits of the invention are lost by excessive wetting agent additions beyond those for the surface tension reductions specified. As emphasized above, the improvement of the invention is that of an improvement in drying time over that experiencedunder otherwise identical conditions except for the special addition of wetting agent to the rinse water.

'Even the most modest additions according to the invention will normally give at least about a 5 or 10 percent decrease in relative drying time, and frequently more, with greater and greaterreduction of the drying time as the preliminary steps prior to the rinse step are adjusted.

The improvement or decrease in drying time is improved when preferred shampoo formulations are employed. Useful shampoo compositions may contain a variety of water soluble or miscible ingredients; and this is also true for shampoo compositions commercially available. A basic component'of all shampoos is a water soluble detergent or saponification product. Lather-forming properties are desired by custom. Preferred shampoo compositions include a detergent compound having a hydrophilic part (e.g., a hydrophilic radical'or element) and an organophilic part (e.g., an organophillic radical which frequently may-also exhibit hydrophobic properties, but not always). Water is a frequent but optional component of most useful shampoo compositions of the invention as they are sold in commerce. Of course, water is always present as a component during a shampooing step, whether separately added to the hair or premixed with the shampoo composition to form a shampooing mixture for shampooing use. The pH for shampoo compositions, preferably, of course, will be within the range of 2.5 to l0 or 1 l. The most preferred shampoo compositions contain heavy large molecules and are relatively thick in consistency during the latheringaction of the shampoo step. I

An especially preferred shampoo composition consists essentially of a water diluted fatty acid alkanolamide. The resulting product of reaction between lauric acid and diethanolamine is an illustrative useful fatty acid dialkanolamide, and is available commercially as 207-CGN from Clintwood Chemical Company of Chicago, Ill. It has been heretofore recommended as a suds stabilizer, but is very effective as a suds producer. Further, it is relatively easily dissolved or dispersed in water even at room temperature, thus rendering it unnecessary to heat the water to achieve a practical solution in manufacturing the water-containing shampoo composition. Concentrations of it between about 10 percent and 80 percent (preferably between 25 percent and percent) by weight in water provide shampoo compositions which foam and provide the necessary detergency and low wetting and low penetration at the time of adding the composition to tap water to form a shampooing mixture. (Normally, about one part by weight of the water-containing shampoo composition itself will be added to up to about seven parts waterin conducting a shampoo but this can vary greatly according to the wishes of an operator).

An illustrative preferred shampoo formula, by weight, is 42 parts of the aforenoted 207-CGN, and

1.5 parts 200-0" from Clintwood Chemical Company (a diethanol amide of oleic acid), dissolved or dispersed in 56.5 parts water. Another illustrative formula is, by weight, l2 parts 207-CGN and 23 parts'sodium dodecyl'benzene sulfonate dissolved in 65 parts water. Another is 25 parts Miranol 5 M (22 water soluble dicarboxylate product with capric acid fat radicals), l part preservative such as sodium benzoate, and 74 parts water. Still another, although less preferred, is parts sodium lauryl sulfate, 0.5 parts carboxymethyl cellulose, 10 parts isopropyl alcohoLand 2 parts sodium sulfate dissolved in 77.5 parts water by weight.

Shampoo compositions may contain a variety of ingredients; but the important preferred feature is that of a relatively thick or heavy type lather whichlacks the high penetration and high wetting power so characteristic of standard popular shampoo compositions. A

stery cleaner. Detergent type products, as distinguished from saponifi'cation type products, are-preferred for shampoo.

lt is standard practice in conducting ashampoo to first wet the hair by applying ordinary water to it before applying a shampoo composition and working it to achieve lather formation. Such preliminary wetting or water treatment of the hair may be employed in .practicing this invention; however, it is preferable to employ water to which has been added an organic wetting agent, and to spray (and thus sheet) the hair with the same. Spray application results in minimum but adequate water retention between strandsof the hair. in short, the water treatment for the hair, preliminary to the application of shampoo'composition, preferably is accomplished by spraying a water composition which consists essentially of water to which has been added a small quantity of organic wetting agent. The description forthe rinse water composition hereinabove set forth is also applicable for this water treatment or spray composition to be applied to the hair preliminary to application of the shampoo composition. However, the quantity of wetting agent, while very limited in the rinse water composition (and suitably so limited in this water treatment composition") may be considerably greater in this water treatment composition. The quantity mayapproach a figure as great as 10 or even percent by weight of the water treatment composition. although larger quantities beyond the maximum permitted for the rinse water composition are unnecessary. Of primary significance is the fact that a water treatment composition (i.e;., water containing organic wetting agent) applied to dry or substantially dry hair (i.e., hair under ordinary atmospheric dryness condition) further contributes to a reduction of the practical total wetness of the hair as it is cleansed during the shampoo and spe- .8 explanation, it is by employing water containing an added organic wetting agent, especially in the rinse step, that the results taught herein are made possible without sacrificing effective cleansing of the hair.

Preliminary application of water to the hair before applying a shampoo composition, however, is unnecessary. The most outstanding improvement in speed of ment step, with organic wetting agent dissolved in the water, prior to. application of a preferred shampoo formula hereof to the hair. A further decrease in improvementcomes when standard shampoos of commerce replace the preferred shampoos of the invention after a preliminary water treatment step involving the application of water containing an organic wetting agent to dry hair. An even greater decrease but still notable improvement has been observed when prior art standard shampoos of commerce are premixed with water containing an added organic wetting agent and then ap-' plied to the dry hair. These and still other modifications of the technique for the shampoo step or steps before the required special rinse step of the invention may, be employed to achieve the benefit (although varying in extent) of an improvement in drying time as taught herein. 3 i

After the rinse following a shampoo, the hair is preferably but optionally treated with a quick-drying setting lotion suitably also containing a waxy conditioner. lllustratively, such a setting lotion composition may contain, by weight, about l-lO parts of an organicsolvent-soluble organic resin as a setting agent or 'holder (e.g., 3 parts polyvinylpyrrolidone), suitably about 0 to 10 parts of awax or waxy binder or non-' tackifying plasticizer for the organic resin and optionally also a conditioner for the hair (e.g., 0.95 part"Gaffanol, a waxy plasticizer for polyvinylpyrrolidone),

from 0 to 1 part of any suitable preservative or antioxidant (e.g., 0.2 part Methylparaben, 0.1 part Propylparaben), about 20 to 97 parts of an alcohol or equivalent volatile organic solvent for the resin and plasticizer (e.g., parts denatured alcohol) and from 0-70 parts water (e.g., about 35 parts water), plus any optional but nominal or small amount of perfumes, color tint ingredients, and the like. The organic-solventsoluble organic resin is preferably also water soluble, and is non-tacky inthe dried or solvent-free state at least at room temperature, preferably also at somewhat elevated temperatures such asthose as high as 35 or 40C. The quick-drying lotion further enhances the speed of hair treatment and grooming made possible by the invention. Also, balsam or wax-yfatty acid compounds in denatured alcohol optionally may be included as a conditioner treatment applied to the hair to improve reflective qualities and lustre.

A variety of other hair treatment steps may be interspersed amongst or added to those taught herein; but the most preferred sequence is to conduct the rinse step immediately after the shampoo operation.

That which is claimed is:

1. In the method of treating hair on the human head comprising the steps of applying to the hair a cleaning composition comprising water 'and a substantially water-soluble lather-forming shampoo and thereafter removing the shampoo from the hair by applying rinse water thereto,

the improvement which comprises incorporating in the rinse water 3-l,000 ppm of a water-soluble organic wetting agent, sufficient to reduce the surface tension 5 percent to 70 percent below that of v V the rinse water without said wetting agent,

whereby, under substantially identical drying conditions, the rinsed hair dried faster than if the rinse water does not contain said wetting agent. 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the concentration of the wetting agent in the rinse water does not exceed 500 ppm and the surface tension reduction does not ex-' to 70 percent.

Claims

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the concentration of the wetting agent in the rinse water does not exceed 500 ppm and the surface tension reduction does not exceed 50 percent.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the wetting agent is nonionic.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein, prior to applying the cleaning composition, the hair is pre-wet with water containing 3-1,000 ppm of surface tension-lowering water-soluble organic wetting agent.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein there is incorporated in the cleaning composition sufficient water-soluble organic wetting agent to lower the surface tension of the water present in said composition about 5 to 70 percent.