Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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` SHAVING GEL
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to a shaving gel, and in
particular, to a shaving gel which remains gelled throuqhout the
~having procedure.
Shaving foams, creams, and post-foaming gels are known in
the art. Such shaving products usually have a soap base and are used
in conjunction with a razor by both men and women for the remova~ of
hair at the surface of the skin. Shaving foams and creams are
opaque. Current shaving gels are initially transparent but become
foamy and opaque upon application to the skin.
Current shaving products are less than satisSactory for
several reasons. One disadvantage is that most shaving products and
the protection they provide are removed from the skin after one or
two passes of the razor, leaving the skin unprotected ~rom the blade
in any subsequent passes of the razor. A further disadvantage is
that the consistency of the shaving product and lack of
lubriciousness creates friction between the razor and the skin
causing skin to lift or raise up around the hair pore, which prevents
the razor from providing the closest possible shave, and which is the
cause of cuts and irritation typically experienced. Another
disadvantage is that the thin consistency of the shaving products is
such that the hair is not firmly held for maximum removal, a more
significant problem for women with typically softer hair. A further
disadvantage is that the user is unable to see the hair and skin, as
well as any cuts, scratches, skin disorders, and the like, through
the opaque foam, cream or post-foaming gel, which they would wish to
avoid while shaving. Yet another disadvantage is that the soap base
in shaving products may be irritating to the skin. Still another
disadvantage is that any shaving product remaining on the skin after
shaving must be washed or wiped off the skin, and cannot be rubbed
directly into the skin to provide additional moisturizing for the
'` skin.
Accordingly, a shaving product which remains on the skin
after one or more passes of the razor, which provides a smoother,
closer shave, which minimizes or eliminates nicks, cuts and
irritations to the skin, is transparent, which does not contain soap,
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which may be rubbed into the skin after shaving, and which leaves no
soapy re~idue on the sink or tub when rinsed o~f, is desired.
UMMARY OF THE INVENTION -
Generally speaking, in accordance with the instant
invention, a shaving gel which remains gelled and does not become
foamy upon application to the skin is provided. The gel comprises a
gel intermediate which remains gelled upon application to the sXin
and a cosmetically- acceptable carrier. The shaving gel may further
contain a lubricating agent, a moisturizing agent, an emollient, a
preservative, a stabilizer, a coloring agent and a fragrance. ~ -~
Also in accordance with the instant invention, a method of
preparing a shaving gel which remains gelled upon application to the
skin is provided. An acidic compound capable of being neutralized
upon the addition of a suitable base into a gel intermediate is
dissolved in rapidly-agitating cold water. A cosmetically-acceptable
carrier is added to the solution, along with any moisturizing agents,
emollients, preservatives, or stabilizers. A suitable base is added
with slow stirring to the mixture at room temperature to form a gel.
To this gel is then added a lubr~cating agent and any coloring agents
or fragrances.
Accordingly, it is an object of the instant invention to
provide an improved shaving gel. ~
-A further object of the instant invention is to provide a ~- -
shaving gel which remains gelled upon application to the skin. ~ --
Yet another object of the instant invention is to provide ; -
a shaving gel which remains on the skin after one or more passes of -
the razor such that the skin is protected from multiple passes of the
razor.
Another object of the instant invention is to provide a
shaving gel which maintains its high viscosity upon application to
the skin and therefore provides a closer shave with fewer or no cuts
or nicks to the skin.
Another object of the instant invention is to provide a
shaving gel which contains specific lubricating agents to reduce if
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not eliminate razor drag, thus providing the closest pos~ible shave
and the reduction if not elimination of cut9 and irritation.
Another object of the instant invention is to provide a
shaving gel which allows for a closer shave, thereby reducing the
frequency of shaving and shortening the shaving time by reducing the
number of strokes required to obtain a satisfactory shave.
Still another object of the instant invention is to provide
a shaving gel which holds the hair upright and more firmly than soap-
based gels for maximum removal.
Yet another object of the instant invention is to provide
a shaving gel which is less irritating to the skin than soap-based
shaving products.
Still another object of the instant invention i9 to provide
a shaving gel with moisturizing and healing properties, increased
lubricity and razor slip.
Yet another object of the instant invention is to provide
a shaving gel which may be rubbed into the skin after completion of
the shaving procedure to provide additional moisturizing of the skin.
A further object of the instant invention is to provide a
shaving gel which remains transparent after application to the skin.
Yet another object of the instant invention is to provide
a method for producing the improved shaving gel described herein.
Still other objects and advantages of the invention will in
part be obvious and will in part be apparent from the specification.
The invention accordingly comprises the composition
possessing the features, properties, and the relation of the
components, and the several steps and the relation of one or more of
such steps with respect to each of the others, which are exemplified
in the following detailed disclosure, and the scope of the invention
will be indicated in the claims.
; I DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The instant invention provides a shaving gel which remains
gelled and does not become foamy upon application to the skin.
Primary components in the composition include a gel intermediate
which r-main- gelled and do-s not bocome foamy upon application to
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the skin and a cosmetically-acceptable carrier. The compos~tion does
not include 80ap (water-soluble salts of high molecular weight fatty
acids) or post-foaming agents.
The gel intermediates that may be used in the invention are
well-known in the cosmetic art. They are comprised of an acidic
compound, usually water-soluble derivatives of naturally-occurring
substances such as cellulose, sucrose, and glucose, which upon
contact with a suitable base, form a gel intermediate. Some
commonly-used acidic compounds include the copolymers of acrylic acid
and a polyallyl sucrose, and reaction products of cellulose or
glucose with acids or alkylene oxides. Particular examples include
Acrysol, manufactured by Rohm-Haas, and carbomer-934, -940, and -
941, available from B.F. Goodrich Co. under the brand name Carbopol
934, 940 and 941, respectively. Carbomer-940 is particularly
preferred because of the excellent translucence of the resulting gel
intermediate. The suitable base may be any base capable of
neutralizing the acidic co~ound into a gel intermediate. Said
suitable bases are known in the cosmetic art. A particularly
preferred suitable base is triethanolamine. Accordingly, the
particularly preferred gel intermediate is the triethanolamine salt
of carbomer-940.
The specific weight percentage of the gel intermediate in
the total shaving gel weight will depend upon the particular gel
intermediate used. For the triethanolamine salt of carbomer-940, the
optimum range is between about 0.25 and about 1.0%.
The cosmetically-acceptable carrier may be any liquid which
adds volume to the shaving gel without adversely affecting the
performan¢e of the gel. Typically, the cosmetically-acceptable
carrier will be deionized water.
The shaving gel may also contain a lubricating agent. The
purpose of the lubricating agent is to lubricate the skin and provide
better slippage bètween the razor and skin. Lubricating agents are
well known in the art. The particularly preferred lubricating agent
is polyacrylamide, a homopolymer of 2-propeneamide available under
the brand names Cyanamer P-250, Gelamide-250, and Superfloc 16 plus
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from American Cyanamide Co. The ideal welght percentage o~ the
lubricating agent in the shaving gel will depend upon the particular
lubricating agent. For polyacrylamide, the optimum range i~ between
about 0.05 and about 0.5%.
A moisturizing agent may also be present in the shaving
gel. The purpose of the moisturizing agent is to counteract the
dryness of the skin as the result of shaving and enhance the moisture
content in the skin. Various moisturizing agents are Xnown in the
cosmetic art, particularly lotions. For purposes of the instant
invention, glycerin and propylene glycol in the presence of ethyl
alcohol are particularly preferred because this combination provides
non-greasy moisturizing effects. The specific weight percentage of
the moisturizing agent in the total shaving gel weight will depend
upon the particular moisturizing agent used. The optimum range of
the particularly preferred moisturizing agent is between about 1 and
about 4% each of glycerin and propylene glycol, and between about 5
and about 20% of ethyl alcohol.
Because the moisturizing agent is ideally present in a
relatively large weight percentaqe, the excess shaving gel remaining
on the skin after completion of the shaving process may be rubbed
into the skin instead of being washed off. This adds an additional
moisturizing effect.
The shaving gel may also contain an emollient. The purpose
of the emollient is to soothe the skin and promote healing to the
skin of minor burns and cuts caused by shaving. Emollients are known
in the cosmetic art, particularly lotions. The particularly
preferred emollient is a combination of allantoin and aloe vera gel.
The ideal weight percentage of the emollient in the shaving gel will
depend upon the particular emollient. The optimum range of the
particulariy preferred emollient is between about 0.05 and about 1%
alla~toin and between about 0.5 and 5% aloe vera.
Preservatives may also be present in the shaving gel, and
these are known in the art. Examples of such preservatives include
N-(3-chloroallyl) hexaminium chloride, also known as quaternium-15,
and diazolidinyl urea. These preservatives are available from Dow
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Chemical and Sutton Laboratories of Chatham, New Jersey,
respectively, under the brand names Dowicil 200 and Germall II,
respectively. The specific weight percentage of the preservative in
the total shaving gel will depend upon the particular preservative
used. The optimum range of N-(3-chloroallyl) hexaminium chloride or
diazolidinyl urea is between about 0.05 and about 1%.
The shaving gel may also contain stabilizers, and these are
known in the art. The particularly preferred stabilizer is disodium
ethylenediaminetetraacetate (EDTA). The specific weight percentage
of the stabilizer in the shaving gel will depend on the particular
stabilizer chosen. The optimum range of disodium EDTA is between
about 0.05 and about 1%.
A coloring agent and fragrance may also be added to the
shaving gel, and these are known in the cosmetic art. Examples
include FD&C Blue #1 for the coloring agent and Fragrance Cltrus Lime
MF 2910 dissolved in polysorbate-20 for the fragrance. Polysorbate-
20, also known as polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monolaurate, is a
solubilizer for the fragrance and is available from ICI under the ` -~;
brand name Tween-20. -
It is anticipated that the aforementioned components and
others may be added to the shaving gel, as long as such components do
not detract from the characteristics of the shaving gel that are
distinct from characteristics of gels that are soap-based or contain
post-foaming agents. ~ -:
After application to the skin, the gel will retain a
viscosity of between about 7.5 x 104 to about 15 x 104 centipoise,
which is significantly higher than other current shaving products
after application to the skin. This viscosity produces a barrier
film between the razor and the skin which, particularly in
combination with lubricating agents, substantially or entirely ~ ;
prevents the-skin around each hair pore from being snagged by the ~ -
razor. In contrast, the foams of current shaving products depend on
bubbles for a "ball-bearing" effect in preventing the skin around the
pores from being snagged by the razor. This "ball-bearing" effect is
not as consistent or effective as the film of the gel.
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Because the skin around the hair pore i8 prevented by the
gel from being snagged and lifted, the razor is able to cut the hair
deeper in the pore for a closer shave. Additionally, cuts and nicks
to the skin are substantially reduced or eliminated entirely.
Moreover, because of the higher viscosity, the product of the instant
invention will hold the hair in a more stable position so that it may
be sheared more efficiently by the razor.
After one or more passes with a razor, a gel film will
still remain on the sin, unlike current soap-based or foamy shaving
products. This gel film will continue to provide protection to the
sXin during subsequent passes with a razor. This continued
protection is important since the typical shaving procedure involves
multiple passes with the razor, particularly over non-planar skin
surfaces such as the chin or knees.
A unique property of the gels of the instant invention is
that they may be transparent or that they may appear translucent in
bulk before application to the skin, yet still be transparent as a
thin film after application to the skin. In order that the user may
bé able to see the hair while shaving, any component added to the gel
would optimally not affect the transparency of the final shaving gel,
although transparency or lack thereof will not adversely affect the
other advantages of the gels of the instant invention.
Generally, the procedure for making the shaving gel is as
follows. Any moisturizing agents, emollients, preservatives, and
stabilizers are added to the cosmetically-acceptable carrier and the
acidic compound. The suitable base is slowly added, producing a gel
intermediate. It is also anticipated that any moisturizing agents,
emollients, preservatives, and stabilizers may be added to the
cosmetically-acceptable carrier and the suitable base, and that the
acidic compound may be slowly added to produce the gel intermediate.
Any lubricating agents, coloring agents or fragrances may be added at
this point to the gel intermediate to produce the final shaving gel.
These procedures may occur at room temperature.
The shaving gel may be dispensed using traditional
packaginq known in the art, uch as c~llapsibl- =-tal tubes and
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pressurized aerosol dispensers. However, because o~ the unique
properties of instant invention, the shaving g~l may also be
dispensed in packages which have heretofore not been used ~or shaving
products. Examples of these new packages include clear plastic
tubes, clear or opaque bottles, and high-viscosity dispenser (HVD)
pumps such as the HVD pump available from Calmar.
The following Example of the instant invention is for
illustrative purposes only and is not in any way intended to limit
the scope of the claims as presented hereinafter. ,~
Example 1
The shaving gel described in Table I was prepared as
follows:
Table I
No. Inqredie~t % bv weiaht
1 Deionized Water 34.59
2 Carbomer-940 (2% soln.j37.50 -~
3 SD-Alcohol 40 15.00
4 Aloe Vera Gel 1:1 .50
Glycerin 96% 3.00 ;
6 Propylene Glycol 2.00
7 Quaternium-15 .10 -
8 Diazolidinyl Urea .30
9 Disodium EDTA .10
Allantoin .10
11 Triethanolamine 99% .75
12 Polyacrylamide (3% soln.) 5.00 - -
13 I FD&C Blue #1 (1%) .01 -
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14 Polysorbate-20 1.00 --
Fragrance Citrus Lime MF 2910 .05
100. 00
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A two-percent solution of carbomer-940 (#2) was prepared by
sprinkling the carbomer-940 into rapidly agitating cold water. The
resulting dispersion was added at room temperature to deionized water
(#l) at room temperature. Added to this mixture was the SD-alcohol
40, aloe vera gel, glycerin, propylene glycol, quaternium-15,
diazolidinyl urea, disodium EDTA, and allantoin (#3-#10). With slow
stirring, triethanolamine (#11) was added, at which point the
resulting gel became clear. A three-percent solution of
polyacrylamide (#12) was prepared by sprinkling dry polyacrylamide
into water. This solution was added to the gel, followed by FD&C
Blue #1 (#13). The Fragrance Citrus Lime MF 2910 (#15) was pre-
dissolved in the polysorbate-20 (#14), and then this mixture was
added to tha gel.
All procedures were carried out at room temperature.
It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above,
among those made apparent from the preceding description, are
efficiently attained and, since certain changes may be made in
carrying out the above composition and in the method set forth
without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, it is
intended that all matter contained in the above description shall be
interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.
It is also to be understood that the following claims are
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intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the
invention here'in described and all statements of the scope of the
invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall
therebetween.
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Particularly it is to be understood that in said claims,
ingredients or compounds recited in the singular ars intended to
include compatible mixtures of such ingredients wherever the sense
permits.
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