Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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The present inYention relates to a gel nail lacquer
remover.
Nail lacquer or nail polish is normally a nitro-
cellulose or cellulose acetate lacquer. The lacquex is soluble
in various organIc solvents, particularly acetone, which is
the major component of many na~l lacquer removers. The
usual nail lacquer remover is a mobile liquid composed largely
of acetone but also contains mi~or amounts of other components
such as perfumes, dyes, conditioners and the like. The liquid
nail lacquer remover must be contained in a glass bottle and
in general it is not particularly convenient to transport
and use. With a glass bottle containing a mobile liquid
there are always the risks of breakage and spillage which
may cause a lady to be reluctant to carry nail lacquer remover
in her purse and glass bottles, unless very small, are
weighty items.
The present invention provides a nail lacquer
remover which is in the form of a gel, rather a mobile liquid,
and which has various advantages over the known nail lacquer
removers. Accordingly the present invention provides a gel
nail lacquer remover, ~hich gel comprises a solvent for nail
lacquer incorporated in a gel formed by reaction between a
carboxypoLymethylene resin having a molecular weight of not
less than about 3,QQQ,000 and a tertiary amine ~hich has one
al~yl group and two polyox~ethyle~e groups attached to the
nitrogen atom and, as additionaI components of the lacquer remover,
~ater and at least one other component for a nail lacquer remover
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selected from the group consisting of perfumes, dyes,
conditioners, vitamins, proteins and pearlising agents.
The pxeferred solvent for nail lac~uer is acetone.
In place o~ some or all o~ thè acetone there may be used
toluene, methyl ethy~1 ketone, ~sopropyl alcohol, methyl
acetone, ta blend of approximately ~8~ acetone, 28% methylacetate
and 24~ methylalcohol~ ethyl acetate, but~l acetate, isopropyl
acetate, ethyl alcohol, butyl alco~ol or glycol ethers such
as diethylene gl~col monoethyl ether. The amount of solvent
used, as a percentof the gel nail lacquer r~mover, should be
at least 60~ and is prefera~ly 70% or greater.
The gel nail lacquer remover also includes other usual
components of nail lacquer remover, for instance perfumes, dyes,
condi-tioners, pearlising agents, for example guanine (comminuted
fish scale) or bismuth salts, vitamins~ protein, emulsifiers,
for example Polysor~ate 80, antioxidants, for example butylated
h~drox~vanisole, ultra-violet absorbers, and the like.
Gel nail lacquer remover has many advantages over
liquid nail lacquer remover. The gel can be contained in a
plastic tu~e ~ith screw cap and the risks of breakage and
spillage are substantially if not completely eliminated~ As
the gel does not run like a mobile liquid, it is easy to
confine the nail lacquer remover to the desired area, i.e.
the nail, SQ ~hat in use the ~el is less messy than liquid~ -
Because solvent does not run a~.ay, there is less ~asta~e of
solvent. When us~ng ? l~quid nail lacquer remover composed ;.
mostly of acetone i.t is necessary to use cotton batting or .
: cotton wool to transfer the acetone from the bottle to the ~ ;
nail; bathroom or facial tissues are not satisfactory for
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this purpose. In contrast, with the gel nail lacquer remover
of the invention the gel can be cleanly applied and can ~e
wiped across the nail with bathroom or facial tissue. Further,
as the solvent is contained in the gel, the odour of solvent
from the nail lacquer remover is lessened, when compared with
the conventional liquid nail lacquer remover.
There have been previous attempts to make gel nail
lac~uer removers but these have not been success~ul for various
reasons. It is necessary that the components of the gel nail
lacquer remover shall not leave any residue or unpleasant
sensation on the hands of the user~ Some gel nail lacquer
removers have had the disadvantage that although they would
remove nail lacquer they would leave on the nail or the hand
a gummy or adhesive layer or ball. The gel nail lac~uer remover
of this invention does not do this. Further, some removers have
contained components which cause undesirable whitening or
yellowing of nails, or cause stinging in broken cuticles or
have contained components which could damage fabrics i~ they
came into contact with them. The gel of this invention will
not damage ~abrics. Further, it will not cause loos~ning of
synthetic nails.
The carboxypolymethylene used has a molecular weight of
at least about 3,000,000 and a suitable carboxypolymethylene is a
polyacrylic acid polymer o~ approximate molecular weight
3,000,000 and ayailable from BF Goodrich under the name
Carbopol 934.
Use of a carboxypolymethylene of only 3,000,000 does
not give a ver~ hard or strong gel, howe~er, so it is preferred
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to use a carboxypolymethylene of higher molecular weigh-t to
obtain a stronger gel.
The preferred carboxypolymethylene is a polyacrylic
acid polymer of approximate molecular weight 4~000,000 and
available from BF Goodrich under the name Carbopol* 940. Lower
molecular weight polyacrylic acid polymers such as Carbopol
910, having a molecular weight of about 750,000, respectively
does not form a sufficiently hard gel. The preferred textiary amine
is one which has one alkyl group of 12 to 18 carbon atoms,
obtained from coco amine, two polyoxyethylene groups and a
molecular weight of approximately 860. This compound i5
available from Armour Industrial Chemical Company under the
name Ethomeen* C 25. When using Carbopol 940 and Ethomeen C25
it is preferred to use about 1.25% of Carbopol and about 2.00%
of Ethomeen, based on the total lacquer removerO When using
carboxypolymethylenes and amines amounts to be used are readily
determined by routine testing
A procedure for preparing a gel nail lacquer remover of
the invention is as follows. To about 80 parts by weight of
acetone there are added about 14 parts by weight of water
and the t~o liquids are stirred to mix them. About 1
parts by weight of Carbopol* 940 and about 2 parts by weight
of Ethomeen* C25 are added and the mixture is subjected to
high speed stirring for about 1 hour, when gelling occurs.
There are then added to the gel other components of the nail
varnish ~emo~er, for instance condltioning oil, perfume,
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colourant, pearlising agent,,vitamins or protein, to brin~
the total weight of components present to approximately lOQ.
A preferred component is a conditioner and protector such as
a quaternary a,mmon~um phosphate salt which, ~ith other components
of the remover, leaves a protectIve membrane on the nail
thus protecting it -from chi,pping, splitting etc. The preferred
salt is oxyethyl-alkyl ammonium phosphate, available from
Henkel International GmbH under the name Dehyquart* SP.
The gel of the invention will not freeze above
temperatures of -30C and is stable up to temperatures of
about 35C. If it is stored at 35C or above for any
extended period of time the gel can be rendered suitable for
use simply by Vigorous shaking.
For best results the gel should be applied to the
entire painted area of each nail, doing two or three nails
at a time. After first application the user should go back
to the first nail and wîpe the nail surface clean with a
gentle back and forth rubbing motion. For nails with several
coats o~ polis'n it is desirable to leave the gel on the nail
for about 25 to 40 seconds before wiping clean. A second
application may be necessary.
The inyention will be further illustrated with
reference to the following examples. Examples 1 to 5 are
comparative examples and Example Ç ~5 in accordance with
this invention.
- Exam ~
A cream type nail lacquer remover has the following
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composition:
Carnanba or Candellila ~ax 15.0 parts
Toluene 15.0 parts
Bentone* (an organic derivative
of bentonite) 0.5 parts
Methyl ethyl ketone 69.5 parts.
This cream lacquer remover removed the lacquer but
smeared very badly on the nail. It was not possible to wipe
the remover cleanly from the nail,~so this product was
rejected as unsatisfactory.
Example 2
A thickened lotion type lacquer remover has the
following composition:
Acetone 84.00 parts
Isopropyl alcohol 5.25 parts
Methyl cellulose 10.00 parts
(Methocel* K4M3%~
Butyl stearate 0.25 parts
Perfume 0.50 parts.
The methyl cellulose is present as a thickening agent.
This thickened lo~ion type lacquer remover is not satisfactory
because it is found that the remover must be left on the nail
for a substantial time in order to remove lacquer satisfactorily.
his problem can be overcome to some extent by increasing the
amount of acetone and decreasing the amount of methyl cellulose
present. This of course reduces the thickening effect, so that
the lacquer remover comes to approximate mo~e closely to
conventional lacquer removers~ with their disadvantages. Similar
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results are obtained when an alginate is used in place of
the methyl cellulos.e.
Example ~
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A gel lacquer remo~e.r has the following ccmposition:
Acetone 89.~Q parts
Colloidal sili~ca8.00 parts
(Cab-O-S`il*~.
Castor oil0.40 parts
~ater 2.00 parts
This. remoVer leaves a gummy residue on nails and tends
to smear, so that i.t i not satisfactory.
Example 5
A gel nail lac~uer remover has the following
composition: ;
Acetone 78.00 parts
~ater 9.75 parts
Ethylene glycol 9.75 parts
Carbopal 940 0.50 parts
Di-2-e~h.~lhexylamine 2.00 parts
Perfume,. dye, etc.
Siml~l~r compositions use merely ethyl ketone or
a blend of ethyl acetate and methyl cellosolve in place of
the acetone. The com~ositions.all suffered from the disadvantages
~ that they were s~o~.to act and also left cQnsiderable smearing
on the nai.l.
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Example 6
A gel nail lacquer remover in accordance with the
invention has the following composition:
Acetone 76.00 parts
oxy-ethyl alkyl ammonium 0.50 parts
phosphate (Dehyquart* SP)
Polyol fatty acid ester 0.25 parts
(Cetiol* HE)
Carbopol* 940 1.25 parts .
Ethomeen* C25 2.00 parts
Water 9.98 parts
Protein (Aminodermin*, a 0.02 parts
protein derived from
human hair)
The lacquer remover was satisfactory in that it
removed nail lacquer quickl~ and cleanly, without leaving
smears or residue on the nail.
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