Patent Picks—Water Resistance, Vitamin D, Lactone for Stabilization and More

Chosen biweekly for their relevance to personal care by Rachel Grabenhofer, editor of Cosmetics & Toiletries magazine, Patent Picks are taken from publicly available sources. This edition features patents related to sun care and photoprotective technologies.

Broad-spectrum uva stable, non-toxic, zinc oxide based complex
WIPO Patent Application WO/2011/063329
Publication Date: May 26, 2011
Assignee: GL Grune

Disclosed in this patent is a new compound that also is presented as a dispersion with broad UVA and UVB spectral absorption stability, heat absorption, and insulation properties, as well as antimicrobial water resistance and high SPF properties. The zinc oxide complex described comprises distilled water buffered to a pH of > 10 using ammonium hydroxide, L-arginine or other buffering agents; and zinc oxide particles. The complex may be dried and rinsed to increase stability. An emollient, such as glycerin, and/or an emulsifier such as a combination of cetearyl alcohol and cetearyl glucoside and/or sodium stearoyl glutamate and/or cetearyl glucoside may also be added to the zinc oxide complex. According to the invention, the complex is made from natural-based, earth-derived, Ecocert-certified ingredients, is nontoxic and may be used or combined with any compound wherein UVA/UVB stability is desired. The applications for the complex are numerous and include automobile and aircraft parts, textiles, and semi-conductor technologies, as well as sunscreens and cosmetics.

Topical compositions having TiO2 particles with improved water resistance 
WIPO Patent Application WO/2011/061133
Publication date: May 26, 2011
Assignee: DSM IP Assets B.V., T Satzinger and H Westenfelder

The present invention relates to a method of improving the water resistance of micronized double coated titanium dioxide (TiO2) particles having an inner inorganic silica coating and an outer silicone coating. Said particles are incorporated into a topical composition in the form of a dispersion in C12-15 alkyl benzoate and polyglyceryl-2 dipolyhydroxystearate. Furthermore, the invention relates to the topical compositions comprising the dispersions, including sunscreens.

Novel carboxylic acid derivatives for cosmetic compositions 
US Patent Application 20110124726 
Publication date: May 26, 2011
Assignee: DSM IP Assets B.V.

This patent discloses novel arylalkyl carboxylic acid derivatives, more specifically, with acylates of arylalkyl carboxylic acids with naturally occurring, nontoxic hydroxyl, sulfhydryl, amino or imino compounds, and to compositions containing them. The compositions are preferably cosmetic preparations and can also contain usual cosmetic adjuvants and additives, such as: preservatives/antioxidants, fatty substances/oils, water, organic solvents, silicones, thickeners, softeners, emulsifiers, sunscreens, cosmetic actives, antifoaming agents, moisturizers, fragrances, surfactants, pigments or nanopigments such as those suited for providing a photoprotective effect by blocking UV radiation, etc.

Method for producing vitamin D in a person
US Patent Application 20110123469
Publication date: May 26, 2011
Assignee: Topical Technologies, Inc.

This invention describes a method for enhancing the production of vitamin D within an individual's skin and includes a source of vitamin D, a sunlight exposure indicator and a sunscreen. Vitamin D, for example, cod liver oil, is applied to the skin topically via a patch or towelette or ingested orally. The exposure indicator is worn by the user and changes its state to indicate that the person has been exposed to sunlight for a predetermined period of time. The user preferably waits a sufficient time for the vitamin D to be absorbed into the skin, then exposes his or her skin to direct sunlight, and monitors the exposure indicator to determine if it has changed state. The user then applies the sunscreen to his/her skin after the exposure indicator changes state. 

Use of benzotropolone derivatives as UV absorbers and antioxidants and their use in sunscreens and/or cosmetic compositions
US Patent Application 20110123468
Publication date: May 26, 2011
Assignee: BASF SE

The current patent relates to the use of one or more benzotropolone and their derivatives as antioxidants and UV absorbers and their use in sunscreens and/or cosmetic compositions. According to the inventors, many phenolic compounds used as antioxidants in food, cosmetics, personal care and household products are not always photochemically stable, which limits their utility. Surprisingly, the benzotropolone moiety was found to provide UV light-shielding and antioxidative properties in one molecule. In addition, its metal ion chelating properties may contribute to its potent capability to inhibit oxidative processes

The benzotropolone moiety is the characteristic structural feature of some natural-occurring compounds, among which the theaflavins are best known. Theaflavins are reportedly found in black tea and exhibit a wide range of biological activities such as antioxidative properties. The theaflavins represent a group of dark, orange-red colored pigments, which makes them unsuitable for topical applications where low discoloration is desired. In addition, they reportedly are tedious to prepare, highly unstable, difficult to handle or tedious to be isolated from natural resources in large scale amounts. However, it was found that compounds consisting of the benzotropolone moiety are effective and photostable UV absorbers with strong antioxidant properties and are suitable to protect hair and skin against UV radiation in sunscreen applications.

Lactone for the stabilization of body care and household products
US Patent Application 20110123464
Publication date: May 26, 2011
Assignee: BASF SE

Described in this patent is the use of specific lactone compounds for protecting body care and household products from photolytic and oxidative degradation. Various stabilization techniques to protect clear-package products via UV absorption are commonly used. For example, broad-band UV light stabilizers of the benzotriazole class enhance product stability and shelf live due to their good UVA and UVB absorption properties, compared with other absorbers such as benzophenones that mainly absorb UVB. The most effective stabilizers today include benzotriazole derivatives. However, it also has been found that stabilizers based on lactone derivatives are suitable for the protection of products, including physical sunscreens containing TiO2, zinc oxide, iron oxides, mica, MnO, Fe2O3, Ce2O3, Al2O3 and  ZrO2.

Packaging locking and indication system for materials with limited utility 
US Patent Application 20110121023 
Publication date: May 26, 2011
Assignee: Milan Innovation Ltd.

For use in dispensing materials that have a limited period of utility, the described novel device comprises a first part containing the material and a second part wherein the first and second parts have mutual engagement means and can be disengaged to allow the material to be dispensed. The described device also includes control means that can be activated to initiate a time-controlled period of use that, at the end of that period, causes the first and second parts to be permanently engaged.

The first part of the invention may take any suitable form such as a container for a liquid or dry substance or other consumable product such as a water filter, for example. Examples of materials that may be contained within the first part include color cosmetics, e.g., mascara, eye pencils, eye liner, eye shadow, foundation, concealer, blusher, lip liner, lip gloss and lipstick; skin care products, e.g., moisturizing products, body oil, toners, makeup remover and depilatories; sun care products, e.g., sunscreen and self-tanning lotions; eye care products, e.g., eye wash, eye drops and contact lens solution; pharmaceutical and medical products, e.g., vaccines, insulin, ear drops, ointments and cough and cold syrups; and foodstuffs, etc.

In vivo micro-insult test and use thereof
European Patent Application EP2324766
Publication date: May 25, 2011
Assignee: Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies Inc.

The present invention relates to a method for testing human skin and other biological tissues and the use thereof for testing, in vivo, the effects of ingredients and compositions on such tissues. In one embodiment, the method may be used for evaluating the effects of ingredients or compositions on human skin; for example, for allergy testing or cosmetic product/drug efficacy testing. The effects of anti-acne products, anti-aging products, sunscreen products, wound healing products or the like may also be tested according to the invention.

Alkoxy polyester compounds, compositions and methods of use thereof
European Patent EP2022779
Publication date: May 25, 2011
Assignee: HallStar Innovations Corp.

The current patent discloses sunscreen compositions containing one or more photoactive compounds, such as a dibenzoylmethane derivative UVA filter compound, and a derivative of methoxy crylene. One aspect of the compositions described is that a sunscreen formula including a dibenzoylmethane derivative such as 4-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-4'-methoxydibenzoylmethane, and a photoactive compound such as avobenzon,e is made more photostable. Also disclosed are methods for filtering out UV light from human skin including the step of applying the sunscreen formula to the skin.

Modified variant Bowman Birk protease inhibitors
US Patent 7947475
Publication date: May 24, 2011
Assignee: Danisco US Inc.

This invention relates to modified variant Bowman Birk Protease Inhibitor proteins (BBPIs) that comprise peptides that bind target proteins, and that are further modified to have greater protease inhibitory activity and/or be produced at greater yields than the unmodified BBPIs. The invention encompasses polynucleotide constructs and expression vectors containing polynucleotide sequences that encode the modified variant BBPIs, the transformed host cells that express and produce the modified variant BBPIs, the modified variant BBPI proteins, the compositions comprising the modified variant BBPIs, and the methods for making and using the modified variant BBPIs in personal care.

In some embodiments, the skin care compositions are for therapeutic use in improving the appearance of skin in a subject suffering from a skin disorder. In another embodiment, the composition is a skin care composition, including: moisturizing body washes, skin protective creams, anti-acne treatments, facial toners, exfoliating creams, tanning compositions, skin lightening compositions, skin redness reduction compositions, sunscreens, radioprotectives, etc.. Radioprotectives are chosen from non-water-resistant sunscreens, very water-resistant sunscreens, and water-in-silicone sunscreens.

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