Patent Picks—Radiation-Diffraction Colorants, Fluorescent Pigments and More

By: Rachel L. Grabenhofer

Posted: March 14, 2012

Chosen biweekly for their relevance to personal care, Patent Picks are taken from publicly available sources. This edition features technologies related to color, such as pigments, films and colorants for skin and hair care.

Solid pigment preparations containing water-soluble anionic surface-active additives that comprise carboxylate groups
US Patent 8124672
Publication date: Feb. 28, 2012
Assignee: BASF AG

Disclosed in this patent are solid pigment preparations having advantageous application properties, especially high color strength and particularly good dispersibility in a wide variety of application media. These preparations contain, as essential components: a) 60% to 95% w/w of at least one pigment; b) 5% to 40% w/w of at least one water-soluble anionic surface-active additive from the group of homopolymers and copolymers of ethylenically unsaturated monocarboxylic acids and/or ethylenically unsaturated dicarboxylic acids—which can additionally contain monopolymerized vinyl monomers having no acid function, the alkoxylation products of said homopolymers and copolymers, and the salts of said homopolymers and copolymers and the alkoxylation products thereof; and c) 0% to 20% w/w of at least one nonionic surface-active polyether-based additive. Also disclosed are methods for the production thereof and for dyeing macromolecular organic and inorganic materials.

Long-wearing cosmetic composition
US Patent 8128919
Publication date: March 6, 2012
Assignee: Avon Products Inc.

The present invention relates to a cosmetic composition for the application of color such as in a foundation, lip gloss, lip stick, mascara, eye shadow, blush and nail polish. The disclosed  composition includes a film-forming, silicone-containing polyurethane having a viscosity from about 130,000 cps to 2,500,000 cps, preferably from 400,000 cps to 2,500,000 cps and most preferably from 750,000 cps to 2,500,000 cps. According to the inventors, it was surprisingly found that the film-forming silicone-containing polyurethane of the described viscosity provided long-lasting film-forming and non-transfer properties when applied as a cosmetic composition.