Patent Picks—Açai Palm Anti-aging, Sea Fennel and Tomato Healing, Ginger Antioxidant and More

Chosen biweekly for their relevance to personal care, Patent Picks are taken from publicly available sources. This edition features patents related to naturals and botanicals in personal care.

Euterpe oleracea fruit, Punica granatum sterols, etc., in topical skin care
US Pat 8318222
Publication date: Nov. 27, 2012
Assignee: Mary Kay Inc.

Disclosed in this patent is a multifunctional topical skin care composition and methods for its use. In particular, the formula can hydrate skin, increase its firmness, and reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and age spots. The composition can include a combination of skin active ingredients comprising: Euterpe oleracea (açai palm) fruit extract, Punica granatum sterols, caprooyl tetrapeptide-3, tocopherol or tocopherol acetate, and niacinamide; a combination of skin moisturizing agents comprising glycerin and Butyrospermum parkii; a photo stable combination of sunscreen agents providing an SPF 15 or higher; and a dermatologically acceptable vehicle that imparts a non-greasy feel when applied to skin.

Bioactive compositions from Theacea plants, their production and use
US Pat 8318220
Publication date: Nov. 27, 2012
Assignee: Akzo Nobel Surface Chemistry LLC

The present invention relates to isolated compositions containing bioactive fractions derived from Theacea plant cell juice or cell walls and topical formulations containing them. Said compositions can inhibit inflammatory activity in skin and protect against ultraviolet light-induced damage, as well as normalize skin disorders.

Compositions comprising natural anti-inflammatories
US Pat 8318217
Publication date: Nov. 27, 2012
Assignee: Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies Inc.

This patent relates to a composition comprising an NFκB-inhibitor and an anti-inflammatory compound wherein the anti-inflammatory compound is not an NFκB-inhibitor and has an IC50 of about 70 μg/mL or less. It has been discovered that combinations of an NFκB-inhibitor with an anti-inflammatory compound having a low IC50 reduce the release of both inflammatory cytokines IL-1 and IL-8 from skin and other tissues, as well generally provide desirable NFκB-inhibition in skin and other tissues. The NFκB-inhibitor and anti-inflammatory compound are presented in a weight ratio from about 1:10 to about 10:1.

The disclosed composition includes an NFκB-inhibitor selected from the group consisting of substituted resorcinols, (E)-3-(4-methylphenylsulfonyl)-2-propenenitrile, extracts of Paulownia tomentosa wood, and combinations thereof.  The anti-inflammatory compound is selected from a wide range of options; such as Phellodendron amurense cortex extract (PCE), Tanacetum parthenium (feverfew), Ginkgo biloba, Lycium barbarum (gogi berry), Silybum marianum (milk thistle extract), Punica granatum (pomegranate), Lilium candidum (white lily) flower extract, Olea europaea, apple extract and others, and combinations thereof, wherein the substituted resorcinol is free of phenyl moieties.

Tomato-based topical formulation for enhanced healing of burns and UV and radiation erythema
US Pat 8318215
Publication date: Nov. 27, 2012
Assignee: Miriam Ryngler-Lewensztain

This invention describes a topical cream, ointment, spray or other topically administered composition used to enhance the healing of burns and UV and radiation erythema. The treatment reduces pain and inflammation, prevents blistering and maintains flexibility of the skin, as well as accelerates the normal healing process. The concentrated preparation consists of: a water-soluble powder obtained by concentration of mashed or crushed tomatoes under vacuum, followed by a drying process; at least one carotenoid that contains 6-20% lycopene; at least one phenolic acid that contains 0.1-5% caffeic acid; at least one antioxidant that contains 0.1-5% alpha-tocopherol or mixed tocopherols; at least one anti-inflammatory botanical that contains 0.1-1% alcoholic tincture of Calendula extract; and at least one antibacterial that contains 0.1-2.5% tea tree oil.

Marine botanicals to provide nutrition to aging and environmentally damaged skin
US Pat 8318178
Publication date: Nov. 27, 2012
Assignee: Mary Kay Inc.

Adverse environmental exposures that can result in more rapid epidermal turnover rates include UVA, UVB and IR radiation from the sun and cold, coupled with low relative humidity. Several proposed methods of increasing stratum corneum renewal rates have various drawbacks, such as significant irritation to the skin, skin toxicity or low pH. In addition, most of these methods involve the invocation of chronic damage to the skin.

The present invention overcomes these deficiencies by providing compositions that can be used to treat aged, mature, nutritionally-compromised or environmentally-damaged skin. A topical skin care composition comprising Codium tomentosum extract and Crithmum maritimum (sea fennel) extract is disclosed, wherein the composition is formulated as an emulsion, cream, lotion, solution, gel, ointment or anhydrous base.

Portulaca pilosa, sunflower oil and mango butter lipstick
WIPO Patent Application WO/2012/158627
Publication date: Nov. 22, 2012
Assignee: Mary Kay Inc. and L. Hart

These inventors report that previous attempts at lipsticks have either lacked substantivity; tended to dry out, clump or crack on the lip; or lacked the ability to effectively treat or prevent lip-related conditions, e.g., dried or cracked lips, lip wrinkles, etc. Attempts to solve these problems have led to formulations that were difficult to spread, had unpleasant tactile properties and exhibited limited benefits for lip-related conditions.

This solution results in a lip-based product such as lipstick that is substantive, does not pool on the lips, is easy to spread and has effective amounts of actives to moisturize the lips; treat dry, chapped or cracked lips; and reduce or prevent the appearance of lip wrinkles. Described is an anhydrous lipstick comprising Portulaca pilosa extract, sunflower oil, jojoba esters, mango butter and tocopherol in a dermatologically acceptable carrier comprising glyceryl behenate/eicosadioate.

Process for obtaining saponin-rich components from the Araliaceae family
US Pat Application 20120296073
Publication date: Nov. 22, 2012
Assignee: Bangor University

This patent explains that a variety of plant extracts are commonly used in numerous medicinal and industrial applications and one class of useful compounds obtainable from plants are saponins. Saponins are so named due to their ability to form stable, soap-like foams at low concentrations (Latin sapo = soap); this ability was used as a quantitative assay of saponins, and forms the basis of much literature on the subject.

Described here is a process of obtaining a saponin-rich component from a plant of the Araliaceae family. This process involves: a) treating a portion of the plant with an extraction solvent in which the saponin-containing compounds are soluble; and b) treating the extract obtained therefrom to remove fatty acid residues such as petroselinic acid, vaccenic acid and palmitoleic acid. If the portion of plant consists essentially of whole ripe fruit of Hedera helix, it would be expected that these three acids would each be present in an amount of 20-40% w/w as the free acid or an ester thereof, especially a glycerol triester of one or more of these acids. This crude fatty acid component may find utility as a biofuel such as biodiesel, a dietary additive, a nutraceutical, a cosmetic base, a lubricant, or feedstock for industrial processes, for example, the manufacture of surfactants.

Combinations of ginger and sophora extracts having synergistic antioxidant effects
US Patent 8313783
Publication date: Nov. 20, 2012
Assignee: The Dial Corp.

The present invention discloses mixtures of herb extracts, namely ginger and sophora, which exert synergistic antioxidant effects. Skin care preparations incorporating such herb extract mixtures and their methods of preparation and use are also claimed. Such combinations are described for use in personal care products including body washes, lotions, liquid hand soaps, sunscreens, shampoos, and the like.

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