Patent Pick: Smooth Moves to Attack Tacky Cosmetics

According to L'Oréal inventors, to impart a sense of softness and emollience in cosmetics, o/w or w/o emulsions are used. O/W emulsions are usually preferred since they have an aqueous external phase, which gives emulsions a lighter, fresher feel on skin. Many such compositions have been developed, but they can be difficult to apply and do not feel smooth.

Furthermore, when a humectant such as glycerin is added at levels greater than 5%, a tacky and sticky feel results. Several approaches using light emollients, powders or combinations thereof may reduce tackiness; however, the resulting compositions do not provide sufficient consumer appeal and have residual tackiness.

Therefore, these inventors sought to develop a composition having a high level of glycerin without producing a tacky feel upon application. They accomplished this using a water-releasing composition including hydrophobic silica.

Water-releasing cosmetic composition including a hydrophobic silica
U.S. Patent 9549894
Publication date: Jan. 24, 2017
Assignee: L'Oréal

Described in this patent is a water-releasing cosmetic composition in the form of an emulsion and a process for preparing it. The composition consists of an aqueous phase and an oil phase. The aqueous phase includes a hydrating agent at a concentration of about 1% to 50% w/w. The oil phase includes: a silicone polymer; an emulsifying cross-linked siloxane elastomer and elastomer gel containing it; and a hydrophobic silica.

Specifically, the cross-linked siloxane elastomer is present in the gel at a concentration of about 0.5% to 7.0% w/w. The hydrophobic silica is at a concentration of about 0.1% to 5.0% w/w. The composition converts from an emulsion to a plurality of droplets upon rubbing.