Personal product bar compositions comprising crystalline wax structured premix or delivery vehicle

Abstract

The present invention relates to compositions comprising a structured benefit agent pre-mix or delivery vehicle comprising benefit agent structured with crystalline materials, as defined, which when separately prepared and combined after preparation, provides enhanced delivery of benefit agent from a personal product bar carrying composition into which the premix is added. The use of structured benefit agent also enhances delivery of separate benefit agents in the premix (which may or may not be structured) and of separate benefit agents added separately from the premix.

1 . Personal wash bar composition comprising: 
 (1) 1% to 80% by wt. of a surfactant material from the group consisting of anionic, nonionic, amphoteric, cationic surfactants and mixtures thereof; and    (2) a structured benefit agent delivery vehicle composition comprising: 
 (a) 0.1 to 99.9% by wt. of structured benefit agent composition comprising one or more hydrophobic benefit agents or mixtures thereof; and  
 (b) 99.9 to 0.1% structuring material selected from the group consisting of crystalline structurants selected from the group consisting of natural or synthetic crystalline waxes;  
   (3) 0.1 to 80% structuring aid and/or filler,    wherein the crystal in said structuring material has an aspect ratio defined by A/B >1, the length A being understood as the longer of the two dimensions when considering length and width, B;    wherein, when said structured benefit agent is separately formed and separately combined with a bar carrying composition in which the structured benefit agent will be used to deliver benefit agent to a substrate, there will be provided at least a 5% increase in deposition of benefit agent to said substrate relative to deposition of the same benefit agent not structured, or not being in the presence of structured benefit agent in the final compositions;    wherein said separately formed structured benefit agent(s) is molten, semi-molten or solid at the time of combination with the carrying composition.    
     
     
         2 . A composition according to  claim 1 , which provides an increase of at least 10%.  
     
     
         3 . A composition according to  claim 1 , wherein said benefit agent in said structured benefit agent delivery vehicle composition is selected from the group consisting of silicone oils, fats and oils, waxes, hydrophobic plant extracts, hydrocarbons, higher fatty acids, higher alcohols, esters, essential oils, lipids, vitamins, sunscreens, phospholipids particles, anti-aging agents, wrinkle-reducing agents, skin-whitening agents, anti-acne agents, sebum-reducing agents, perfume and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         4 . A composition according to  claim 3 , wherein said benefit agent is sunflower seed oil.  
     
     
         5 . A composition according to  claim 1 , wherein said natural crystalline wax is selected from the group consisting of mineral waxes, petroleum based waxes, plant or vegetable waxes and animal waxes.  
     
     
         6 . A composition according to  claim 5 , wherein said petroleum based wax is paraffin or microcrystalline wax.  
     
     
         7 . A composition according to  claim 5 , wherein said synthetic crystalline wax is polyethylene, a polymethylene wax, a chemically modified wax, polymerized α-olefins and synthetic animal waxes.  
     
     
         8 . A composition according to  claim 1 , wherein said structured benefit agent delivery vehicle composition is formed by combining benefit agent and structurant at temperatures above the melting point of the structurant to form a molten solution prior to cooling or to combining said molten solution with said carrying composition.  
     
     
         9 . A composition according to  claim 1 , wherein a large droplet size is not required for high deposition.  
     
     
         10 . A composition according to  claim 1 , comprising 3 to 65% surfactant.  
     
     
         11 . A composition according to  claim 1 , wherein there are one or more additional benefit agents entrapped in the network formed by the delivery vehicle composition (2).  
     
     
         12 . A composition according to  claim 1 , comprising a benefit agent or agents separate from structured benefit agent vehicle composition (2).  
     
     
         13 . A process for forming a personal product bar composition comprising: 
 (1) 1 to 80% of a surfactant selected from the group consisting of anionic, nonionic, amphoteric, cationic surfactants and mixtures thereof; and    (2) a structured benefit agent delivery vehicle composition comprising: 
 (a) 0.1 to 99.9% by wt. of structured benefit agent composition comprising one or more hydrophobic benefit agents or mixtures thereof; and  
 (b) 99.9 to 0.1% structuring material selected from the group consisting of crystalline structurants selected from the group consisting of natural or synthetic crystalline waxes;  
   (3) 0.1 to 80% structuring aid and/or filler,    wherein the crystal in said structuring material has an aspect ratio defined by A/B>1, length A being understood as the longer of the two dimensions when considering length and width, B:    wherein when said structured benefit agent is separately formed and separately combined with to a carrying composition in which the structured benefit agent will be used to deliver benefit agent to a substrate there will be provided at least a 5% increase in deposition of benefit agent to said substrate relative to deposition of the same benefit agent if it were not structured or not in presence of structured benefit agent;    wherein said separately formed structured benefit agent is molten, semi-molten or solid at the time of combination with the carrying composition.    wherein said process comprises: 
 (1) mixing hydrophobic benefit agent or agents and crystalline structurant;  
 (2) combining said separately prepared premix and the carrying composition, optionally with mixing; and  
 (3) pouring the resulting mixtures into molds and cooling to room temperature; or  
 (4) cooling the resulting mixture to flakes, and extruding flakes so formed into a billet which may be formed and stamped.  
   
     
     
         14 . A process according to  claim 13 , wherein said mixing step (1) is at a temperature above the melting point of the structurant and then either cooling to ambient temperature so that it can be combined later with the bar carrying composition, or optionally cooling to the temperature at which the carrying composition is mixed before combining with the carrying composition  
     
     
         15 . A method of enhancing deposition of hydrophobic benefit agent comprising adding to skin or other substrate a personal product composition comprising: 
 (1) 1 to 80% surfactant; and    (2) 0.1 to 90% of a benefit agent delivery vehicle; 
 (a) 0.1 to 99.9% by wt. of structured benefit agent composition comprising one or more hydrophobic benefit agents or mixtures thereof; and  
 (b) 99.9 to 0.1% structuring material selected from the group consisting of crystalline structurants selected from the group consisting of natural or synthetic crystalline waxes;  
 (c) 0.1 to 80% filler and structurant,  
   wherein the crystal in said structuring material has an aspect ratio defined by A/B>1, length A being understood as the longer of the two dimensions when considering length and width, B;    wherein, when said structured benefit agent is separately formed and separately combined with to a carrying composition in which the structured benefit agent will be used to deliver benefit agent to a substrate there will be provided at least a 5% increase in deposition of benefit agent to said substrate relative to deposition of the same benefit agent if not structured or not in the presence of structured benefit agent,    wherein said separately formed structured benefit agent is molten, semi-molten or solid at the time of combination with the carrying compositions.    
     
     
         16 . A method of providing smooth feel comprising applying to skin or other substrate a personal product composition comprising: 
 (1) 1 to 80% surfactant; and    (2) 0.1 to 90% of a benefit agent vehicle; 
 (a) 0.1 to 99.9% by wt. of structured benefit agent composition of one or more hydrophobic benefit agents or mixtures thereof; and  
 (b) 99.9 to 0.1% structuring material selected from the group consisting of crystalline structurant selected from the group consisting of natural or synthetic crystalline waxes,  
 (c) 0.1 to 80% filler or structurant,  
   wherein the crystal in said structuring material has an aspect ratio defined by A/B>1, length A being understood as the longer of the two dimensions when considering length and width, B;    wherein, when said structured benefit agent is separately formed and separately combined with to a carrying composition in which the structured benefit agent will be used to deliver benefit agent to a substrate there will be provided at least a 5% increase in deposition of benefit agent to said substrate relative deposition of the same benefit agent if not structured or not in the presence of structured benefit agent;    wherein said separately formed structured benefit agent is molten semi-molten or solid at the time of combination with the carrying composition