Bath agent

This invention relates to a bath agent containing sodium chloride and a compound represented by the formula ##STR1## (in the formula R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are the same or different, and are a hydrogen atom or a methyl group) or its salt. This inventive bath agent is to eliminate and prevent skin itching and to prevent skin aging by preventing and removing effectively the free radical produced on the skin surface by ultraviolet rays.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
This invention relates to a useful bath agent having the effects of 
eliminating and preventing skin itch and preventing skin aging. More 
particularly, it relates to a bath agent which contains sodium sulfate 
and/or sodium chloride and a free radical inhibitor and which is useful 
for eliminating and preventing itching and for preventing the aging of 
skin by preventing and removing effectively the free radical produced on 
the skin surface. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
There have been known various bath agents so far. For example, the bath 
agents added with sodium sulfate and sodium chloride for the purpose of 
keeping the skin warm have been used from old times. There is also known a 
bath agent compounded of proteinases to wash off the waste matter of skin 
and the skin keratin [KOKAX (First Publication) No. SHO 58-59909]. 
Moreover, there are known a bath agent compounded of galenica or galenical 
extract for the purpose of anti-phlogistic effect and a bath agent 
compounded of kojic acid, its salt or L-ascorbic acid-2-magnesium 
phosphate For the purpose of preventing spots and freckles and becoming 
fair-complexioned [KOKAI (First Publication No. HEI 3-127724] 
On the other hand, the free radical which produced on the skin surface by 
ultraviolet rays said to be the cause of itching or skin aging and 
progress into skin cancer in the worst case. Originally, there exists an 
enzyme, superoxide dismutase (SOD), in the skin which prevents the 
production of free radical on the skin surface. However, in case of the 
exposure to excessive ultraviolet rays or in case of the elderly having 
less SOD, the production of free radical cannot be prevented effectively. 
Therefore, in such a case a drug which removes the free radical produced 
on the skin surface is required. 
Under such a situation, if there is a bath agent which has an action of 
preventing and removing effectively the free radical produced on the skin 
surface by ultraviolet rays and which can be used easily, it is considered 
to be convenient. 
Generally, however, many free radical inhibitors are insoluble in water 
(for example, tocopherol, BHT, BHA) and water-soluble free radical 
inhibitors are hardly known. Although ascorbic acid, cystein, and 
glutathione which are water-soluble have strong reducing action, their 
inhibitory action is very weak if they have free radical-inhibitory 
action. Therefore, the action cannot be said to be fully satisfactory for 
the removal of free radical produced on the skin surface, which is the 
object of this invention. 
Accordingly, bath agents having satisfactory free radical-removing effect 
[lave not been known so far under present conditions. 
So the inventors made earnest investigation looking for useful bath agents 
to prevent and remove effectively the free radical produced on the skin 
surface. Consequently, the inventor unexpectedly found it possible to 
prevent and remove effectively the free radical produced on the skin 
surface by the combined use with sodium sulfate and/or sodium chloride and 
L-ascorbic acid tocopherolphosphate diester. This invention has been 
completed based on this new knowledge. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to a useful bath agent which is characterized by 
containing sodium sulfate and/or sodium chloride and a compound 
represented by the following formula ( I ) 
##STR2## 
(in the formula R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are the same or different, and are a 
hydrogen atom or a methyl group) or its salt and which is able to prevent 
and remove effectively the free radical produced on the skin surface.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
The compound which is incorporated in the bath agent of tills invention and 
represented by formula (I) (hereinafter sometimes referred to "L-ascorbic 
acid-tocopherolphosphate diester") or its salt is a compound which the 
inventors previously invented, and it can properly be manufactured, For 
example, by time methods mentioned in KOHKOKU (Second Publication) No. HEI 
2-44478 which corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 4,564,686 and KOKAI (First 
Publication) No. SHO 62-205091 which corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 
4,914,197 or in accordance with them. 
As to time efficacy of a compound represented by Formula (I), the 
anti-cataract action [KOHKOKU (Second Publication No. HEI 2-44478 which 
corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 4,564,686], the antiinflammatory action 
[KOHKOKU (Second Publication) No. HEI 1-27044] and so forth have already 
been known. The alkali metal salts are water-soluble having the 
surface-active action, and their stability in water is also excellent. 
However, it has not been known yet that a bath agent in which the compound 
represented by formula (I) is used together with sodium sulfate and/or 
sodium chloride can effectively prevent and remove the free radical 
produced on the skin surface and thereby it is effective in preventing and 
removing an eliminating and in preventing skin aging. 
The excellent effect of this inventive bath agent has not been attained 
until the compound represented by formula (I) was used together with 
sodium sulfate and/or sodium chloride. 
L-ascorbic acid-tocopherolphosphate diester compounds or their salts 
incorporated in this inventive bath agent may be used by combining one or 
more kinds of them at the proper ratio according to the object. As for 
their salts, any salt will do provided that it is pharmacologically 
acceptable and water-soluble. For example, alkali metal salts such as 
sodium salt and potassium salt can be used suitably for the purpose of 
this invention. 
The concentration of L-ascorbic acid-tocopherolphosphate diester compound 
or its salt incorporated in this invented bath agent is suitably selected 
according to the kind of compound or the dosage form of bath agent, but it 
is good usually in about 0.001-5.0 (W/W) % and desirably in 0.01-0.5 (W/W) 
% or so. 
Inorganic salts--sodium sulfate and sodium chloride--which are incorporated 
in this inventive bath agent are used alone or together, respectively. 
As for sodium sulfate, an inorganic salt, incorporated in this inventive 
bath agent, any of its anhydride (Na.sub.2 SO.sub.4), monohydrate 
(Na.sub.2 SO.sub.4.H.sub.2 O) and decahydrate (Na.sub.2 SO.sub.4.10H.sub.2 
O) can be used suitably. Moreover, these may be used alone or more kinds 
may be properly used together. 
The concentrations of sodium sulfate and sodium chloride in the bath agent 
are different according to the dosage form of bath agent and single or 
joint use of these inorganic salts, but they can be adjusted to the 
optional concentration in which the quantities of the compound represented 
by formula (I) and other bases are deducted from the quantity of this bath 
agent. For instance, as to the concentrations in case of using these 
jointly, they are desirably 40-70 (W/W) % or so in sodium sulfate and 
30-70 (W/W) % or so in sodium chloride, but they are not always limited to 
these figures. 
This inventive bath agent can take various dosage forms such as liquid and 
jelly-like forms. Considering the convenience for dealing, however, it is 
usually desirable to make the dosage forms such as powders, granules, 
tablets, and effervescent tablets. These preparations can be manufactured 
properly by the conventional methods used for the manufacture of bath 
agents. Besides, it is convenient for dealing to seal hermetically this 
inventive bath agent in proper bags and containers such as 
polyethylene-coated aluminium bags and polyethylene containers. 
A dose of this inventive bath agent given in the bath is properly selected 
according to the kinds of active constituents and their concentrations, 
dosage forms of bath agents, the age of bathers, their skin conditions, 
and the bath temperature. For instance, about 5-60 g per bath of 150-1 are 
usually good and desirably about 10-40 g are good. However, the dose is 
not always limited to these figures. 
In this inventive bath agent, moisture-retention agent, enzyme agent, 
binder, disintegrator, effervescing agent, dispersing agent, coloring 
matter, aromatic, surfactant, buffer, stabilizer, pH-adjusting agent, etc. 
which have hitherto been used as the ingredients of bath agent can be 
incorporated properly at the commonly-used concentrations. 
Furthermore, in this inventive bath agent, upon necessity other ingredients 
having free radical-inhibiting action and different kinds of efficacious 
ingredients (hoe spring ingredients etc.) can be contained properly, 
unless they are against the purpose of this invention. 
EXAMPLES 
The following examples are further illustrative of the present invention. 
The abbreviations of compound of formula (I) used in the undermentioned 
examples express the following compounds, respectively: 
.alpha.-EPC (R.sub.1 =R.sub.2 =methyl group) 
.beta.-EPC (R.sub.1 =methyl group, R.sub.2 =hydrogen atom) 
.gamma.-EPC (R.sub.1 =hydrogen atom, R.sub.2 =methyl group) 
.delta.-EPC (R.sub.1 =R.sub.2 =hydrogen atom) 
EXAMPLE 1 
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Sodium sulfate 1 kg 
Jasmine proper quantity 
.delta.-EPC dipotassium salt 
1 g 
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Mix the above materials uniformly, fill each 30 g per wrapper in a 
polyethylene-coated aluminum bag after drying and seal hermetically to 
make a bath agent. 
EXAMPLE 2 
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Sodium sulfate 700 g 
Sodium chloride 200 g 
Potassium chloride 100 g 
.alpha.-EPC dipotassium salt 
5 g 
Maleic anhydride 9.8 g 
Sodium hydrogencarbonate 
17 g 
Aromatic proper quantity 
Coloring agent proper quantity 
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Mix the above materials with ethanol, fill each 30 g per wrapper in a 
polyethylene-coated aluminium bags after drying and seal hermetically to 
make a bath agent. 
Effect 
When this bath agent was applied to a 60 year-old male who sometimes 
complained of an unaccountable itch on his back, itching left him after 
bathing. As another case, when the bath agent was applied to a 25 year-old 
female who had had an itch on the whole body after swimming, itching was 
gone after bathing and the agent proved to be effective. 
EXAMPLE 3 
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.alpha.-EPC monopotassium salt 
2 g 
Sodium chloride 600 g 
Sodium sulfate, anhydrous 
18 g 
Potassium chloride 0.5 g 
Sodium hydrogencarbonate 
0.5 g 
Magnesium chloride 260 g 
Calcium chloride 36 g 
Boric acid 0.3 g 
Borax 0.1 g 
Sodium edetate 0.13 g 
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Mix the above materials uniformly, fill in a polyethylene container 
holding, after drying and put about 30 g in a 150-1 bathtub.