Composition for treatment and care of hair and scalp comprising an aqueous-alcoholic or alcoholic extract of oat or oatmeal

Abstract: A composition for the treatment and care of hair and scalp, particularly for the treatment of itching, with additional moisturizing and hypoallergenic potential, providing the hair with shine and condition, comprises an aqueous-alcoholic or alcoholic extract of oat seed (Avena sativa), particularly oatmeal, preferably in combination with hydroxycarboxylic acids.

Description: This invention relates to the use of a composition for treatment and care of hair and scalp having particularly a reduced itching potential, improved moisturizing and hypoallergenic properties and providing a shining and conditioning action to the hair. The invention relates to the use of an alcoholic or aqueous-alcoholic oat seed or oat meal extract for preparing a composition for the treatment of itching of the scalp. It has been found that a composition combining these properties may be obtained by adding an alcoholic or aqueous alcoholic extract of oat seed as active ingredient to usual carrier materials for hair products. The use of oatmeal in cosmetic compositions is principally already known, cf., e.g., EP 619 950 and EP 620 979 . In these publications, special proportions or mixtures thereof with a defined content of proteins, carbohydrates and fat are used. US-A-5 169 660 reveals a method of producing stable bran and flour products from cereal grains such as oats, wheat and rye without conventional dry milling techniques. The aqueous steeped grains are macerated with an ethyl alcohol solution and the bran and flour products recovered therefrom. The aqueous alcoholic waste solutions are further processed by ion-exchange techniques to recover small quantities of high value by-products. A survey on the use of oatmeal in cosmetic composition is given in an article by D. Paton et al. in "Cosmetics and Toiletries", Vol. 110 (March 1995). pp. 63 to 64, 66, 68, 70 . Basing on this state of the art it has now surprisingly been found that compositions for the treatment of itching of the scalp with improved properties may be obtained, if an alcoholic or aqueous-alcoholic extract of oat seed or oatmeal is added to such compositions. Preferably the extracts are prepared from the fruit of oats of the species Avena sativa. From WO 94/18933 A1 improved sunscreen compositions are known containing extracts of cereal plants, e. g. oat, and an optional sunscreen blocking agent. The use of the preparations according to the invention as sunscreen compositions is thus disclaimed. The oat seed or meal extract used according to the invention has preferably a dry residue of 0.5% to 10%, more preferred 1% to 5%, particularly 2% to 4% by wt., calculated to the total extract. Alcohols, preferably polyalcohols, particularly propyleneglycol such as 1,3-propyleneglycol and butyleneglycol, especially 1,3-butyleneglycol, alone or preferably in admixture with water, are used as solvents. The proportion of water to alcohol is between 3 : 1 to 1 : 5, preferably 2 : 1 to 1 : 2, particularly 1 : 1. The following example describes the production of an extract which may be used according to the invention: 900 g of dried oat seeds (Avena sativa Linne (Gramineae)) were subdivided into six portions of equal weight. The first portion was extracted with 200 g 1,3-butyleneglycol at 70°C for 8 hours. The second portion was extracted with the extract thus obtained. This procedure was continued until the six portions were extracted in six steps whereby the extracts obtained previously were used as the solvent for the subsequent step. The extract obtained finally is a light to medium yellow liquid of characteristic odor and has the following properties after optional dilution with water: Specific gravity (20°C) 1.015 to 1.045 Refractive index: (20°C) 1.390 to 1.410 pH-value 5.0 to 7.0 Water content 43% to 53% Dry residue 2.4% to 3.4% Residue of ignition < 0.5% The proportion of the oat seed or oatmeal extract in the compositions according to the invention may be from 0.001% to 10%, especially between 0.05% to 10% by wt., calculated to the dry residue of the extract, preferably about 0.1% to 5% by wt., particularly 0.25% to about 2.5% by wt., wherein a proportion between 0.5% and 1.5% by wt. is particularly advantageous. The compositions used according to the invention may be presented in any form of application, e.g. as solutions, emulsions, dispersions, gels, aerosol foams etc., preferably as hair tonics or hair lotions. The use in customary shampoos and rinses is also possible. The pH-value of the compositions used according to the invention is preferably acidic, i.e. between about 2.5 and 7, more preferred between 3 and 6, particularly between 4 and 5.5. According to a preferred embodiment, the compositions used according the invention may preferably contain hydroxycarboxylic acids, particularly in a quantity between about 0.05% and 5% by wt., calculated to the total composition, preferably about 0.1% to 2.5% by wt., more preferred 0.25% to 1.0% by wt. Suitable hydroxycarboxylic acids which may also be present as water-soluble salts are in particular citric acid, lactic acid, tartaric acid, malic acid, salicylic acid, glyoxylic acid, glycolic acid and, preferably, also mixtures of all these acids or part thereof. The principal composition of products for the treatment and care of hair and scalp is basically well-known and described in various monographies; as an example, reference is made to the monography of K.Schrader, "Grundlagen und Rezepturen der Kosmetika", 2nd Ed., (Hüthig-Verlag, Heidelberg, 1989), chapter "Haarkosmetika", pp. 661 to 782 , particularly the sections on shampoos and hair cleansing compositions (pp. 677 - 722), after treatments for the hair (pp. 722 - 737), as well as hair oils and hair tonics (pp. 760 - 771). The compositions and ingredients described therein may also be used in the compositions used according to the invention. The following Example shall illustrate the production of a composition used according to the invention. A SCALP LOTION has the following formula: Oatmeal extract* 0.50 (% by wt.) Citric acid 0.15 Lactic acid 0.05 Tartaric acid 0.05 Isostearyl lactylate 0.05 1,3-Butanediol 1.00 Allantoin 0.05 Carbomer 0.30 Sodium hydroxide 0.05 Perfume 0.01 Ethanol 30.00 Water @ 100.00 * The oatmeal extract had the following properties: Water content 48% 1,3-Butanediol content 49% Dry residue 3% pH-value 6.0 Residue of ignition < 0.5% Using this composition for a scalp treatment eliminated scalp itching and provided the hair with a fine sheen and a light conditioning effect. After 12 months storage time at 30°C the product presented no loss of properties nor sedimentation. An omission of the oatmeal extract resulted in a product which influenced neither scalp itching nor hair sheen positively, and which had no conditioning effect either. A SHAMPOO has the following formula: Disodium laureth sulfosuccinate 8.2 (% by wt.) Sodium PEG-4 lauramide carboxylate 8.0 Cocamidopropylbetaine 3.0 Decyl glucoside 2.0 PEG-160 Sorbitan triisostearate 1.0 PEG-12 1.0 Glyceryl caprate 1.0 PEG-60 Hydrogenated castor oil 0.5 Polyquaternium-6 0.5 Sodium carboxymethyl cocopolypropyl amine 1.0 Perfume 0.2 Piroctone Olamine 0.2 Citric acid 0.1 Oat meal extract (cf. Example for SCALP LOTION) 0.1 Benzophenone-3 0.1 Preservatives, yellow dyestuff (C.I.-No. 15,985) q.s. Water @ 100.0 A HAIR RINSE composition of the following formula was prepared: Decyl glucoside 2.0 (% by wt.) Steartrimonium chloride 0.6 Di-C 12 -C 15 -alkyl dimonium chloride 0.3 Cetearyl alcohol 2.0 Oatmeal extract (cf. Example for SCALP LOTION) 0.1 Dimethicone 0.4 Benzophenone 0.1 Perfume 0.3 Preservative, dyestuffs q.s. Water @ 100.0

Claims: Use of an alcoholic or aqueous-alcoholic oat seed or oatmeal extract for preparing a composition for the topical treatment of itching of the scalp. Use according to claim 1, comprising 0.001% to 10% by wt. oat seed extract, calculated to the total composition and to the dry residue of the extract. Use according to claim 2, comprising 0.05% to 10% by wt. oat seed extract, calculated to the total composition and to the dry residue of the extract. Use according to claim 3, comprising 0.1% to 5% oat seed extract, calculated to its dry residue. Use according to one or more of claims 1 to 4, comprising a water/polyalcohol oat seed extract. Use according to claim 5, comprising a butyleneglycol and (or) propyleneglycol/water oat seed extract. Use according to one or more of claims 1 to 6, additionally comprising one or more hydroxycarboxylic acids or the water-soluble salt thereof. Use according to claim 7, comprising 0.05% to 5.0% by wt., calculated to the total composition, of at least one of the following hydroxycarboxylic acids or the water soluble salts thereof: citric acid, lactic acid, tartaric acid, malic acid, salicylic acid and (or) glycolic acid. Use according to one or more of claims 1 to 8, characterized by an acidic pH-value.

Inventors: DUBOWOJ POLINA, ONITSUKA SATOSHI, DUBOWOJ, POLINA, ONITSUKA, SATOSHI
Applicants: KAO CORP, KAO CORPORATION
Application year: 1996
Main classification: A61K7
IPC codes: A61K8, A61K36, A61Q5, A61P17, A61Q7, C11D3, A61Q19