Patent ID: 8299127

Claim:
A method for evenly applying a water soluble active, the method comprising the steps of: (a) applying to dry skin a topical composition comprising a water-in-oil HIPE, the HIPE comprising: 1) water; 2) emulsifier from about 0.5 to 12% by weight; 3) steric stabilizer comprising a polyether or polyglycerine cross-linked silicone elastomer or both; 4) depletion stabilizer comprising an alkyl modified cross-linked silicone elastomer where the cross-linking group has a chain length from about 8 to about 26 carbon atoms; 5) oil; 6) non-emulsifying elastomer, and 7) water soluble active; and (b) shearing the topical composition during application onto the skin resulting in free water creating a hydrophilic surface on the topical composition applied while simultaneously maintaining water in the HIPE for the water soluble active wherein the topical composition, prior to applying, has a contact angle against water which is greater than about 90° and less than about 70° immediately after topically applying with shear and further wherein the weight ratio of depletion stabilizer to steric stabilizer in the HIPE is from about 1:3 to about 3:1.