The present invention provides an oral care composition, containing at least 0.5% by weight of silica agglomerates, wherein each of the silica agglomerates has: (i) an overall particle size from 200 μm to 2000 μm, and (ii) a crush strength from 0.1N to 5N. The silica particles that make up the silica agglomerate can have an average particle size from 1 μm to 50 μm. The composition can have a viscosity from 10 to 90 BKU. The present invention also provides a method of encouraging proper tooth cleaning by administering the oral care composition of the present invention to a subject's tooth surface. The present invention further provides the use of a silica agglomerate in manufacturing an oral care composition for encouraging proper tooth cleaning.

One compound according to the present invention contains silicon fine particles having a capability of generating hydrogen or aggregates of the silicon fine particles. The compound that contains the silicon fine particles or the aggregates having a capability of generating hydrogen is capable of generating hydrogen in the body of, for example, an animal that has ingested the compound. For a plant, the compound can be disposed or charged into, for example, moisture (water-containing liquid) or fertilizer to be provided to the plant, to supply the plant with hydrogen generated from the compound.

The present invention relates to a process for preparing a mixture comprising vanillin and ethyl vanillin which process comprises the steps of (i) mixing at least vanillin powder and ethyl vanillin powder, (ii) keeping the mixture obtained in step (i) in a vessel in order to let the vanillin and ethyl vanillin agglomerate, and (iii) breaking down at least one agglomerate obtained in step (ii) into smaller particles. The present invention also relates to a powdery mixture comprising vanillin and ethyl vanillin obtained by the process according to the present invention.

A composite material 100 of the present invention includes silicon particles or silicon fine particles 10 capable of generating hydrogen, and a metal element (iron (Fe)) 20 supported on, or attached or adsorbed to at least a part of surfaces of the silicon particles or silicon fine particles 10, or chemically bonded to the surfaces. According to the composite material 100, it is possible to exhibit a capability of generating hydrogen much higher than that of silicon particles or silicon fine particles 10 on which the metal element 20 is hardly supported or to which the metal element 20 is hardly attached or adsorbed, or silicon particles or silicon fine particles 10 which are hardly chemically bonded to the metal element.

Disclosed are personal care compositions comprising a fibrous material of natural origin and obtained from plants. The fibrous material comprises micro-scaled and/or nano-scaled fibril agglomerates. Such compositions show pleasant skin feel and comfort during and after application, as well as fast drying and fast absorption into skin. The compositions obtained are also particularly well suited for the topical delivery of cosmetic and pharmaceutical active substances into skin. Additionally, a method to obtain said personal care composition is disclosed.

Microparticles comprising carboxylated, sulfated, or phosphated cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) and pigment nanoparticles are provided. In these particles, the cellulose nanocrystals and the pigment nanoparticles are agglomerated together thereby forming said microparticle, and wherein the pigment nanoparticles are bound to the surface of the cellulose nanocrystals. Cosmetic preparations comprising these microparticles are also provided. Finally, a method for producing the microparticles is provided. The method comprises the steps of a) producing an aqueous suspension of carboxylated, sulfated, or phosphated CNCs with pigment nanoparticles bound thereto; and b) drying said aqueous suspension to produce the microparticles.

The present invention relates to the cosmetic use of a Bixa orellana extract for preventing and/or reducing sebum secretion and/or for preventing and/or reducing the unaesthetic and/or unpleasant and/or uncomfortable manifestations of sebum secretion. It also relates to a cosmetic care method, characterized in that it comprises the topical application to at least one area of skin, advantageously of the scalp, of a Bixa orellana extract for preventing and/or reducing sebum secretion and/or for preventing and/or reducing the unaesthetic and/or unpleasant and/or uncomfortable manifestations of sebum secretion. Finally, it relates to a Bixa orellana extract for use in the treatment and/or prevention of a pathological condition associated with sebum hyperproduction chosen from pathological hyperseborrhoea and seborrhoeic eczema and/or any combination thereof.

The invention relates to a method for obtaining ceramic spheres from aluminosilicates, comprising: dry-milling a percentage of the aluminosilicates and wet-milling the remaining percentage; mixing the aluminosilicates obtained from the dry- and wet-milling processes with a binding additive; granulating same; drying the resulting granules; sieving the resulting granules in order to separate same into sub-groups; and sintering the granules obtained at a temperature between 800° and 1500° C.

The present invention relates to a system for administering a poorly-soluble compound to the skin, the system being capable of exerting an excellent effect by stably impregnating the poorly-soluble compound and effectively delivering the poorly-soluble compound into the skin, and the present invention is technically characterized by a microneedle to which microparticles comprising a poorly-soluble compound are added. In addition, the present invention provides a method for administering a poorly-soluble compound to the skin, the method being characterized by using the microneedle.

A powder-containing composition contains from 0.5% by mass to 22% by mass of a first powder which is a nonspherical powder having a hydrophobic particle surface, from 6% by mass to 25% by mass of a liquid-state polyol, 50% by mass or greater of water, and from 3% by mass to 12% by mass of a liquid-state oily component. A content of a second powder which is a spherical powder is 1.5 parts by mass or less relative to 1 part by mass of the first powder. A content of a surfactant is 0.5% by mass or less relative to the mass of the powder-containing composition.