A cosmetic having excellent properties in transparency, spreadability, smoothness, skin compatibility and safety is prepared using a synthetic talc that is flake-like particles containing 2:1-type laminar crystals of silicate which have a basic structure of an octahedron sheet sandwiched between two tetrahedron sheets. The flake-like particle has a mean volume particle diameter of 0.5 to 100 μm, and 0.3° or less of half width at half maximum of peak present at 2θ equal to 9.4°±1° when measured by unoriented powder X-ray diffractometry (XRD) using CuKα rays, and the cosmetic is substantially free of Mg.sub.3Si.sub.2O.sub.5(OH).sub.4.

The invention relates to i) a multilayer material; ii) a process for preparing said multilayer materials; iii) a cosmetic composition comprising one or more multilayer materials; iv) a process for treating keratin materials, notably human keratin materials such as the skin; v) the use of multilayer material for screening out ultraviolet (UV) rays. Said multilayer material has an odd number N of layers: .square-solid.comprising at least three layers, each layer of which consists of a material A or of a material B different from A, said successive layers A and B being alternated and two adjacent layers having different refractive indices; .square-solid.for which the thickness of each layer obeys the mathematical formula (I) below: [x/y/(αx/y).sub.a/x] in which formula (I): x is the thickness of the inner and outer layer; y is the thickness of the layer adjacent to the inner layer αx or the outer layer x; α is an integer or fraction and α=2±0 to 15%, preferably α=2±0 to 10%, more preferentially α=2±0 to 5%, the intermediate odd layers (αx) have a double thickness±0 to 15% of the thickness of said outer layers x; and a represents an integer greater than or equal to 0, connected to the number of alternated layers N such that a=(N−3)/2; it being understood that: .square-solid.preferably, x has a different thickness from y; .square-solid.when several layers are of thickness x, this means that each layer has a thickness x±0 to 15%, preferably±0 to 10%, more preferentially±0 to 5%; .square-solid.when several layers are of thickness y, this means that each layer has a thickness y±0 to 15%, preferably±0 to 10%, more preferentially±0 to 5%; and .square-solid.when several layers are of thickness α x, this means that each layer has a thickness α x±0 to 15%, preferably±0 to 10%, more preferentially±0 to 5%.

Disclosed are skin care compositions containing refractive polymeric particles. The composition improves the appearance of skin but reducing gloss without a noticeable presence on the skin surface.

An inorganic, non-quarter wave, heterogeneous multilayer effect pigment includes a platy substrate comprising an absorbing optically active metal oxide layer thereon, having an optical thickness from about 20 nm to about 400 nm; a layer of low refractive index material on the absorbing optically active metal oxide layer and having an optical thickness from about 10 nm to about 500 nm; and an outermost optically active layer of a non-absorbing high refractive index material on the low refractive index material and having an optical thickness from about 50 nm to about 1000 nm. The multilayer effect pigment exhibits a blue reflectance ratio (BRR) of at least 3, according to the equation: BRR=(Blue Max)/(Green Min); where Blue Max is the maximum reflectance exhibited over wavelengths 380 nm to 450 nm; and Green Min is the minimum reflectance exhibited over wavelengths 450 nm to 600 nm.

The invention relates to an absorbent effect pigment including a nonmetallic substrate in platelet form and a coating applied thereto, wherein the coating includes at least one spacer layer. The invention further relates to a process for production of and to the use of the absorbent effect pigment.

The present invention relates to red effect pigments including a nonmetallic substrate in platelet form and a coating applied thereto, wherein the coating includes at least one of metal oxide, metal hydroxide or metal oxide hydrate, the metal ions of the metal oxide, metal hydroxide and/or metal oxide hydrate comprise at least two different metal ions selected from the group of metals consisting of Fe, Sn, Ti and Zr, and to a process for production thereof and to the use of the red effect pigments.

A dentifrice composition comprising an orally acceptable vehicle having distributed therein a water hydratable film flakes having a matrix comprised of a water soluble hydroxy alkyl cellulose polymer and a starch, and flaying entrained therein a constituent selected from therapeutic cosmetic and decorative materials.

A subject matter of the present invention is a composition comprising: a) at least multilayer spherical composite particles comprising i) a core comprising at least one material A having a refractive index ranging from 1.3 to 1.8; and ii) at least one layer covering said core, comprising at least one material B having a refractive index ranging from 1.9 to 3.1; and iii) optionally at least one second layer covering the material B, comprising at least one material C having a refractive index ranging from 1.3 to 1.8; said composite particles being present in an amount less than 28.0% by weight relative to the total weight of the composition; and b) at least one UV-screening agent.

This composition is for topical use and is more particularly intended for the photoprotection of the skin and/or hair against ultraviolet (UV) radiation.

A colored metallic pigment according to the present invention is a colored metallic pigment including at least a metallic pigment, an amorphous silicon oxide film layer formed on a surface of the metallic pigment, a metallic-particle-supporting layer formed on a surface of the amorphous silicon oxide film layer, and metallic particles formed on a surface of the metallic-particle-supporting layer, characterized in that the metallic-particle-supporting layer is formed of one or both of a metal layer and a metal oxide layer composed of a metal oxide other than silicon oxide, the metallic particles are formed to directly cover a part of the surface of the metallic-particle-supporting layer, and the amorphous silicon oxide film layer has a thickness of more than 500 nm.

A photoelectric conversion device includes: a wavelength converting region that absorbs ambient light to generate electrons and holes, and recombines the generated electrons and holes to generate monochromatic light; and a photoelectric conversion region that has a p-n junction or p-i-n junction, absorbs the monochromatic light generated in the wavelength converting region to generate electrons and holes, and separates and moves the electrons and holes generated by absorption of the monochromatic light. The wavelength converting region includes: a carrier generating region that generates the electrons and holes; a light emitting region that generates the monochromatic light; and a carrier selective transfer region that is disposed between the carrier generating region and the light emitting region and that, of the electrons and holes generated in the carrier generating region, moves those electrons and holes having specific energies difference there between to the light emitting region.