FRAGRANT NAIL POLISH

Abstract

The present invention provides a fragrant nail polish. The fragrant nail polish is made fragrant by essential oil. The film-former, solvents and resins in the polish are stabilised by stabilising agents.

Claims

1. A stable cosmetic nail polish comprising a homogeneous mixture of one or more solvents, one or more resins, one or more film formers, one or more essential oils and one or more of the stabilising agents stearalkonium bentonite and stearalkonium hectorite.

2. The nail polish according to claim 1, wherein the one or more solvents comprise 20 to 60% w/w of the nail polish.

3. The nail polish according to claim 1, wherein there are 1 to 7 solvents.

4. The nail polish according to claim 1, wherein the one or more film formers comprise 10 to 45% w/w of the nail polish.

5. The nail polish according to claim 1, wherein the nail polish further comprises one or more plasticisers.

6. The nail polish according to claim 5 wherein the one or more plasticisers is 1 to 5% w/w of the nail polish.

7. A stable cosmetic nail polish comprising a homogeneous mixture of one or more solvents, one or more resins, one or more film formers, one or more essential oils and one or more of the stabilising agents stearalkonium bentonite and stearalkonium hectorite, wherein the nail polish comprises: 10-30% ethyl acetate; 10-30% butyl acetate; and 10-30% nitrocellulose.

8. The nail polish according to claim 7, wherein the stabilising agent is about 1% w/w or less of the nail polish.

9. The nail polish according to claim 7, wherein the nail polish comprises up to about 10% w/w essential oil.

10. The nail polish according to claim 7, wherein the nail polish comprises 2 to 6% w/w essential oil.

11. The nail polish according to claim 7, wherein following application of the nail polish to a nail and hardening of the nail polish, the nail polish retains an aroma from the essential oil.

12. The nail polish according to claim 11, wherein the nail polish retains an aroma from the essential oil for at least 24 hours following application of the nail polish to a nail and hardening of the nail polish.

13. The nail polish according to claim 11, wherein the nail polish retains an aroma following application of the nail polish to a nail and hardening of the nail polish despite ordinary water contact.

14. The nail polish according to claim 7, wherein the nail polish is stable following 12 months storage at 25° C.

15. A stable cosmetic nail polish comprising a homogeneous mixture of: 10-30% ethyl acetate 10-30% butyl acetate 10-30% nitrocellulose up to 1% stearalkonium bentonite 2-10% w/w essential oil.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0048] It will be understood that various terms employed in the specification, examples and claims have meanings that will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. However, certain terms are defined below.

[0049] As used herein, except where the context requires otherwise, the term “comprise” and variations of the term, such as “comprising”, “comprises” and “comprised”, are not intended to exclude further additives, components, integers or steps.

[0050] The term “natural ingredient” as used throughout the specification is understood to mean an ingredient from a natural source (eg a plant) that has only been subject to physical processing without chemical reaction, for example, the ingredient may have been washed, distilled, ground, separated and/or concentrated by physical means to produce material that is identifiable in the original source material.

[0051] The term “certified organic” as used throughout the specification is understood to mean certified under the Australian Certified Organic Standard, the United States Department of Agriculture's National Organic Program (NOP), the European Ecocert Organic Standard or a similar standard authorised by another country or region.

[0052] The term “cosmetic standard(s)” as used throughout the specification is understood to mean ingredients that meet the Australian National Industrial Chemicals Notification and Assessment Scheme (NICNAS) standards, the standards of the European Commission on cosmetic substances and ingredients as set out in the CosIng database, the standards set by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on cosmetics and personal care products or a similar standard authorised by another country or region.

[0053] The phrase “cosmetic nail polish” as used throughout the specification means a non-medical nail polish that, when applied to a nail, does not damage the nail and a nail polish that has the properties of a cosmetic nail polish, that is, even distribution, good hardness etc.

[0054] The term “aroma” as used throughout the specification is understood to mean an aroma that can be smelt from at least 10 cm from the nose.

[0055] The term “essential oil” as used through the specification is understood to mean a concentration of the volatile aromatic compounds of one or more plants. Essential oils generally contain one or more terpenes, esters, aldehydes, ketones, alcohols, phenols and oxides. Essential oils are not technically oils as they are not composed of lipids. The essential oil can be from plant leaves or flowers etc. Essential oils are different to carrier oils, which are lipids that are generally pressed from the fatty portions of plants, for example, seeds. In aromatherapy, essential oils are diluted into carrier oils before application to the skin. Generally, essential oils are used for scent or therapeutic effect and carrier oils for their moisturising properties.

[0056] The term “therapeutic grade essential oil” as used throughout the specification is understood to mean an essential oil that meets the requirements for International Standards Organization (ISO) certification, in other words, the essential oil meets the ISO adopted standards prepared by The Association French Normalization Organization Regulation (AFNOR standards) for certification for essential oils.

[0057] Some conventional nail polish ingredients are toxic and/or irritants. There has been a shift in the market towards avoiding certain ingredients by the formulation of either “3-free” or “5-free” formulas. A 3-free formula does not contain toluene, formaldehyde or dibutyl phthalate (DBP). A 5-free formula does not contain toluene, formaldehyde, DBP, formaldehyde resin or camphor.

[0058] The solvent(s) function to maintain the nail polish as a liquid until application of the nail polish to a nail. Upon application of the nail polish to a nail the solvents volatilize allowing the nail polish film formers to harden. A nail polish may have one or more main solvents and a number of minor solvents. Combinations of 3 or more solvents are preferred because when multiple solvents are used each solvent is less likely to interact poorly with the essential oil resulting in instability in the formulation.

[0059] A suitable UV inhibitor is benzophenone. A suitable buffering agent is phosphoric acid. A suitable thickening agent is silica.

[0060] The nail polish of the invention may be coloured or transparent, eg, a clear top or base coat. When the nail polish is coloured, the nail polish further comprises one or more colours and/or colour effects such as shimmer, pearlescent, glitter, metallic, high luster, mattifying or opacifying effects.

[0061] Other suitable ingredients will be evident to a nail polish formulator.

[0062] In one embodiment, the nail polish comprises: [0063] 20-60% w/w solvent [0064] 10-45% w/w film former [0065] up to 1% w/w stabilising agent [0066] 2-10% w/w essential oil

[0067] Preferably, the above embodiment has 2-6%, 2-5% or 3-5% w/w essential oil.

[0068] In another embodiment, the nail polish comprises: [0069] 10-30% ethyl acetate [0070] 10-30% butyl acetate [0071] 10-30% nitrocellulose [0072] 3-10% adipic acid/neopentyl glycol/trimellitic anhydride copolymer [0073] up to 1% stearalkonium bentonite [0074] 2-10% w/w essential oil

[0075] Preferably, the above embodiment has 2-6%, 2-5% or 3-5% w/w essential oil.

[0076] Traditional essential Oils are aromatic oils extracted from plant materials such as flowers, leaves, bark, roots, and tree resins. There are many different ways to extract essential oils from plants including, for example steam distillation, solvent extraction, and carbon dioxide extraction (super critical fluid extraction).

[0077] Solvent extraction is the method most commonly used by the perfume industry but solvent extraction does not produce therapeutic grade essential oils. Solvents such as hexane, acetone etc are used in the process increasing the impurity levels in the essential oil.

[0078] Distilling essential oils by steam distillation can be accomplished three different ways. They are: [0079] Water Distillation; [0080] Water/Steam Distillation; and [0081] Straight Steam.

[0082] Water distillation involves placing the plant material in boiling water, capturing the water and separating out the essential oil. Water/Steam Distillation includes pushing steam and water around and though the plant material, then capturing the water and steam and separating out the essential oil. The straight Steam Distillation Method involves pushing steam through the plant material and then collecting the essential oil from the steam. In all methods, steam is used to rupture the oil membranes in the plant and release the volatile essential oil. The steam carries the essential oil to a condenser and then as the steam re-liquefies the lighter essential oil floats on top of the water.

[0083] Preferably, the essential oils are made from over 90% natural ingredients, more preferably 100% natural ingredients. The essential oils may be certified organic.

[0084] There are therapeutic grades of essential oils. Only essential oils prepared by steam distillation or cold expression can be therapeutic grade. There are also purity requirements for therapeutic grade essential oils. These requirements are set out by International Standards Organization (ISO), which adopted the standard prepared by The Association French Normalization Organization Regulation (AFNOR standards) for certification for essential oils. ISO certification indicates an essential oil has the chemical constituents supposed to be in a therapeutic grade of that essential oil. The temperature, pressure and equipment used in preparation of the essential oil all affect the quality of the oil and whether or not it will meet ISO certification standards.

[0085] Some non-therapeutic grade essential oils contain contaminants that result in chemical instability in a nail polish, for example, contaminants can cause discolouration of the polish or result in physical instability, for example, separation from the polish. Thus, it is preferred for the essential oil to be therapeutic grade according to the ISO standards.

[0086] The fragrance of many essential oils is known to have a calming and/or uplifting effect on the body and mood.

[0087] Suitable essential oils include peppermint oil, ylang ylang oil, lavender oil, lime oil, neroli oil, sweet orange oil, cedarwood atlas oil and combinations thereof. The essential oil is preferred to be natural and especially preferred to be certified organic. The essential oil may be therapeutic grade. The use of therapeutic grade essential oil does not necessarily make the nail polish therapeutic.

[0088] Essential oils are volatile ingredients and can degrade and/or evaporate if exposed to heat. It is recommended that the essential oil be the last ingredient added to the nail polish during formulation, after the formulation has cooled and after the colour (if any) is added. Before addition of the essential oil the nail polish is prepared by established methods known to nail polish formulators. One example of a common method of formulation involves combining 75% of the solvent, any buffer and any diluent and mixing; the film former is added while stirring; the remaining solvent is added; any plasticiser is added; the remaining ingredients are added; and continuously mixed until homogeneous. However, other methods of formulation will be known to nail polish formulators.

[0089] The examples that follow are intended to illustrate but in no way limit the present invention.

Example 1—Formulations

[0090] The following 5-free base nail polishes were prepared:

TABLE-US-00001 Ingredient Details CAS NO. FUNCTION % w/w ETHYL ACETATE  141-78-6 Solvent 10-30 BUTYL ACETATE  123-86-4 Solvent 10-30 NITROCELLULOSE  9004-70-0 Film Former 10-30 ADIPIC ACID/NEOPENTYL GLYCOL/TRIMELLITIC 28407-73-0 Film former  3-10 ANHYDRIDE COPOLYMER ACETYL TRIBUTYL CITRATE   77-90-7 Solvent  3-10 ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL   67-63-0 Solvent  3-10 STYRENE ACRYLATES COPOLYMER  9010-92-8 Film former <1 STEARALKONIUM BENTONITE 12691-60-0 Stabilising <1 agent/suspension agent N-BUTYL ALCOHOL   71-36-3 Solvent <1 ACRYLATES COPOLYMER 25035-69-2 Plasticiser 1-3 BENZOPHENONE 1  131-56-6 UV Inhibitor <1 POLYVINYL BUTYRAL 63148-65-2 Plasticiser <1 TRIMETHYL PENTANEDIYL DIBENZOATE 68052-23-3 Plasticiser <1 SILICA  7631-86-9 Thickening <1 agent POLYETHYLENE TEREPHTHALATE 25038-59-9 Colour Effect <1 ALUMINIUM HYDROXIDE 21645-51-2 Colour Effect <1 BIS 146277-66-9  Colour Effect <1 (GLYCIDOXYPHENYL)PROPANE/BISAMINOMETHYLN ORBONANE COPOLYMER DIETHYLAMINOMETHYLCOUMARIN 61791-47-7 Colour Effect <1 COCAMIDE DEA 68603-42-9 Colour Effect <1 CALCIUM ALUMINIUM BOROSILICATE 65997-17-3 Colour Effect <1 PHOSPORIC ACID  7664-38-2 Buffering 0.1-0.3 Agent MICA 12003-38-2 Colouring <1 Agent

[0091] The base polish is prepared by adding each ingredient listed above in the order listed above and mixing until homogeneous.

[0092] 3% w/w of lavender essential oil was added to the base polish and mixed until homogeneous with the base polish. 3% w/w of peppermint essential oil was added to the base polish for a different scent. Nail polish with 3% ylang ylang oil was also prepared and nail polish with 3% w/w “beautiful blend” (a mixture of lime, neroli, sweet orange, cedarwood atlas and ylang ylang). The essential oils used were certified organic and therapeutic grade. The fragrant nail polish is prepared in 15 ml bottles.

[0093] The stabilising agent stearalkonium bentonite was used in these formulations, however, stearalkonium hectorite is also expected to work.

Example 2—Stability Testing

[0094] Method:

[0095] 1. The nail polishes of Example 1 (ie a nail polish with 3% w/w lavender essential oil, another with 3% w/w peppermint essential oil, another with 3% w/w ylang ylang essential oil and another with 3% w/w “beautiful blend” (a mixture of lime, neroli, sweet orange, cedarwood atlas and ylang ylang essential oils) were prepared in 15 ml nail polish bottles. One sample of each essential oil blend was prepared per test temperature.

[0096] 2. A bottle of each fragrance was stored at each one of −5° C., 4° C., 25° C. and 45° C.

[0097] 3. Each sample was weighed and stored in a location without exposure to strong light.

[0098] 4. Each sample was re-weighed weekly and checked for any signs of drop out, sedimentation, precipitation, separation, syneresis or any other undesirable visual effects.

[0099] 5. Testing was continued for 12 months

[0100] Each nail polish tested was stable for at least one year, that is, after one year no sediment or discolouration was visible, the nail polish still met performance criteria for a cosmetic nail polish, such as appropriate setting time and hardness etc, and the nail polish could still be applied to a nail, allowed to harden and following hardening retained an aroma. The aroma lasted despite ordinary water contact.

[0101] Essential oils are prone to oxidation. The retention of the desired aroma from the essential oil after storage for 12 months in a nail polish formulation is particularly unexpected.

Example 3—Quantity of Essential Oil

[0102] The inventor of the present application has tested nail polish formulations that required 9%, 6%, 4.5% and 3% essential oil before the aroma of the essential oil could be detected. Without being bound by theory, it is thought that the difference in the required quantity of essential oil depends on the odour of the other ingredients of the nail polish. It is preferred for the nail polish ingredients other than the essential oil(s) to have low odour. This may be achieved by selecting low odour ingredients or by selecting high purity grades for ingredients as odour is sometimes caused by impurities.

Example 4—Retention of Aroma

[0103] The nail polish formulations prepared in Example 1 were applied to human fingernails and allowed to harden. It was confirmed that the nail polish retained an aroma following hardening. The aroma was retained for 24 hours to 7 days following hardening of the nail polish despite ordinary water contact, for example, showering and hand washing. Most commonly often the aroma was retained for 2 to 5 days.

[0104] Without wishing to be bound by theory, the difference in the length of the retention of the aroma from application of the same nail polish to different people is thought to relate to the quality of the human nail to which the nail polish is applied. For example, a thin porous nail is likely to absorb the essential oil from the nail polish and retain its aroma for a shorter period than a thick nail.

[0105] It will be understood that the invention disclosed and defined in this specification extends to all alternative combinations of two or more of the individual features mentioned or evident from the text or drawings. All of these different combinations constitute various alternative aspects of the invention.