in one embodiment , the present invention provides methods of improving the aesthetics of a personal care composition which contains a hydrophobic active , comprising combining the hydrophobic active with a surfactant and a first interfacially polymerizable component to form an oil phase , and then reacting the first interfacially polymerizable component with a complementary interfacially polymerizable component , thereby encapsulating the hydrophobic active in a polymer shell . preferred interfacially polymerizable components include diamine and diacid chloride ( to form polyamide ), diamine and di / polysulfonyl chlorides ( to form polysulfonamide ), di / polyol and polyacid chlorides or dicarboxylic acid ( to form polyester ), di / polyol and polychloroformates or phosgene ( to form polycarbonate ), isocyanate and diol ( to form polyurethane ), or diamine and isocyanate ( to form polyurea ). particularly preferred interfacially polymerizable components include diamine and isocyanate . thus , in one embodiment , the present invention provides methods of improving the aesthetics of a personal care composition which contains a hydrophobic active , comprising combining the hydrophobic active with a surfactant and an isocyanate to form an oil phase , and then reacting the isocyanate with an amine , thereby encapsulating the hydrophobic active in a polyurea shell . “ aesthetics ” refers to sensory perceptions , such as appearance , scent , and tactile properties . in one embodiment , the personal care compositions produced by the methods of the present invention demonstrate improved ease of spread and adsorption onto skin . in one embodiment , the personal care compositions produced by the methods of the present invention demonstrate reduced tackiness and greasiness . in one embodiment , the personal care compositions produced by the methods of the present invention demonstrate improved ease of spread , improved adsorption onto skin , reduced tackiness , and reduced greasiness . “ personal care ” relates to compositions to be topically applied to a person ( including mouth , ear , and nasal cavities , but not ingested ). examples of personal care compositions include skin care products ( e . g ., facial cream , moisturizers , leave on and rinse off lotions , sunscreens , foundation , mascara , eye - liner , lipstick , and the like ), oral care products ( such as toothpastes and rinses ), nail care products ( such as polish and conditioners ), and hair care products ( including leave on and rinse off conditioners , styling gels and hairsprays ). “ hydrophobic ,” for purposes of this disclosure , refers to a component that is more soluble in dodecane than in water . such components generally have a log octanol / water partition coefficient greater than 1 . examples may be found in the crc handbook of chemistry & amp ; physics , edited by d . r . linde , crc press , florida , 74th ed . ( 1993 - 94 ), sec . 16 , page 24 et seq . for purposes of this specification , “ actives ” for personal care refers to any component that imparts a primary personal care benefit to a user , as opposed to solely facilitating creation of the formulation itself . thus , for example , water is not an active . examples of personal care actives include typical actives for skin care products ( e . g ., facial cream , moisturizers , leave on and rinse off lotions , sunscreens , foundation , mascara , eye - liner , lipstick , and the like ), oral care products ( such as toothpastes and rinses ), nail care products ( such as polish and conditioners ), and hair care products ( including leave on and rinse off conditioners , styling gels and hairsprays ). the actives should be cosmetically acceptable . “ cosmetically acceptable ” refers to ingredients typically used in personal care compositions , and is intended to underscore that materials that are toxic when present in the amounts typically found in personal care compositions are not contemplated as part of the present invention . in one embodiment , the hydrophobic active is a moisturizer , emollient , sunscreen , conditioner , vitamin , dye , flavor , or fragrance . in a preferred embodiment , the hydrophobic active is a sunscreen . examples of sunscreens include paraminobenzoic acid , avobenzone , cinoxate , dioxybenzone , homosalate , menthyl anthranilate , octocrylene , octyl methoxycinnamate , octyl salicylate , oxybenzone , padimate o , phenylbenzimidazole sulfonic acid , sulisobenzone , trolamine salicylate , titanium dioxide and zinc oxide , diethanolamine methoxycinnamate , digalloy trioleate , ethyl dihydroxypropyl paba , glyceryl aminobenzoate , lawsone with dihydroxy acetone , and red petrolatum . preferably , the hydrophobic active is octyl methoxycinnamate . other examples of actives include antibacterial compounds ( e . g . triclosan ) in toothpaste , polyphenols , flavinoids and isoflavinoids , coenzyme q10 and derivatives thereof , carotene and derivatives thereof , salicylic acid and derivatives thereof , dehydroepiandrosterone ( dhea ), hydrophobic polysaccharides , proteins , including enzymes and peptides , and botanicals . vitamins include vitamin a and esters thereof , vitamin d and derivatives thereof , vitamins b3 and b5 and derivatives thereof , vitamin e and esters thereof , vitamin f and derivatives thereof , and vitamin k . dyes include liposoluble dyes , such as sudan red , dc red 17 , dc green 6 , β - carotene , soybean oil , sudan brown , dc yellow 11 , dc violet 2 , dc orange 5 , and quinoline yellow . flavors include flavor oils , such as peppermint , wintergreen , citrus , fruit , vanilla , and cinnamon . most flavors are hydrophobic , and thus contemplated . fragrances include any component which provides a pleasant scent . examples include scents that are floral , ambery , woody , leather , chypre , fougère , musk , vanilla , fruit , and / or citrus . fragrances are often oils obtained by extraction of natural substances or synthetically produced . in one embodiment , the fragrance is one of the essential oils . in one embodiment , the isocyanate is at least one of diphenylmethane diisocyanate ( mdi ), polymeric mdi , polymethylene polyphenyl isocyanate ( papi ), toluene diisocyanate ( tdi ), isophorone diisocyanate ( ipdi ), 1 , 4 - phenylene diisocyanate , or hexamethylene diisocyanate ( hdi ). in a preferred embodiment , the isocyanate is papi 27 polymethylene polyphenyl isocyanate that contains mdi , available from the dow chemical company . in one embodiment , the surfactant is an anionic , nonionic , or cationic surfactant , provided that it does not react with isocyanate . in one embodiment , the surfactant is a mixture of surfactants . in one embodiment , the surfactant is a nonionic surfactant , preferably polyoxyethylene lauryl ether . in one embodiment , the method further comprises emulsifying the oil phase . in one embodiment , the method further comprises emulsifying the oil phase with water . in one embodiment , the method further comprises emulsifying the oil phase with water and a preservative . the oil phase is emulsified under shear . it should be understood that in embodiments where water is present , the amine can result from conversion of some isocyanate to amine upon contact with water . alternatively , in a preferred embodiment , the amine is a separately added component . in one embodiment , the amine is first combined with water . thus , in one embodiment , the step of reacting the isocyanate with an amine includes first combining an amine with water and then adding this mixture to the emulsion incrementally with mixing . in one embodiment , the amine is a multifunctional amine . preferably , the amine is ethylene diamine . the amount of isocyanate depends upon the desired encapsulated particle size and shell thickness , which can be determined from the following formulae : v s is the volume attributable to the shell ( volume of isocyanate plus a stoichiometric amount of amine ( if the amine is a separately added component )); v c is the core volume attributable to the oil phase ; d mean is volume average particle size ( measured by light scattering ); and preferably , for particles less than 4 μm , a shell thickness of greater than 10 nm is required . preferably , for particles greater than 10 μm , a shell thickness of greater than 100 nm is required . in another embodiment , the present invention provides methods of improving the aesthetics of a personal care composition which contains a hydrophobic active , comprising combining the hydrophobic active with a surfactant and an isocyanate to form an oil phase , emulsifying the oil phase with water , combining a multifunctional amine with water , and reacting the isocyanate with the amine , thereby encapsulating the hydrophobic active in a polyurea shell . in yet another embodiment , the present invention provides methods of improving ease of spread , improving adsorption onto skin , reducing tackiness , and reducing greasiness of a personal care composition which contains a hydrophobic active , comprising combining the hydrophobic active with a surfactant and an isocyanate to form an oil phase , emulsifying the oil phase with water , combining a multifunctional amine with water , and reacting the isocyanate with the amine by adding the amine and water mixture to the emulsion incrementally with mixing , thereby encapsulating the hydrophobic active in a polyurea shell . other optional ingredients for personal care compositions of the present invention include cosmetically acceptable emollients , sunscreens , surfactants , emulsifiers , preservatives , rheology modifiers , colorants , preservatives , ph adjustors , propellants , reducing agents , fragrances , foaming agents , tanning agents , depilatory agents , flavors , astringents , antiseptics , deodorants , antiperspirants , insect repellants , bleaches , lighteners , anti - dandruff agents , adhesives , polishes , strengtheners , fillers , barrier materials , or biocides . the moisturizers include 2 - pyrrolidone - 5 - carboxylic acid and its salts and esters , alkyl glucose alkoxylates or their esters , fatty alcohols , fatty esters , glycols and , in particular , methyl glucose ethoxylates or propoxylates and their stearate esters , isopropyl myristate , lanolin or cetyl alcohols , aloe , silicones , propylene glycol , glycerol and sorbitol . conditioners include stearalkonium chloride , dicetyldimonium chloride , lauryl methyl gluceth - 10 hydroxypropyldimonium chloride , and conditioning polymers such as polyquaternium - 10 , polyquaternium - 24 and chitosan and derivatives thereof . examples of oils include hydrocarbon - based oils of animal origin , such as squalene , hydrocarbon - based oils of plant origin , such as liquid triglycerides of fatty acids comprising from 4 to 10 carbon atoms , for instance heptanoic or octanoic acid triglycerides , or alternatively , oils of plant origin , for example sunflower oil , corn oil , soybean oil , marrow oil , grapeseed oil , sesame seed oil , hazelnut oil , apricot oil , macadamia oil , arara oil , coriander oil , castor oil , avocado oil , jojoba oil , shea butter oil , or caprylic / capric acid triglycerides , miglyol 810 , 812 and 818 ( from dynamit nobel ), synthetic esters and ethers , especially of fatty acids , for instance the oils of formulae r 1 coor 2 and r 1 or 2 in which r 1 represents a fatty acid residue comprising from 8 to 29 carbon atoms and r 2 represents a branched or unbranched hydrocarbon - based chain comprising from 3 to 30 carbon atoms , for instance purcellin oil , isononyl isononanoate , isopropyl myristate , 2 - ethylhexyl palmitate , 2 - octyldodecyl stearate , 2 - octyldodecyl erucate or isostearyl isostearate , hydroxylated esters , for instance isostearyl lactate , octyl hydroxystearate , octyldodecyl hydroxystearate , diisostearyl malate , triisocetyl citrate and fatty alcohol heptanoates , octanoates and decanoates , polyol esters , for instance propylene glycol dioctanoate , neopentyl glycol diheptanoate and diethylene glycol diisononanoate , pentaerythritol esters , for instance pentaerythrityl tetraisostearate , lipophilic derivatives of amino acids , such as isopropyl lauroyl sarcosinate , such as is sold under the name eldew sl 205 ( from ajinomoto ), linear or branched hydrocarbons of mineral or synthetic origin , such as mineral oils ( mixtures of petroleum - derived hydrocarbon - based oils ), volatile or non - volatile liquid paraffins , and derivatives thereof , petroleum jelly , polydecenes , isohexadecane , isododecane , hydrogenated isoparaffin ( or polyisobutene ), silicone oils , for instance volatile or non - volatile polymethylsiloxanes ( pdms ) comprising a linear or cyclic silicone chain , which are liquid or pasty at room temperature , especially cyclopolydimethylsiloxanes ( cyclomethicones ) such as cyclopentasiloxane and cyclohexadimethylsiloxane , polydimethylsiloxanes comprising alkyl , alkoxy or phenyl groups , which are pendent or at the end of a silicone chain , these groups comprising from 2 to 24 carbon atoms , phenyl silicones , for instance phenyl trimethicones , phenyl dimethicones , phenyltrimethylsiloxydiphenylsiloxanes , diphenyl dimethicones , diphenylmethyldiphenyltrisiloxanes 2 - phenylethyltrimethyl siloxysilicates and polymethylphenylsiloxanes , fluoro oils such as partially hydrocarbon - based and / or partially silicone - based fluoro oils , ethers such as dicaprylyl ether ( ctfa name : dicaprylyl ether ), and c 12 - c 15 fatty alcohol benzoates ( finsolv tn from finetex ), mixtures thereof . oils include mineral oil , lanolin oil , coconut oil and derivatives thereof , cocoa butter , olive oil , almond oil , macadamia nut oil , aloe extracts such as aloe vera lipoquinone , jojoba oils , safflower oil , corn oil , liquid lanolin , cottonseed oil , peanut oil , hydrogenated vegetable oil , squalane , castor oil , polybutene , sweet almond oil , avocado oil , calophyllum oil , ricin oil , vitamin e acetate , olive oil , silicone oils such as dimethylopolysiloxane and cyclomethicone , linolenic alcohol , oleyl alcohol , and the oil of cereal germs . other suitable emollients include dicaprylyl ether , c 12 - 15 alkyl benzoate , dc 200 fluid 350 silicone fluid ( from dow corning corp . ), isopropyl palmitate , octyl palmitate , isopropyl myristate , hexadecyl stearate , butyl stearate , decyl oleate , acetyl glycerides , the octanoates and benzoates of c 12 - 15 alcohols , the octanoates and decanoates of alcohols and polyalcohols such as those of glycol and glyceryl , ricinoleates esters such as isopropyl adipate , hexyl laurate and octyl dodecanoate , dicaprylyl maleate , phenyltrimethicone , and aloe vera extract . solid or semi - solid cosmetic emollients include glyceryl dilaurate , hydrogenated lanolin , hydroxylated lanolin , acetylated lanolin , petrolatum , isopropyl lanolate , butyl myristate , cetyl myristate , myristyl myristate , myristyl lactate , cetyl alcohol , isostearyl alcohol and isocetyl lanolate . in some embodiments , the personal care composition further comprises an optional rheology modifier as a thickener . examples of thickeners include polymers , for example , modified or unmodified carboxyvinyl polymers , such as the products sold under the names carbopol and pemulen ( inci name : acrylates / c 10 - 30 alkyl acrylate crosspolymer ; available from noveon ), polyacrylates and polymethacrylates , such as the products sold under the names lubrajel and norgel ( from guardian ) or hispagel ( from hispano chimica ), polyacrylamides , 2 - acrylamido - 2 - methylpropanesulfonic acid polymers and polymers , which are optionally crosslinked and / or neutralized , for instance the poly ( 2 - acrylamido - 2 - methylpropane - sulfonic acid ) sold by clariant ( inci name : ammonium polyacryldimethyltauramide ), emulsified crosslinked anionic polymers of acrylamide and amps , such as those sold under the name sepigel 305 ( inci name : polyacrylamide / c13 - 14 isoparaffin / laureth - 7 ; from seppic ) and under the name simulgel 600 ( inci name : acrylamide / sodium acryloyldimethyltaurate polymer / isohexadecane / polysorbate 80 ; from seppic ), polysaccharide biopolymers , for instance xanthan gum , guar gum , carob gum , acacia gum , scleroglucans , chitin and chitosan derivatives , carrageenans , gellans , alginates , celluloses such as microcrystalline cellulose , carboxymethylcellulose , hydroxymethylcellulose and hydroxypropylcellulose , associative polymers , for instance associative polyurethanes , polymers comprising at least two hydrocarbon - based lipophilic chains comprising from 6 to 30 carbon atoms , separated with a hydrophilic sequence , such as the polyurethanes sold under the names serad fx1010 , serad fx1100 and serad fx1035 ( from hüls america ), rheolate 255 , rheolate 278 and rheolate 244 ( inci name : polyether - urea - polyurethane ; from rheox ), dw 1206f , dw 1206j , dw 1206b , dw 1206g , and acrysol rm 2020 ( from röhm & amp ; haas ). colorants include pigments , which are used especially in make - up , including metal oxide pigments , titanium dioxide , optionally surface - treated , zirconium oxide or cerium oxide , zinc oxide , iron oxide ( black , yellow or red ), chromium oxide , manganese violet , ultramarine blue , chromium hydrate and ferric blue , carbon black , pigments of barium , strontium , calcium or aluminum ( for example d & amp ; c or fd & amp ; c ), cochineal carmine , mica coated with titanium or with bismuth oxychloride , titanium mica with iron oxides , titanium mica with , especially , ferric blue or chromium oxide , titanium mica with an organic pigment , nacreous pigments based on bismuth oxychloride , goniochromatic pigments , for example pigments with a multilayer interference structure , reflective pigments , for example particles with a silver - coated glass substrate , glass substrate coated with nickel / chromium / molybdenum alloy , glass substrate coated with brown iron oxide , particles comprising a stack of at least two polymer layers , for instance mirror glitter ( from 3m ). dyes include water - soluble dyes such as copper sulfate , iron sulfate , water - soluble sulfopolyesters , rhodamines , natural dyes , for instance carotene and beetroot juice , methylene blue , caramel , the disodium salt of tartrazine and the disodium salt of fuschin , and mixtures thereof . liposoluble dyes from the list above may also optionally be used . preservatives include alcohols , aldehydes , methylchloroisothiazolinone and methylisothiazolinone , p - hydroxybenzoates , and in particular methylparaben , propylparaben , glutaraldehyde and ethyl alcohol . the ph adjustors , include inorganic and organic acids and bases and in particular aqueous ammonia , citric acid , phosphoric acid , acetic acid , and sodium hydroxide . fragrances may be aldehydes , ketones , or oils obtained by extraction of natural substances or synthetically produced as described above . often , fragrances are accompanied by auxiliary materials , such as fixatives , extenders , stabilizers and solvents . biocides include antimicrobials , bactericides , fungicides , algaecides , mildicides , disinfectants , antiseptics , and insecticides . the amount of optional ingredients effective for achieving the desired property provided by such ingredients can be readily determined by one skilled in the art . the following examples are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention . all percentages are by weight unless otherwise specified . exemplary encapsulated hydrophobic actives of the present invention contain the components recited in table 1 . the a components are mixed . the b component is emulsified , for example , using a silverson model l4rta with a 2¼ inch high shear emulsification head . a is slowly added to b while mixing , for example , at 1000 - 1500 rpm . the mixing speed is then increased until the droplet size is about 0 . 5 microns less than desired final particle size , this speed hereinafter referred to as “ the desired - droplet - rate .” then , c is added dropwise at a mixing speed 1000 - 2000 rpm below the desired - droplet - rate (“ the c - mixing - rate ”). the mixing speed is then lowered again to a relatively slow speed , and the mixture is stirred for 3 - 4 minutes , after which the mixing speed is increased back to the c - mixing - rate , and d , e , and f are added . afterwards , the mixture is stirred for 3 - 4 minutes , this composition comprising omc particles encapsulated with an interfacially polymerized shell . an exemplary sunscreen base contains the components recited in table 2 . a is combined and placed in an oven at about 80 ° c . until the solid ingredients have dissolved . then , a is removed from the oven and cooled to below about 40 ° c . b is combined , and then a and b are combined , preferably homogenized , such as by using an ika mixer . formulations made substantially according to the protocols described above in examples 1 and 2 were made and combined as recited in table 3 , along with a comparative component , to afford sunscreen compositions : ten panelists applied 0 . 05 g of each sample to a designated area on their right or left forearms . initially , each sample was evaluated for ease of spread , adsorption onto skin , slip , tackiness , greasiness , moist feel , and overall skin feel , and then again after one hour for moist feel , greasiness , skin smoothness , and skin softness , and overall skin feel . the evaluation scale was 0 - 10 , with 10 being the best . for these criteria , the sample according to the present invention ( batch 4 ) performed as well or better than the comparative sample ( batch 3 ) with the exception of initial moist feel , as shown in table 4 . in addition , when asked to rank the samples as better , worse , or the same , instead of using numbers , the panelists collectively found that the sample according to the present invention ( batch 4 ) performed as well or better than the comparative sample ( batch 3 , hereinafter , control ) in all categories , as shown in table 5 ( numbers indicate number of panelists ranking the sample in the category ). it is understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments specifically disclosed and exemplified herein . various modifications of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art . such changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the appended claims . moreover , each recited range includes all combinations and subcombinations of ranges , as well as specific numerals contained therein . additionally , the disclosures of each patent , patent application , and publication cited or described in this document are hereby incorporated herein by reference , in their entireties .
the present invention provides personal care compositions , as well as methods for protecting low viscosity hydrophobic liquid actives .