This invention relates to cosmetics in general and more particularly to a product incorporating a cosmetic component supported in a fibrillated polymer matrix.
Cosmetics have been used since early times to beautify the skin and hair. The manufacture of cosmetics is a 20th century development under the influence of Hollywood in the 1920's coupled with the development of mass production and mass marketing techniques. As a consequence, cosmetics were offered to the public at cheap prices. As one can ascertain, the cosmetic industry today is huge and there are a tremendous number of products utilized.
While most cosmetics are relatively simple, they contain many ingredients which are employed to formulate the various cosmetic preparations. Essentially a cosmetic chemist uses a variety of materials which are often based on emulsified mixtures of oils, water or water soluble products, pigments, talcs and so on.
Manufacturing processes of cosmetics can normally be divided into three main lines, as lipsticks and related sticks, creams and lotions, and compressed powders, as for example cake makeup. This application relates to compressed powder type of cosmetics, but is applicable to other cosmetic products as well.
In the prior art compressed powders were also referred to as cake makeup and are widely employed because of their ease of application and stability and also because they adhere to the skin easily. The most well known is a compressed face powder which usually is made from a mixture of talc, kaolin, zinc oxide and precipitated chalk. It also includes lanolin derivatives, wax and pigment such as titanium and iron oxides. The liquid constituents, including a humectant and perfume are sprayed into the powder while it is in a ribbon mixer. The product is milled to make it homogeneous and left to stand to allow air that has been entrained to escape and then pressed by one or more stages employing pressures between 200-250 psi to form a cake.
Cake eye shadows contain about 60% talc and an emollient which is a skin softening agent which allows the cake to be transferred by pressing out. Approved pigments are also added as, for example, a black coloration being provided by carbon black. Eye shadows of a metallic luster use finely ground metal such as aluminum or natural or synthetic pearlized materials. The formulation of such cosmetic products comprises a great deal of material including fairly extensive labor processes as well as other time consuming operations.
It is indicated that the dispersion of pigments in cosmetics may require different materials as above indicated and many different steps in order to provide the final product. These steps usually take an extreme amount of time and are labor and capital intensive.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a simple and efficient cosmetic which essentially contains a cosmetic component as a pigment supported by a polymer matrix.
As one will ascertain from the prior art, certain polymers, such as, for example, Teflon, possess the somewhat unique property in that they are fibrillatable. The use of fibrillatable polymers is well known in the prior art. Such polymers have been employed to support various elements with which said polymers are relatively non-reactive and readily capable of being dispersed therewith. Fluorocarbon and polypropylene polymers have such suitable characteristics and are capable of being fibrillated. As will be further explained, the term fibrillation means that the molecular structures of such polymers, when exposed to pressure and/or heat, e.g., high shear or milling, are disrupted and produce fibrils or minute fibers. These fibers are minute particles which are developed, in situ, from the fibrillatable polymers during processing. As such the fibrils intermesh in matrix-like configurations, whereupon they can be used with other components to provide various products.
For examples of prior art techniques using fibrillatable polymers, reference is made to the following U.S. patents. See U.S. Pat. No. 4,332,698 issued on June 1, 1982 and entitled "Catalyst Sheet And Preparation" by P. Bernstein, et al. This patent shows techniques employing fibrillatable polymers. U.S. Pat. No. 4,358,396 issued on Nov. 9, 1982 and entitled "Particulate Catalyst And Preparation" to P. Bernstein, et al. shows additional techniques. See U.S. Pat. No. 4,396,693 issued on Aug. 2, 1983 and entitled "Production Of A Cell Electrode System" by P. Bernstein, et al. See U.S. Pat. No. 4,433,063 issued on Feb. 21, 1984 and entitled "Hydrogen Sorbent Composition" by P. Bernstein, et al.
As indicated, the above patents are some examples of the use of fibrillatable materials which operate in conjunction with various compositions.
In any event, it has been determined that the use of a fibrillatable polymer, in conjunction with a cosmetic pigment, produces a vastly improved cosmetic article or product which exhibits extremely desirable characteristics, such as enhanced water resistance, a smooth silky feeling when applied to the skin of the user, extreme sheen, nonabrasiveness and an overall superiority to prior art products as indicated hereinabove.