WO2019041094A1

WO2019041094A1 - Conditioining composition and use

Info

Publication number: WO2019041094A1
Application number: PCT/CN2017/099290
Authority: WO
Inventors: Yizhou Wang
Original assignee: L'oreal
Priority date: 2017-08-28
Filing date: 2017-08-28
Publication date: 2019-03-07
Also published as: CN111050735A

Abstract

A composition for conditioning keratin fibres, especially hair, comprises an aqueous phase i) at least one specific cationic surfactant, ii) at least one cationic polymer with a charge density greater than 4 meq/g, iii) propanediol, and iv) at least one oxyalkylenated glycerol ester. The composition is silicone free, and at least capable of delivering conditioning effects like smoothness, suppleness and wet combing on a par with silicone-containing ones but without greasiness or stickiness.

Description

CONDITIOINING COMPOSITION AND USE

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to the cosmetic field， specifically， to silicone free conditioning compositions. Further， the present invention relates to use of same compositions.

BACKGROUND ART

In order to improve the cosmetic properties of the compositions for application to sensitized hair， i.e.， hair which is damaged or weakened， in particular through the chemical action of environmental agents and/or of hair treatments such as permanent-waving， dyeing or bleaching， it is known to introduce into these compositions conditioning agents. The main purpose of these conditioning agents is to rectify or limit the undesirable effects induced by the various treatments or types of attack to which the hair fibers are more or less repeatedly subjected to and， of course， they can also improve the cosmetic behaviour of natural hair.

The conditioning agents most commonly used to date are cationic polymers， silicones and/or silicone derivatives which impart to washed， dry or wet hair a disentangling， softness and a smoothness which are markedly enhanced in comparison to what can be obtained with corresponding compositions which do not contain them.

In recent years， consumers are increasingly seeking cosmetic products formed from/that comprise natural constituents or constituents of natural origin， in particular products that do not comprise silicone. Efforts have been made to hair care products containing conditioning agents of natural origin， for providing to the hair fibers equivalent conditioning effects as those containing silicones as conditioning agent.

AIMS OF INVENTION

Therefore， in one aspect， it is necessary to formulate compositions， especially for conditioning keratin fibres， especially the hair， which is silicone free， and has a transparent appearance， which is stable.

In another aspect， it is necessary to formulate compositions， especially for conditioning keratin fibres， especially the hair， which is silicone free， but capable of delivering conditioning effects like smoothness， suppleness and wet combing on a par with silicone-containing ones.

In another aspect， it is necessary to formulate compositions， especially for conditioning keratin fibres， especially the hair， which is silicone free， and exhibits improved long lasting non-greasiness and non-stickiness.

In another aspect， it is necessary to formulate compositions， especially for conditioning keratin fibres， especially the hair， which is silicone free， and capable of delivering long lasting moist and fresh feel.

In another aspect， it is necessary to formulate compositions， especially for conditioning keratin fibres， especially the hair， which is silicone free， and capable of establishing a good balance between two or more properties described in the aforesaid aspects.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

The present inventors have discovered that a specific combination of i) at least one specific cationic surfactant， ii) at least one cationic polymer with a charge density greater than 4 meq/g， iii) propanediol and iv) at least one oxyalkylenated glycerol ester may satisfy one or more of the abovementioned requirements.

Another subject of the present invention is use of the composition according to the present invention for conditioning keratin fibres， especially hair. This use may manifest as a process for conditioning keratin fibres， especially hair， comprising the step of applying to said keratin fibres the composition of the present invention.

Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will emerge more clearly on reading the description and the examples that follow.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION

Throughout the description， including the claims， the term ″comprising a″ should be understood as being synonymous with ″comprising at least one″ ， unless otherwise mentioned. Moreover， the expression ″at least one″ used in the present description is equivalent to the expression ″one or more″ .

Preferably， the “keratin fibres” according to the present invention is preferably hair.

As used herein， the term “silicone-free” means the composition of the present invention comprising no silicone or comprising silicone in an amount no more than 1％by weight of silicones relative to the total weight of the composition. Preferably， the composition may contain no more than 0.5％by weight， more preferably no more than 0.2％by weight， of silicones relative to the total weight of the composition.

More preferably， the composition of the present invention does not contain silicone.

Within the meaning of the present invention， ″conditioning″ means imparting to hair at least one property chosen from combability， manageability， moisture-retentivity， luster， shine， and softness. The state of conditioning is evaluated by measuring， and comparing， the ease of combability of the treated hair and of the untreated hair in terms of combing work (gm-in) .

Preferably， the composition according to the present invention can have a transparent appearance.

The word ″transparent″ means that the composition has a turbidity of less than or equal to 200 NTU. The transparency of a composition can be measured by its turbidity， and the NTUs (nephelometric turbidity units) are the units for measuring the turbidity of a composition. The turbidity measurement may be carried out， for example， with a 2100N model turbidimeter from Hach Company， wherein the sample cells for turbidity testing are made of quartz glass with reference Cat. 2084900. The measurements are carried out at ambient temperature (20℃ to 25℃) .

Preferably， the composition of the present invention may have a turbidity generally less than or equal to 150 NTU， and preferably less than or equal to 50 NTU， and even more preferably less than or equal to 15 NTU.

“Stable over time” is understood to mean compositions of the present invention which， after storage at all temperatures between 4℃ and 45℃ for 2 months， do not exhibit any macroscopic change in colour， smell or viscosity， any variation in pH or any variation in microscopic appearance.

Preferably， the transparent appearance is stable over time.

Cationic surfactants

The composition of the present invention comprises at least one cationic surfactant， to provide suppleness. The cationic surfactant is chosen from the compound of formula (I) ，

in which，

R₁ to R₄， which may be identical or different， represent a linear or branched aliphatic group comprising from 1 to 30 carbon atoms or an aromatic group comprising from 6 to 30 carbon atoms such as C_6-30 aryl or C_7-30 alkylaryl， and at least one of the groups R₁ to R₄ comprising from 8 to 30 carbon atoms.

More preferably， at least one of the groups R₁ to R₄ comprises from 12 to 24 carbon atoms.

The aliphatic groups may comprise heteroatoms such as， in particular， oxygen， nitrogen， sulfur and halogens.

The aliphatic groups are chosen， for example， from C₁-C₃₀ alkyl， C₁-C₃₀ alkenyl， C₁-C₃₀ alkoxy， polyoxy (C₂-C₆) alkylene， C₁-C₃₀ alkylamide， (C₁₂-C₂₂) alkylamido (C₂-C₆) alkyl， (C₁₂-C₂₂) alkylacetate， C₁-C₃₀ hydroxyalkyl.

X^- is an anionic counterion chosen from halides.

Among the quaternary ammonium salts of formula (I) ， preference is given firstly to tetraalkylammonium halides such as tetraalkylammonium chlorides， for instance tetraalkylammonium or alkyltrimethylammonium halides such as dialkyldimethylammonium or alkyltrimethylammonium chlorides in which the alkyl group contains from approximately 12 to 22 carbon atoms， in particular halides such as behenyltrimethylammonium chloride， distearyldimethylammonium chloride， cetyltrimethylammonium chloride， benzyldimethylstearylammonium chloride， hydroxyethyl oleyldimethylammonium chloride， or else， and palmitylamidopropyltrimethylammonium halide， such as the chloride or stearamidopropyldimethyl (myristyl acetate) ammonium chloride.

Mentions may be made of the products， for example， sold under the name Dehyquart A OR by Cognis (INCI name： Cetrimonium chloride) ， products sold under the name Chimexane CL by the company Chimex (INCI name： hydroxyl oleyldimonium chloride) ， products sold under the name

2232 EF by the company Rhodia (INCI name： behentrimonium chloride) ， or a mixture thereof.

More particularly， according to one embodiment of the present invention， the at least one cationic surfactant is present in an amount ranging from 0.01％to 10％by weight， preferably from 0.05％to 5％by weight， relative to the total weight of the composition.

Cationic polymer with a charge density greater than 4meq/g

The composition according to the present invention， comprises at least one cationic polymer with a charge density greater than 4 meq/g， preferably greater than 5 meq/g， to provide at least conditioning effects like smoothness and wet combing.

It is first recalled that， for the purposes of the present invention， the term “cationic polymer” denotes any polymer containing cationic groups and/or groups that can be ionized into cationic groups.

In view of the present invention， the charge density of the cationic polymers according to the present invention is greater than 4 meq. /g and even more preferentially greater than 5 meq. /g.

This charge density is especially determined by the Kjeldahl method.

It may also be calculated from the chemical nature of the polymer.

These polymers preferably have a number-average molecular mass generally of between 1，000 and 100，000，000.

Polymers of this type are especially described in FR 2 320 330， FR 2 270 846， FR 2 316 271， FR 2 336 434， FR 2 413 907， US 2 273 780， US 2 375 853， US 2 388 614， US 2 454 547， US 3 206 462， US 2 261 002， US 2 271 378， US 3 874 870， US 4 001 432， US 3 929 990， US 3 966 904， US 4 005 193， US 4 025 617， US 4 025 627， US 4 025 653， US 4 026 945 and US 4 027 020.

More particularly， the cationic polymer (s) are chosen from：

a) Cationic alkyldiallylamine or dialkyldiallylammonium cyclopolymer

The said cationic cyclopolymer may be a homopolymer or copolymer containing， as main constituent of the chain， units corresponding to formula (II) or (III) ：

in which formula d and e are equal to 0 or 1， the sum d + e being equal to 1； R₃₂ denotes a hydrogen atom or a methyl radical； R₃₀ and R₃₁， independently of each other， denote a C₁-C₈ alkyl group， a hydroxyalkyl group in which the alkyl group is C₁-C₅， an amidoalkyl group in which the alkyl is C₁-C₄； R₃₀ and R₃₁ can also denote， together with the nitrogen atom to which they are attached， a heterocyclic group such as piperidyl or morpholinyl； R₃₀ and R₃₁， independently of each other， preferably denote a C₁-C₄ alkyl group； Y^- is an organic or mineral anion such as bromide， chloride， acetate， borate， citrate， tartrate， bisulfate， bisulfite， sulfate or phosphate. These polymers are described in particular in FR 2 080 759 and FR 2 190 406.

The cationic cyclopolymer of the present invention is a water soluble polymer having a charge density greater than 4 meq/g. From the viewpoints of smoothness during foaming and smoothness during rinsing， the charge density is preferably greater than 5 meq/g. The charge density of the water soluble cationic cyclopolymer may be measured by the colloid titration method using， for example， potassium polyvinylsulfate as a titration solution.

Among the polymers defined above， mention may be made more particularly of the dimethyldiallylammonium chloride homopolymer sold under the name “Merquat 100” (INCI name： Polyquaternium-6) by the company Nalco (and its homologues of low weight-average molecular mass) and the copolymers of diallyldimethylammonium chloride and of acrylamide， sold under the name Merquat 550.

b) Polyquaternary ammonium polymers consisting of units of formula (IV) ：

in which formula：

R₃₃， R₃₄， R₃₅ and R₃₆， which may be identical or different， represent a hydrogen atom or a methyl， ethyl， propyl， b-hydroxyethyl， b-hydroxypropyl or -CH₂CH₂ (OCH₂CH₂) _pOH radical， where p is equal to 0 or to an integer between 1 and 6， with the proviso that R₃₃， R₃₄， R₃₅ and R₃₆ do not simultaneously represent a hydrogen atom，

f and g， which may be identical or different， are integers between 1 and 6，

h is equal to 0 or to an integer between 1 and 34，

X^- denotes an anion such as a halide，

P denotes a dihalide radical or preferably represents -CH₂-CH₂-O-CH₂-CH₂-.

Such compounds are described especially in Patent application EP-A-122 324.

Among these， mention may be made， for example， of the products

A15，

AD1，

AZ1 and

175， sold by the company Miranol.

Advantageously， the at least one cationic polymer used in the present invention is in presence in the composition from 0.01％to 0.5％by weight， preferably from 0.05％to 0.3％by weight， relative to the total weight of the composition.

Propanediol

The composition according to the present invention comprises propanediol， to provide suppleness and long lasting moist and fresh feel. Propanediol cannot be replaced by other diols as far as these effects are concerned.

According to a particular embodiment of the present invention， the composition does not comprise other diols than propanediol.

Advantageously， propanediol is in presence in the composition from 0.1％to 10％by weight， preferably from 1％to 5％by weight， relative to the total weight of the composition.

Oxyalkylenated glycerol ester

The composition according to the present invention comprises at least one oxyalkylenated glycerol ester， to provide conditioning effects like smoothness and suppleness， and particularly， keep the composition transparent， especially when recovered from -10℃.

Particularly， the at least one oxyalkylenated glycerol ester may be chosen from fatty acid esters (especially of a C₈-C₂₄ acid and preferably a C₈-C₁₈ acid) of oxyethylenated glyceryl ethers (which may comprise from 1 to 150 oxyethylene groups， in particularly， from 1 to 50 oxyethylene groups) ， for instance PEG-200 glyceryl monostearate sold under the name “Simulsol 200 TM” by the company SEPPIC； glyceryl stearate polyethoxylated with 30 ethylene oxide groups， for instance the product “Tagat S” sold under the company Goldschmidt； glyceryl oleate polyethoxylated with 30 ethylene oxide groups， for instance the product “Tagat O” sold by the company Goldschmidt； glyceryl cocoate polyethoxylated with 30 ethylene oxide groups， for instance the product “Varionic LI 13” sold by the company Sherex； glyceryl isostearate polyethoxylated with 30 ethylene oxide groups， for instance the product “Tagat L” sold by the company Goldschmidt； and glyceryl laurate polyethoxylated with 30 ethylene oxide groups， for instance the product “Tagat I” form the company Goldschmidt.

More particularly， the at least one oxyalkylenated glycerol esters may be chosen， for example， from glyceryl esters of fatty acids (especially of a C₈-C₂₄ acid and preferably a C₈-C₁₈ acid) which are hydrogenated and oxyethylenated (which may comprise from 1 to 150 oxyethylene groups， in particularly， from 1 to 50 oxyethylene groups) ， such as PEG-200 hydrogenated glyceryl palmate， sold under the name Rewoderm L1-S

by the company Goldschmidt； oxyethylenated glyceryl cocoates， such as PEG-7 glyceryl cocoate， sold under the name Tegosoft

by the company Goldschmidt， and PEG-30 glyceryl cocoate， sold under the name Rewoderm LI-63 by the company Goldschmidt； or a mixture thereof.

Advantageously， the at least one oxyalkylenated glycerol ester is in presence in the composition from 0.01％to 3％by weight， preferably from 0.05％to 1％by weight， relative to the total weight of the composition.

Nonionic surfactants

The composition according to the present invention may also comprise at least one nonionic surfactant other than the aforesaid oxyalkylenated glycerol ester.

The nonionic surfactants may in particular be chosen from alkyl and polyalkyl esters of poly (ethylene oxide) ， oxyalkylenated alcohols， alkyl and polyalkyl ethers of poly (ethylene oxide) ， optionally polyoxyethylenated alkyl and polyalkyl esters of sorbitan， optionally polyoxyethylenated alkyl and polyalkyl ethers of sorbitan， alkyl and polyalkyl glycosides or polyglycosides， in particular alkyl and polyalkyl glucosides or polyglucosides， alkyl and polyalkyl esters of sucrose， and optionally polyoxyethylenated alkyl and polyalkyl ethers of glycerol， and mixtures thereof.

Alkyl and polyalkyl esters of poly (ethylene oxide) that are preferably used are those with a number of ethylene oxide (EO) units ranging from 2 to 200. Examples that may be mentioned include stearate 40 EO， stearate 50 EO， stearate 100 EO， laurate 20 EO， laurate 40 EO and distearate 150 EO.

Alkyl and polyalkyl ethers of poly (ethylene oxide) that are preferably used are those with a number of ethylene oxide (EO) units ranging from 2 to 200. Examples that may be mentioned include cetyl ether 23 EO， oleyl ether 50 EO and phytosterol 30 EO.

As oxyalkylenated alcohols， which are in particular oxyethylenated and/or oxypropylenated， use is preferably made of fatty alcohols， especially comprising at least 8 carbon atoms， and which may comprise from 1 to 150 oxyethylene and/or oxypropylene units， in particular containing from 20 to 100 oxyethylene units； in particular ethoxylated fatty alcohols， especially of C_8-24 and preferably of C_12-18， such as stearyl alcohol ethoxylated with 10 oxyethylene units (CTFA name Steareth-10) ， stearyl alcohol ethoxylated with 20 oxyethylene units (CTFA name Steareth-20) ， for instance Brij 78 sold by the company Uniqema， stearyl alcohol ethoxylated with 100 oxyethylene units (CTFA name Steareth-100) ， cetearyl alcohol ethoxylated with 30 oxyethylene units (CTFA name Ceteareth-30) ， and the mixture of C_12-15 fatty alcohols comprising 7 oxyethylene units (CTFA name C_12-15 Pareth-7) ， for instance the product sold under the name Neodol

by Shell Chemicals； behenyl alcohol ethoxylated with 100 oxyethylene units (CTFA name Beheneth-100) or in particular oxyalkylenated (oxyethylenated and/or oxypropylenated) alcohols containing from 1 to 15 oxyethylene and/or oxypropylene units， in particular ethoxylated C_8-24 and preferably C_12-18 fatty alcohols， such as stearyl alcohol ethoxylated with 2 oxyethylene units (CTFA name Steareth-2) ， for instance Brij 72 sold by the company Uniqema； stearyl alcohol ethoxylated with 20 oxyethylene units (CTFA name Steareth-20) ， for instance Brij 78 sold by the company Uniqema.

Optionally polyoxyethylenated alkyl and polyalkyl esters of sorbitan that are preferably used are those with a number of ethylene oxide (EO) units ranging from 0 to 100. Examples that may be mentioned include sorbitan laurate 4 or 20 EO， in particular polysorbate 20 (or polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monolaurate) such as the product Tween 20 sold by the company Uniqema， sorbitan palmitate 20 EO， sorbitan stearate 20 EO， sorbitan oleate 20 EO， or else the Cremophor products (RH 40， RH 60， etc. ) from BASF. Non-polyoxyethylenated sorbitan alkyl and polyalkyl esters that may preferably be used are a mixture of sorbitan stearate and of sucrose cocoate， preferably the product sold under the reference Arlacel 2121U from Croda.

Optionally polyoxyethylenated alkyl and polyalkyl ethers of sorbitan that are preferably used are those with a number of ethylene oxide (EO) units ranging from 0 to100.

Alkyl and polyalkyl glucosides or polyglucosides that are preferably used are those containing an alkyl group comprising from 6 to 30 carbon atoms and preferably from 6 to 18 or even from 8 to 16 carbon atoms， and containing a glucoside group preferably comprising from 1 to 5 and in particular 1， 2 or 3 glucoside units. The alkylpolyglucosides may be chosen， for example， from decylglucoside (alkyl-C_g/C_n-polyglucoside (1.4) ) ， for instance the product sold under the name Mydol

by the company Kao Chemicals or the product sold under the name Plantacare 2000

by the company Henkel and the product sold under the name Oramix NS

by the company SEPPIC； caprylyl/capryl glucoside， for instance the product sold under the name Plantacare KE 371

by the company Cognis or Oramix CG 1

by the company SEPPIC； laurylglucoside， for instance the product sold under the name Plantacare 1200

by the company Henkel or Plantaren 1200

by the company Henkel； cocoglucoside， for instance the product sold under the name Plantacare 818

by the company Henkel； caprylylglucoside， for instance the product sold under the name Plantacare 810 UP by the company Cognis； and mixtures thereof.

More generally， the surfactants of alkylpolyglycoside type are defined more specifically hereinbelow.

Examples of alkyl and polyalkyl esters of sucrose that may be mentioned are Crodesta F150， sucrose monolaurate sold under the name Crodesta SL 40， and the products sold by Ryoto Sugar Ester， for instance sucrose palmitate sold under the reference Ryoto Sugar Ester PI 670， Ryoto Sugar Ester LWA1695 or Ryoto Sugar Ester 01570.

Optionally polyoxyethylenated alkyl and polyalkyl ethers of glycerol that are preferably used are those with a number of ethylene oxide (EO) units ranging from 0 to 100 and a number of glycerol units ranging from 1 to 30. Examples that may be mentioned include Nikkol Batyl Alcohol 100 and Nikkol Chimyl Alcohol 100.

Advantageously， the at least one nonionic surfactant is in presence in the composition from 0.01％to 3％by weight， preferably from 0.05％to 1％by weight， relative to the total weight of the composition.

Aqueous phase

The composition according to the present invention has an aqueous phase， preferably presents as an aqueous solution. By “aqueous solution” ， it may be meant a composition being in a liquid state at room temperature (comprised between 20℃ and 25℃) and at atmospheric pressure (about 1 013.25 hPa) .

This aqueous phase can comprise alcohol (s) ， in particular ethanol； polyethylene glycols having from 6 to 80 ethylene oxide units； glycol ethers， such as mono-， di-or tripropylene glycol or mono-， di-or triethylene glycol (C₁-C₄) alkyl ether， and their mixtures.

In particular， the amount of polyols in the composition may represent from 0.5％to 40％by weight， preferably from 1％to 30％by weight， relative to the total weight of the composition.

The aqueous phase comprises water.

According to a preferred embodiment， water is present in an amount ranging from 80％to 99％by weight， preferably 90％to 95％by weight， relative to the total weight of the composition.

Adjuvants

In a known way， all the compositions of the present invention can comprise one or more of the adjuvants usual in the cosmetic and dermatological fields： surfactants other than the surfactants according to the present disclosure； moisturising agents other than the moisturising agents according to the present disclosure； emollients other than the emollients according to the present disclosure； hydrophilic or lipophilic active principles； agents for combating free radicals； sequestering agents； stabilizing agents； preservatives； basifying or acidifying agents； fragrances； plant extracts， etc. The amounts of these various adjuvants are those conventionally used in conditioning compositions.

Of course， a person skilled in the art will take care to choose the optional adjuvants added to the composition according to the present invention so that the advantageous properties intrinsically attached to the composition according to the present invention are not， or not substantially， detrimentally affected by the envisaged addition.

In a more preferred embodiment of the present invention， the composition comprises in the aqueous phase， from 0.01％to 10％by weight， preferably from 0.05％to 5％by weight， of cetrimonium chloride， from 0.01％to 0.5％by weight， preferably from 0.05％to 0.3％by weight， of Polyquaternium-6， from 0.1％to 10％by weight， preferably from 1％to 5％by weight， of propanediol， and from 0.01％to 3％by weight， preferably from 0.05％to 1％by weight， of PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate， relative to the total weight of the composition.

In a preferred embodiment， the composition of the present invention has a stable transparent appearance， and is capable of delivering conditioning effects like smoothness， suppleness and wet combing on a par with silicone-containing ones but without greasiness or stickiness， and at the same time， delivering moist and fresh feel， all of which achieve a good balance between the instant effect and long lasting effect.

Galenic form

It is understood that the compositions according to the present invention can be in any galenical form conventionally used for conditioning application， especially in the form of liquid， especially as conditioning water or lotion.

Preferably， the compositions of the present invention are rinse-off or leave-in hair conditioners， and more preferably leave-in hair conditioners.

The compositions according to the present invention may be packaged in any suitable dispenser such as for example a jar， a tube， a pump-dispenser bottle or in an aerosol device， in particular a pump-dispenser.

The compositions according to the present invention may， when they are packaged in an aerosol device， contain at least one propellant. The propellant can then be selected for example from dimethyl ether， C₃ to C₅ alkanes， halogenated hydrocarbons， and mixtures thereof.

Additionally， the applicator device can be attached or connected to the opening of the packaging tube or bottle wherein the applicator device is a brush or a comb with teeth such that the ends of the teeth have openings from which the compositions of the present invention can flow through and be applied directly onto the hair.

Method and use

The composition of the present invention can be generally prepared according to the general knowledge of a person skilled in the art. Nevertheless， it is to be understood that a person skilled in the art can choose its method of preparation， on the basis of his/her general knowledge， taking into account the nature of the constituents used， for example， their solubility in the vehicle， and the application envisaged for the composition.

The present invention also relates to the use of the composition according to the present invention as a hair conditioner， to be applied preferably after the application of a shampoo. This use may manifest as a process for conditioning keratin fibres， especially hair， comprising the step of applying to said keratin fibres the composition of the present invention.

After an optional leave-in time， the composition may be removed by rinsing.

Preferably， the composition according to the present invention is left on the hair， that is to say， not rinsed after its application.

The composition may be applied to dry or damp keratin fibres.

Preferably， the composition according to the present invention is applied to keratin fibres， dry or damp， after applying a washing composition of the shampoo type.

The compositions described above may be used on any type of hair： light or dark hair， natural hair or hair that has undergone a cosmetic treatment such as permanent waving， dyeing， bleaching or relaxing.

In a preferred embodiment， the composition of the present invention is applied on sensitized hair.

More specifically， the aspect of the present invention is a process for conditioning keratin fibres， especially hair， comprising the step of applying to said keratin fibres the composition described above， and optionally massaging the keratin fibres.

More specifically， the aspect of the present invention is a process for conditioning keratin fibres， especially hair， comprising the step of applying to said keratin fibresthe composition described above， and optionally combing the keratin fibres.

Optionally， a step of rinsing washing the composition as mentioned above from the keratin fibres with water is followed.

Notwithstanding that the numerical ranges and parameters setting forth the broad scope of the present invention are approximations， the numerical values set forth in the specific examples are reported as precisely as possible. Any numerical value， however， inherently contain certain errors necessarily resulting from the standard deviation found in their respective measurements. The following examples are intended to illustrate the present invention without limiting the scope as a result.

EXAMPLES

The ingredient amounts/concentrations in the compositions/formulas described below are expressed in ％by weight， relative to the total weight of each composition/formula.

I. Preparation

The invention formula A and comparative formulas A， B， and C were prepared.

Comparative A replaced PROPANEDIOL with BUTANEDIOL as compared with the invention formula A.

Comparative B doesn’t contain PEG-7 GLYCERYL COCOATE as compared with the invention formula A.

Comparative C replaced PEG-7 GLYCERYL COCOATE with PEG-12 DIMETHICONE as compared with the invention formula A.

The invention formula A， and comparative formulas A， B and C were prepared according to the conventional methods for preparing conditioning formulations.

II. Evaluation of the invention and comparative formulas

The invention formula and comparative formulas were evaluated using the following protocols.

Method for evaluating turbidity

The turbidity was measured at 25℃ using a 2100N Turbidimeter machine from the company Hach； it is expressed in NTU (Neophelometric Turbidity Units) .

Method for evaluating stability

The invention and comparative formulas were each kept in a 100ml glass bottle under the room temperature and 45℃ oven for 2 months， respectively， and checked the density， pH， appearance， odor every month to see whether they are in the spec. Also checked the sample in the glass bottle with appearance and odor under 4℃ oven for one month， -10℃ for 24h. There is no color fading phenomenon after UV test with final package.

Method for evaluating ″smoothness″ ， ″suppleness″ ， ″non-greasiness″ and ″moist and fresh feel″

Five panelists evaluated the invention formula A， and comparative formulas A， B and C in terms of ″smoothness″ ， ″suppleness″ ， ″non-greasiness″ and ″moist and fresh feel″ .

Hair swatches were washed using hair shampoo and dried. Then the invention and comparative formulas were applied on the hair swatches， respectively， each panelist touch the hair swatch to evaluate the instant performances， and after 1 day， they touch the hair again to evaluate long lasting performances， and graded from l (poor) to 5 (excellent) for each effect， which was then classified in the following 4 categories based on the average of the grade： ″excellent″ (5.0 to 4.0) ， ″good″ (3.9 to 3.0) ， ″fair″ (2.9 to 2.0) ， or ″poor″ (1.9 to 1.0) .

The results obtained are detailed in the table hereunder：

It is shown from the result above that the invention formula has a stable transparent appearance， and are capable of delivering excellent conditioning effects like smoothness， suppleness and wet combing on a par with silicone-containing ones but without greasiness or stickiness， and at the same time， delivering moist and fresh feel， and more surprising， all of which effects are long lasting.

The term ″comprising″ (and its grammatical variations) as used herein is used in the inclusive sense of ″having″ or ″including″ and not in the exclusive sense of ″consisting only of″ . The terms ″a″ and ″the″ as used herein are understood to encompass the plural as well as the singular.

The foregoing description illustrates and describes the present disclosure. Additionally， the disclosure shows and describes only the preferred embodiments of the disclosure， but， as mentioned above， it is to be understood that it is capable of changes or modifications within the scope of the concept as expressed herein， commensurate with the above teachings and/or skill or knowledge of the relevant art. The described hereinabove are further intended to explain best modes known of practicing the disclosure and to enable others skilled in the art to utilize the disclosure in such， or other embodiments and with the various modifications required by the particular applications or uses disclosed herein. Accordingly， the description is not intended to limit the disclosure to the form disclosed herein. Also it is intended that the appended claims be construed to include alternative embodiments.

All publications， patents and patent applications cited in this specification are herein incorporated by reference， and for any and all purposes， as if each individual publication， patent or patent application were specifically and individually indicating to be incorporated by reference. In this case of inconsistencies， the present disclosure will prevail.

Claims

A composition for conditioning keratin fibres， especially hair， comprising in an aqueous phase，

i) at least one cationic surfactant of formula (I) ，

wherein：

R₁ to R₄， identical or different， represent a linear or branched aliphatic group comprising from 1 to 30 carbon atoms， an aromatic group comprising from 6 to 30 carbon atoms such as C_6-30 aryl or C_7-30 alkylaryl，

at least one of the groups R₁ to R₄ comprising from 8 to 30 carbon atoms， and

X^- is an anionic counterion chosen from halides，

ii) at least one cationic polymer with a charge density greater than 4 meq/g，

iii) propanediol， and

iv) at least one oxyalkylenated glycerol ester.
Composition according to claim 1， being silicone free.
Composition according to anyone of the preceding claims 1 to 2， being transparent.
Composition according to anyone of the preceding claims 1 to 3， wherein in formula (I) ， at least one of the groups R₁ to R₄ comprises from 12 to 24 carbon atoms， and X^- is a chloride； preferably the cationic surfactant is chosen from behenyltrimethylammonium chloride， distearyldimethylammonium chloride， cetyltrimethylammonium chloride， benzyldimethylstearylammonium chloride， hydroxyethyl oleyldimethylammonium chloride， or a mixture thereof.
Composition according to anyone of the preceding claims 1 to 4， wherein the at least one cationic surfactant is present in an amount ranging from 0.01％to 10％by weight， preferably from 0.05％to 5％by weight， relative to the total weight of the composition.
Composition according to anyone of the preceding claims 1 to 5， wherein the at least one cationic polymer with a charge density greater than 4 meq/g is chosen from

a) cationic alkyldiallylamine or dialkyldiallylammonium cyclopolymer， which is a homopolymer or copolymer containing， as main constituent of the chain， units corresponding to formula (II) or (III) ：

in which formula， d and e are equal to 0 or 1， the sum d + e being equal to 1； R₃₂ denotes a hydrogen atom or a methyl radical； R₃₀ and R₃₁， independently of each other， denote a C₁-C₈ alkyl group， a hydroxyalkyl group in which the alkyl group is C₁-C₅， an amidoalkyl group in which the alkyl is C₁-C₄； R₃₀ and R₃₁ can also denote， together with the nitrogen atom to which they are attached， a heterocyclic group such as piperidyl or morpholinyl； R₃₀ and R₃₁， independently of each other， preferably denote a C₁-C₄ alkyl group； Y^- is an organic or mineral anion such as bromide， chloride， acetate， borate， citrate， tartrate， bisulfate， bisulfite， sulfate or phosphate，

b) polyquaternary ammonium polymers consisting of units of formula (IV) ：

in which formula， R₃₃， R₃₄， R₃₅ and R₃₆， which may be identical or different， represent a hydrogen atom or a methyl， ethyl， propyl， b-hydroxyethyl， b-hydroxypropyl or -CH₂CH₂ (OCH₂CH₂) pOH radical， where p is equal to 0 or to an integer between 1 and 6， with the proviso that R₃₃， R₃₄， R₃₅ and R₃₆ do not simultaneously represent a hydrogen atom， f and g， which may be identical or different， are integers between 1 and 6， h is equal to 0 or to an integer between 1 and 34， X^- denotes an anion such as a halide， P denotes a dihalide radical or preferably represents -CH₂-CH₂-O-CH₂-CH₂-，

preferably from dimethyldiallylammonium chloride homopolymers (INCI name： Polyquaternium-6) and its homologues of low weight-average molecular mass.
Composition according to anyone of the preceding claims 1 to 6， wherein the at least one cationic polymer with a charge density greater than 4 meq/g is present in an amount ranging from 0.01％to 0.5％by weight and preferably from 0.05％to 0.3％by weight， relative to the total weight of the composition.
Composition according to anyone of the preceding claims 1 to 7， wherein propanediol is present in an amount ranging from 0.1％to 10％by weight and preferably from 1％to 5％by weight， relative to the total weight of the composition.
Composition according to anyone of the preceding claims 1 to 8， wherein the at least one oxyalkylenated glycerol ester is chosen from fatty acid esters (especially of a C₈-C₂₄ acid and preferably a C₈-C₁₈ acid) of oxyethylenated glyceryl ethers (which may comprise from 1 to 150 oxyethylene groups， preferably from 1 to 50 oxyethylene groups) ， preferably PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate.
Composition according to anyone of the preceding claims 1 to 9， wherein the at least one oxyalkylenated glycerol ester is present in an amount ranging from 0.01％to 3％by weight and preferably from 0.05％to 1％by weight， relative to the total weight of the composition.
Composition according to anyone of the preceding claims 1 to 10， wherein water is present in an amount ranging from 80％to 99％by weight， preferably 90％to 95％by weight， relative to the total weight of the composition.
Composition according to anyone of the preceding claims 1 to 11， comprising in the aqueous phase， from 0.01％to 10％by weight， preferably from 0.05％to 5％by weight， of cetrimonium chloride， from 0.01％to 0.5％by weight， preferably from 0.05％to 0.3％by weight， of Polyquaternium-6， from 0.1％to 10％by weight， preferably from 1％to 5％by weight， of propanediol， and from 0.01％to 3％by weight， preferably from 0.01％to 1％by weight， of PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate， relative to the total weight of the composition.
Composition according to anyone of the preceding claims 1 to 12， comprising no other diols than propanediol.
A process for conditioning keratin fibres， especially hair and/or scalp， comprising the step of applying to said keratin fibres the composition of any one of the preceding claims 1 to 13.
Use of the composition of any one of the preceding claims 1 to 13 for conditioning keratin fibres， especially hair.