Skin Care Product

Cosmetic skin-care product against ageing of the skin as an effect of light

Skin Care Product Abstract
The present invention relates to a new cosmetic skin-care product for external use, which is based on UV-radiation-absorbing substances in combination with a free-radical scavenger system.

What is claimed is:

1. A cosmetic vitamin E skin penetrate composition, comprising by weight:

0.3 to 10% of a vitamin E derivative selected from the group consisting of vitamin E linoleate, vitamin E acetate and mixtures thereto;

0. 1 to 10% of 2-(dihydroxyethyl)-2-hydroxy-6,10,14-trimethyl-pentadecane; and

at least one UV filter.

2. The composition of claim 1, wherein the vitamin E derivative is vitamin E linoleate.

3. The composition of claim 1, wherein the vitamin E derivative is vitamin E acetate.

4. The composition of claim 1, wherein said one or more UV filter is present in an amount of 0.1 to 20%.

5. The composition of claim 1, wherein said vitamin E derivative is present in an amount of 0.3-8%; said 2-(dihydroxyethyl)-2-hydroxy-6,10,14-trimethyl-pentadecane is present in an amount of 0.3 to 5% and said UV filter is present in an amount of 0.3 to 10%.

6. The composition of claim 1, wherein said composition is an oil-in-water or an water-in-oil emulsion.

7. The composition of claim 1, wherein said vitamin E derivative is present in an amount of 0.3-8%; and said UV filter is present in an amount of 0.1 to 20%.

8. The composition of claim 1, further comprising one or more cosmetic base or cosmetic auxiliary.

9. The composition of claim 7, wherein said cosmetic base or auxiliary is one or more of the following; antioxidants, solvents, mineral, animal or vegetable oils or waxes, fatty acids, fatty alcohols, fatty acid esters, fatty alcohol ethers, ethoxylated fatty alcohols, lanolin or lanolin derivatives, silicone oils, emulsifiers, thickeners, humectants, colorants, buffer substances, preservatives and perfume oils.

10. A method of increasing the penetration of vitamin E into the skin of a subject comprising applying the composition of claim 1.

Skin Care Product Description
The present invention relates to a new cosmetic skin-care product for external use, which is based on UV-radiation-absorbing substances in combination with a free-radical scavenger system.

Along with nutritive components, cosmetic skin-care products conventionally contain UV B and/or UV A filters to reduce the UV radiation which is responsible for ageing the skin. However, a large part of this radiation reaches deep layers of the skin, and damages them in a multitude of ways. The most important damaging mechanism is the formation of free radicals, which are very high-energy intermediates which, in an entirely unselective manner, attack precisely those skin constituents which are responsible for elasticity and moisture retention.

Among the most effective free-radical scavengers are the vitamin E derivatives, whose biological action is based on the antioxidant action of the compounds themselves (H. Moller et al. Parfumerie und Kosmetik, 68, 11, 688 (1987). However, the function of conventional vitamin E derivatives as free-radical scavengers in cosmetic skin-care products is limited by the insufficient and/or inhomogeneous distribution within the epidermis. Under normal conditions, for example, it is particularly the sensitive basal layer of the epidermis where only relatively low concentrations of active compound can be obtained, and even liposomes, which are currently widely employed as vehicles, provide no substantial improvement with regard to this.

A new cosmetic skin-care product against ageing of the skin as an effect of light has now been found, which contains, along with conventional bases and auxiliaries, a combination of vitamin E or derivatives thereof and 2-(dihydroxyethyl)-2-hydroxy-6,10,14-trimethyl-pentadecane, as well as, if appropriate, at least one UV filter.

2-(Dihydroxyethyl)-2-hydroxy-6,10,14-trimethyl-pentadecane is known from the literature as a hair and skin-care product, where it helps to retain the moisture of the hairs, to protect the hair against mechanical damage, to favour the penetration of panthenol and amino acids into the hair follicle, to impart new lustre to dull hair, to increase the moisture retention capacity of the skin and to keep the skin smooth and supple. (G. Erlemann et al., Seifen, Ole, Fette 117, 10, 379 (1991).

To date, nothing has been disclosed about the use of 2-(dihydroxyethyl)-2-hydroxy-6,10,14-trimethyl-pentadecane together with vitamin E and derivatives thereof. This compound causes increased penetration and/or diffusion of vitamin E, and derivatives thereof, into the, or in the, skin.

Furthermore, it has been found that the new cosmetic skin-care product according to the invention, against ageing of the skin as an effect of light, which consists of bases and auxiliaries conventionally used in cosmetics, a combination of UV filter and vitamin E or derivatives thereof, 2-(dihydroxyethyl)-2-hydroxy-6,10,14-trimethyl-pentadecane and, if appropriate, at least one UV filter, is obtained when the components are mixed with each other and the mixture is stirred and, if appropriate, subsequently homogenised. The entire preparation is preferably carried out in an evacuated apparatus to avoid the inclusion of air.

The present invention generally also relates to the new use of 2-(dihydroxyethyl)-2-hydroxy-6,10,14-trimethyl-pentadecane for increasing the penetration and/or diffusion of vitamin E, or the derivatives thereof, into the, or in the, skin, in particular in cosmetic skin-care products.

Surprisingly, the cosmetic skin-care product according to the invention shows none of the usual disadvantages compared with cosmetic formulations known from the prior art.

To optimise the use of vitamin E, a range of experiments were carried out to improve the penetration and diffusion of the substance in the epidermis, and it was demonstrated that a combination of vitamin E derivatives with 2-(dihydroxyethyl)-2-hydroxy-6,10,14-trimethyl-pentadecane results in a completely homogeneous distribution of the vitamin E derivatives over the total area of the epidermis. It was also demonstrated that the skin-care product according to the invention builds up a depot of vitamin E derivative in the skin, in particular in the deeper areas of the epidermis, which are important in the ageing processes. This is an optimum prerequisite for using a free-radical scavenger system in skin which is exposed to light.

The cosmetic skin-care product according to the invention is therefore a highly effective system for protecting the skin while having excellent cosmetic properties.

According to the invention, the customary vitamin E derivatives are preferably employed, and the vitamin E esters may be mentioned as being particularly preferred. Vitamin E linoleate and vitamin E acetate, or mixtures of these, are very particularly preferably used.