DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to a composition based on a fat-soluble active ingredient, in particular vitamin E and/or its derivatives, and one or more oil-based carriers, these components being of completely natural origin, and the topical use of this composition, in particular in the dermo-cosmetic field. More in particular, the present composition is indicated for non-therapeutic use, typically for soothing purposes on the skin, but also in particular for at least one between a hydrating, anti-aging, emollient and protective treatment of the skin and / or of the hair.

Vitamin E (or tocopherol), in particular obtained from raw material from plants is known for its beneficial effects on the skin, due to its actions, mainly antioxidant and combating the spread of free radicals in tissue. Vitamin E is deemed to be capable of reducing oxidation of the polyunsaturated fatty acids present in tissue. Due to this, vitamin E helps to preserve the original appearance and texture of the skin and, therefore, combats aging.

Vitamin E, both synthetic and of plant origin, is in liquid form, but its topical use in pure form is made difficult by its texture; in fact, it is a very viscous liquid, difficult to spread for the skin to absorb.

To facilitate spreading of the vitamin E on the skin and also its absorption, specific lipophilic solvents (the use of which has been known for some time) can be used as carrier agents and for spreading on the skin.

Initially, olive oil was used as carrier agent of a preparation with fat- soluble active ingredients, such as vitamin E, which, moreover, due to its intrinsic properties, has beneficial effects for the skin. However, the use of this oil proved to be somewhat impractical, mainly due to the fact that, after the preparation is applied to the skin, the skin remains oily for a certain period of time, until complete absorption of the oil. Therefore, the persistence of oiliness lengthens the application times of the preparation on the skin and, nowadays, this is considered a substantial drawback.

Moreover, another drawback is represented by the fact that for certain skin types, for example oily skin, the application of preparations containing large amounts of fatty substances is not recommended. Currently, silicone oils are often used in place of olive oil for the same purpose; these exist in many different useful varieties, such as cyclomethicones D4, D5, etc., which differ from one another in some properties, such as viscosity. These oils are easily spread and, moreover, do not have the aforesaid drawbacks; in particular, highly volatile silicone oils remain on the skin for a short period of time and are consequently perceived as “light”. Moreover, these oils are chemically inert, making them particularly suitable as dispersion carriers, as they do not interact with the active ingredient they carry. However, the prolonged use of these oils has some drawbacks.

Firstly, frequent treatment of the same area of skin with products containing these oils is damaging in the long term, as these oils have a blocking effect on the pores, causing dry skin.

Moreover, these oils are not biodegradable, representing a considerable and serious drawback. Following recent environmental sensitivity, we have become aware that the lack of biodegradability of these oils means that, over time, they accumulate in the environment (soil and marine) causing pollution and, therefore, harming the entire ecosystem of the planet.

The present invention aims to overcome the aforesaid drawbacks of the compositions of the prior art in which olive or silicone oils are used as carrier.

It has surprisingly been found that a composition based on very viscous fat-soluble active ingredients, such as natural vitamin E, can also have good spreading and carrier properties on the skin, and substantially does not cause greasiness if the carrier component is formed of specific oily compounds, typically of plant origin, rather than the above-mentioned oils.

Moreover, in this composition as the active ingredient used is entirely of natural origin, more in particular of plant origin, and as the carrier is also a component deriving entirely from plants, the composition as a whole has the intrinsic advantage of being entirely plant-based, and, consequently biodegradable and environmentally sustainable.

Within the scope of the present invention, the expression “natural origin” means that the chemical component has not been obtained through synthesis in a laboratory, industrial or other. Instead, “plant origin” means that the chemical component derives from plant substances subjected to treatments such as extraction, distillation, pressing, fractioning, purification, concentration or fermentation.

Finally, advantageously, said composition is absorbed rapidly by the skin.

Therefore, the subject of the present invention is an anhydrous composition C, comprising (percentages by weight) :

I) 8-30%, preferably 8.5-25%, more preferably 8.5-23%, even more preferably 9-20%, of an active ingredient chosen from vitamin E in the form of isomer R,R,R d-a-tocopherol, its derivatives and mixtures thereof, and

II) 70-92%, preferably 75-91.5%, more preferably 77-91.5%, even more preferably 80-91%, of anhydrous and lipophilic carrier component V.

In particular, said component V is preferably a compound having a spreading value ranging from 700 to 2000, preferably from 700 to 1800, mm ² / 10 min. and a viscosity ranging from 1 to 21 mPa-s, measured at 20°C.

Said component V is, preferably, chosen from one or more of the following lipophilic compounds:

a) alkyl esters obtained through reaction between C ₈ -C22 saturated or monounsaturated fatty acids, with alcohols of formula R-OH, where R is a C4-C26, preferably C6-C22, linear or branched saturated or unsaturated alkyl radical; or with an inorganic acid, such as carbonic acid; and

b) ethers of formula R’-O-R’”, where R’ and R”, the same as or different from one another, are chosen from C4-C26, preferably C8-C22, linear or branched saturated or unsaturated alkyl radicals.

These fatty acids can be mono- or multi-carboxylic, generally dicarboxylic; at least one of the carboxyl groups will be esterified. In the case of multi-carboxylic fatty acids, the carboxyl groups can be esterified with alcohols the same as or different from one another. Typically, said alcohols are fatty alcohols.“Fatty alcohols” are meant, according to the prior art, as primary alcohols, with linear or branched chain, having from 4 to 26 carbon atoms, typically 6-22. Specific preferred examples of suitable compounds are the esters and ethers of caprylic, capric, palmitic, stearic, lauric, adipic, myristic acids. More in particular, these compounds are chosen, for example, from dicap rylyl ether, propylheptyl caprylate, caprylyl caprylate/ cap rate, dicaprylyl carbonate, coco caprylate, coco caprylate /cap rate, propylene glycol dicaprylate dicaprate, ethylhexyl palmitate, ethylhexyl stearate, hexyl laurate, dibutyl adipate, isopropyl palmitate or myristate, cetearyl ethylhexanoate.

Naturally, the component V can also consist of two or more of said compounds. In this case, said compounds can be present according to any weight ratio.

In the composition according to the present invention, the component V is typically of natural, preferably plant, origin. This component V is completely biodegradable.

The natural index of the component V is defined according to the guideline ISO 16128.

As mentioned above, the component V acts as carrier means of the at least one active ingredient present in the composition C. In addition to that function, the component V generally also performs other actions such as, by way of example, hydrating, soothing, nourishing, emollient, protective actions.

In the case in which the component V is an ester, this is preferably an odorless or only lightly scented product.

The component V is produced using processes known to those skilled in the art, which shall therefore not be described in the present description.

According to a preferable embodiment, in the composition according to the present invention the component V in the form of ester, such as caprylyl caprylate/ cap rate, is for the most part, i.e., for at least 75%, preferably at least 80%, more preferably at least 85%, by weight, or even all, produced by means of an environmentally sustainable process. Therefore, typically, this component V in ester form is only produced for a limited fraction, i.e., 25% or less, generally from 0.5 to 20%, in particular from 1 to 15%, preferably from 1 to 10%, by weight by means of a process not implemented by fermentation.

Said process by fermentation, implemented according to prior art, comprises the use of microorganisms and/or enzymes. These latter preferably derive from natural organisms, such as plants and yeasts. A first advantage of the processes that provide for the use of enzymes is, in the case in hand, the efficiency of these methods following the high selectivity of the enzymes that allow very uniform production, i.e., with a very low by-product rate. By-product is also meant as a product with a different stereospecificity to that desired.

Processes by fermentation also have the advantage of producing less processing waste relative to conventional processes, as the microorganisms and/or the enzymes can be used repeatedly in the subsequent processes to obtain the same types of products, in this way reducing the environmental impact relative to a conventional process, in which chemical catalysts, which are used in place of enzymes, are generally eliminated after being used only once.

Preferably, the enzymes that are used as biocatalysts in the processes to produce said component V are certified as produced from non- genetically modified organisms.

As mentioned above, in the composition according to the present invention vitamin E (or tocopherol) is of natural origin, therefore vitamin E is present only as isomer R,R,R-a-tocopherol, also known as d-a-tocopherol or 2R,4’R,8’R-a-tocopherol, instead of in the form of raceme.

In the present description, unless specified,“vitamin E” means both free form vitamin E and its derivatives and mixtures thereof.

Derivatives of vitamin E are, typically, its ethers, its esters and their physiologically acceptable salts.

It is known that vitamin E and its derivatives obtained from natural- plant sources have a much higher bio-availability to vitamin E and its derivatives of synthetic origin.

If the composition C according to the present invention contains two or more compounds derived from vitamin E, these compounds can be present in any weight ratio.

Vitamin E in the form of ester is esterified with an organic acid, generally, with a low number of carbon atoms, typically C2-C8, typically mono- or dicarboxylic, generally acetic or succinic acid.

Vitamin E, and its derivatives, used in the composition of the present invention are obtainable, typically, by means of distillation from vegetable oils.

Optionally, the composition C can comprise, in addition to the aforesaid components, at least one further active component (or active ingredient), component (III). Naturally, this component (III) is also of natural origin, preferably of plant origin, in any case completely biodegradable.

In particular, said further active component is, preferably, at least in part liposoluble, more preferably completely liposoluble. This component is chosen, preferably, from those capable of synergy with the activity of vitamin E and / or of its derivatives, such as, purely by way of example, polyunsaturated fatty acids, in particular one or more of C10-C22 w-3, w-6 and w-9 polyunsaturated fatty acids and analogs, and mixtures thereof.

Suitable w-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids are, for example, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), docosapentaenoic acid (DPA) and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA).

Examples of further fatty acids, in particular suitable w-6 and / or w-9 polyunsaturated fatty acids, are linoleic acid, g-linolenic acid, arachidonic acid and docosadienoic acid, to name but a few.

If present, said further active component is in amounts ranging from 0.5 to 20%, preferably from 1 to 15%, more preferably from 2 to 10%, by weight relative to the weight of the entire composition C.

Naturally, “further active component” is also meant as two or more active components. In this case, said active components can be in any weight ratio to one another.

Due to the components present in the composition C according to the present invention, said composition C is, therefore, at least for the most part, i.e., equal to or greater than 95%, preferably equal to 100%, by weight of plant origin and, therefore, completely biodegradable. More in particular, said composition C, just as its components (II) and (III), have a natural index ranging from 0.7 to 1, more preferably from 0.9 to 1.

To assess the ecological profile of the composition according to the present invention, the term "natural index" is used herein to refer to the percentage by weight of the component directly obtained from natural sources or obtained from immediate predecessors that can be obtained directly from natural sources.

According to current legislation, an ingredient with natural index equal to 1 is considered natural, while an ingredient with natural index of 0.5 or higher, but below 1 is a natural derivative. to

In some embodiments, the composition described can include at least one component having a natural index below 1.

The composition C according to the present invention, therefore, essentially has no hydrocarbons in free form in the class of alkanes. The composition C according to the present invention can be prepared, typically, by means of a simple preparation process, essentially a process of mixing the two or more components of which it consists, using prior art methods and, therefore, known to those skilled in the art.

As the methods are well known to those skilled in the art, they shall not be described in detail.

Particular operating conditions, such as temperature, mixing speed, etc., are not crucial for the performance of the preparation process. This process is essentially based on a mixing operation of the components, preferably, in liquid state. Indicatively, the temperature at which mixing is carried out can vary from 20° to 60° C. Generally, the component V is in liquid or paste form at room temperature.

The composition C according to the present invention is suitable for topical use. In particular, the composition is suitable for application to the skin, on the hair, on the vaginal and perianal mucosa. The composition is suitable, for example, in cases of dermatitis, such as atopic dermatitis, seborrheic dermatitis, contact dermatitis, dermatitis herpetiformis, stress-induced dermatitis, perioral dermatitis, sweat dermatitis, and psoriasis.

The composition C can be formulated in different ways, in particular depending on the area and on the method of application. Therefore, depending on this, the composition C can contain further appropriate components usually used for the desired formulation (such as gelling agent for lipids, waxes or butters of plant origin, etc.). The composition C can be formulated so as to be, for example, in the form of spray, gel, ointment, capsule (this latter typically single-dose), soft gelatin or in any other usual material.

Depending on the type of formulation, the composition C according to the present invention will be suitable for a specific container, such as aerosol BOV or pump, tube, jar, etc., giving preference to highly environmentally sustainable materials, such as glass.

An example of the present invention is provided below purely for non limiting illustrative purposes.

Materials and methods

The materials used in the preparation of the examples provided have the properties indicated in the following table A.

Table A

The viscosity is measured with a Rheomat RM 180 rheometer. The sample analyzed has a temperature from 20-25°C. The settings for the viscosity test are: bob 9, tube 1, 1500 shear rate for 5 min. (300 sec.). The spreading value of a compound is defined as the area (in mm ² ) of a surface of skin covered by this compound in a specific period of time.

The method used to determine the spreading value of a liquid component is an in vivo test. This method consists in applying 4 mg of the component to be analyzed to the front forearm of a subject. Four separate applications are carried out on the same subject for each component. The test is conducted at a temperature of 23° C and at relative humidity conditions of 60%. Ten minutes after application of a sample on the forearm the area of spread is photographed and measured.

The natural index is defined according to the guideline ISO 16128. Caprylyl caprylate/ caprate is obtained according to a fermentation process, unlike coco caprylate / caprate and dicaprylyl ether which are obtained entirely by the classic chemical process.

Examples

Examples 1-4

The active component is added to the carrier component, an oily liquid, under stirring and stirred for 30 minutes, until complete mixing of the components.

The following table 1 indicates the components and the amounts (percentages by weight) for each composition produced.

In the following tables, the natural form of vitamin E is indicated with“d”.

Table 1

The compositions thus obtained are all easy to spread, rapidly absorbed and not greasy.

Examples 5 and 6

Example 1 is repeated, with the difference that the carrier component consists of two different components.

The following table 2 indicates the components and the amounts (percentages by weight) for each of them. Table 2

The compositions thus obtained thus obtained are all easy to spread, rapidly absorbed and not greasy.

Example 7

Example 1 is repeated, with the difference that mixing is carried out in the presence of an additional active component, different from tocopherol, as further component of the final composition.

The following table 3 indicates the components and the amounts (percentages by weight) by weight for each of them. Table 3

'/The mixture consists of the following w-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids ALA, EPA, DHA, present with the following weight ratios: 1 :3:2.

The compositions thus obtained also have nourishing properties and are all easy to spread, rapidly absorbed and not greasy.

Example 8

Example 7 is repeated, with the difference that mixing is carried out in the presence of the carrier component consisting of two different components.

The following table 4 indicates the components and the amounts (percentages by weight) for each of them. Table 4

'The mixture consists of the following w-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids ALA, EPA, DHA, present with the following weight ratios: 1 :3:2.

The compositions thus obtained are all easy to spread, rapidly absorbed and not greasy.

Example 9

Example 8 is repeated with the only difference that sweet almond oil is used in place of the mixture of w-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. The properties of the composition obtained are similar to those of the composition of Example 8.

All the examples of compositions, once absorbed by the skin, leave it hydrated and smooth.

All the examples of compositions have a soothing, emollient and protective action.