The present invention relates to disposable, cleansing articles useful for cleansing the skin, hair and any other sites in need of cleansing. These articles comprise a water insoluble substrate having an apertured first and a second layer and a cleansing component disposed adjacent to the water insoluble substrate wherein the cleansing component comprises one or more surfactants. Consumers use the articles by wetting them with water and rubbing on the area to be cleansed.
The invention also encompasses methods for cleansing and conditioning the skin and hair, cleansing dishes and other hard surfaces using the articles of the present invention.
Personal care products, particularly cleansing and conditioning products, have traditionally been marketed in a variety of forms such as bar soaps, creams, lotions, and gels. Typically, these products have attempted to satisfy a number of criteria to be acceptable to consumers. These criteria include cleansing effectiveness, skin feel, mildness to skin, hair, and ocular mucosae, and lather volume. Ideal personal cleansers should gently cleanse the skin or hair, cause little or no irritation, and should not leave the skin or hair overly dry after frequent use.
It is also highly desirable to deliver such cleansing and conditioning benefits from a disposable product. Disposable products are convenient-because they obviate the need to carry or store cumbersome bottles, bars, jars, tubes, and other forms of clutter including cleansing products and other products capable of providing therapeutic or aesthetic benefits. Disposable products are also a more sanitary alternative to the use of a sponge, washcloth, or other cleansing implement intended for extensive reuse, because such implements develop can bacterial growth, unpleasant odors, and other undesirable characteristics related to repeated use.
The articles of the present invention surprisingly provide effective cleansing as well as therapeutic or aesthetic benefits to the skin and hair in a convenient, inexpensive, and sanitary manner. The present invention provides the convenience of not needing to carry, store, or use both a separate cleansing implement (such as a washcloth or sponge) and a cleanser. The articles of the present invention can also provide a therapeutic or aesthetic benefit without the need for a separate benefit providing product. These articles are convenient to use because they are in the form of either a single, disposable personal care article or multiple disposable articles useful for cleansing as well as application of a therapeutic or aesthetic benefit agent. Moreover, these articles are suitable for use within or in conjunction with another cleansing implement which is designed for more extensive use. In this instance, the articles of the present invention are disposed within or attached to a separate cleansing implement which is not readily disposable, e.g., a bath towel or washcloth. In addition, the disposable articles of the present invention may be removeably attached to a handle or grip suitable for moving the article over the surface to be cleansed.
Although in preferred embodiments the articles of the present invention are suitable for personal care applications, they may be useful in a variety of other industries such as the automotive care, marine vehicle care, household care, dish care, animal care, etc. where surfaces or areas are in need of cleansing and/or application of a benefit agent, e.g., wax, conditioner, UV protectant, etc.
In preferred embodiments of the present invention, the articles are suitable for personal care applications and are useful for cleansing the skin, hair, and similar surfaces in need of cleansing. Consumers use these articles by wetting them with water and rubbing on the area to be cleansed. The article consists of a water insoluble substrate having a defined first layer and a second layer and a cleansing component containing a surfactant. Without being limited by theory, the substrate enhances lathering which in turn increases cleansing and exfoliation, and optimizes delivery and deposition of a therapeutic or aesthetic benefit agent which might be contained within the article.
The present invention relates to a disposable cleansing article comprising:
a) a water insoluble substrate comprising:
1) an apertured first layer wherein said first layer has a water flux rate of from about 0.4 cm3/cm2-s to about 20 cm3/cm2-s;
2) a second layer attached to said first layer; and
b) a cleansing component comprising one or more surfactants, said component disposed adjacent to said substrate.
The present invention also relates to a method of cleansing the skin and hair which comprises the steps of: a) wetting such articles with water and b) contacting the skin or hair with the wetted articles.
All percentages and ratios used herein, unless otherwise indicated, are by weight and all measurements made are at 25xc2x0 C., unless otherwise designated. The invention hereof can comprise, consist of, or consist essentially of, the essential as well as optional ingredients and components described therein.
All documents referred to herein, including patents, patent applications, and printed publications, are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety in this disclosure.