Treating hair by targeting enzymes

Abstract

The invention provides the use of a hair benefit agent as an ingredient in a topical hair treatment composition for the purpose of targeting an active endogenous hair fibre enzyme when the composition is applied to the hair, thereby delivering a hair benefit via the interaction of the hair benefit agent with the enzyme.

1 . The use of a hair benefit agent as an ingredient in a topical hair treatment composition for the purpose of targeting an active endogenous hair fibre enzyme when the composition is applied to the hair, thereby delivering a hair benefit via the interaction of the hair benefit agent with the enzyme.  
     
     
         2 . The use according to  claim 1 , in which the hair benefit agent is a catalytic substrate for endogenous hair fibre transgltaminase.  
     
     
         3 . The use according to  claim 2 , in which the catalytic substrate for endogenous hair fibre transgltaminase is selected from the group consisting of lysine, polylysine having a molecular weight ranging from 100 to 2,000, lauroyllysine, soya amine, hydrogenated tallow amine, stearyl amine, tallow amine, oleyl amine, hexadecylamine, octadecylamine, and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         4 . The use according to  claim 1 , in which the hair benefit agent is an inhibitor of endogenous hair fibre protease.  
     
     
         5 . The use according to  claim 4 , in which the inhibitor of endogenous hair fibre protease is a cystatin or mixture of cystatzins.  
     
     
         6 . The use according to  claim 1 , in which the hair benefit agent is a catalytic substrate for endogenous hair fibre protease.  
     
     
         7 . The use according to  claim 6 , in which the catalytic substrate for endogenous hair fibre protease contains at least 12% by weight based on total weight of the amino acids lysine, histidine and/or arginine, either singly or in admixture.  
     
     
         8 . The use according to  claim 1 , in which the hair benefit agent is a catalytic substrate for endogenous hair fibre lipase.  
     
     
         9 . The use according to  claim 8 , in which the catalytic substrate for endogenous hair fibre lipase is selected from the group consisting of triglycerides derived from fatty acids having 8 to 22 carbon atoms.  
     
     
         10 . The use according to  claim 9 , in which the fatty acids are selected from the group consisting of pelargonic, lauric, myristic, palmitic, stearic, isostearic, 12-hydroxystearic, oleic, linoleic, ricinoleic, 18-methyleicosanoic, arachidonic, behenic and erucic acids and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         11 . The use according to  claim 1 , in which the hair benefit agent is an activator for endogenous hair fibre steroid sulphatase.  
     
     
         12 . The use according to  claim 1 , in which the hair benefit agent is an activator for endogenous hair fibre catalase.  
     
     
         13 . The use according to  claim 1 , in which the hair benefit agent is an inhibitor for endogenous hair fibre catalase.  
     
     
         14 . The use according to  claim 1 , in which the hair benefit agent is a catalytic substrate for endogenous hair esterase.  
     
     
         15 . The use according to  claim 14 , in which the catalytic substrate for endogenous hair esterase is selected from the group consisting of perfumes, colourants, antioxidants, lipids and amino acids and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         16 . The use according to  claim 1 , in which the topical hair treatment composition is in the form of a shampoo composition comprising one or more cleansing surfactants, or a conditioner comprising one or more conditioning surfactants.