Thin film strips

Abstract

A method of forming a thin film strip and thin film strips formed thereby where the method comprises coating a liner substrate with a wet slurry of film forming ingredients and other components and drying the wet slurry in a drying apparatus to form a film, measuring the moisture content of the film either during of upon exit from the drying apparatus, and storing the film in a minimal moisture loss environment during a curing process.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A lightweight product composed of a mixture of film forming ingredients and cosmetic or skin care components manufactured by a method comprising:
 coating a liner substrate with a wet slurry of the mixture of film forming ingredients and cosmetic or skin care components;   drying the wet slurry in a drying oven to form a film;   measuring a moisture content of the film as the film exists in the drying oven; and   storing the film in a minimal moisture loss environment during a curing process;   wherein the lightweight product is in the form of a sheet comprising multiple layers of laminated film where each of the layers comprises at least one solid polymer selected from low-temperature-melt polymers and liquid soluble polymers, such polymer having at least one cosmetic or skin care component dispersed throughout the polymer matrix, and   wherein for each of the layers, skin care active components are selected from the same and different cosmetic or skin care active components.   
     
     
         2 . The lightweight product of  claim 1  where the polymer is at least one solid low temperature melt polymer. 
     
     
         3 . The lightweight product of  claim 1  where the polymer is at least one liquid soluble polymer. 
     
     
         4 . The lightweight product of  claim 3  where the polymer is at least one water soluble polymer. 
     
     
         5 . The lightweight product of  claim 1  comprising at least two polymers. 
     
     
         6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 . The lightweight product of  claim 1  where the laminated film contains layers laminated on top of each other. 
     
     
         8 . The lightweight product of  claim 1  where the laminated film contains layers laminated side by side. 
     
     
         9 . A lightweight cosmetic or skin care product composed of a mixture of film forming ingredients and cosmetic or skin care components and prepared by:
 coating a liner substrate with a wet slurry of the mixture of film forming ingredients and one or more cosmetic or skin care components;   drying the wet slurry in a drying oven to form a film;   measuring a moisture content of the film as the film exists in the drying oven; and   storing the film in a minimal moisture loss environment during a curing process;   wherein the lightweight product comprises multiple layers of laminated film, each layer comprising dehydrated or encapsulated cosmetic or skin care active components dispersed within the matrix of a liquid soluble film forming polymer, and   wherein each layer of the lightweight product contains one or more of the same or different cosmetic or skin care active components.   
     
     
         10 . The product of  claim 9  combined with sufficient liquid to dissolve the film forming polymer and release the one or more cosmetic or skin care active components. 
     
     
         11 . The product of  claim 10  where the liquid is water. 
     
     
         12 . The product of  claim 1  where the thickness of the film is in the range of from about 0.25 to about 12 mils. 
     
     
         13 . The product of  claim 1  where the thickness of the film is in the range of from about 0.5 to about 2 mils. 
     
     
         14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . The lightweight product of  claim 1 , wherein the layers of laminated film include at least one outer layer and at least one inner layer, the inner layers including a higher loading of cosmetic and skin care components than the outer layers. 
     
     
         19 . The lightweight product of  claim 1 , wherein the layers of laminated film include a bottom, a middle and a top layer, the bottom layer having a high plasticizer content, the middle layer a high active loading content and the top layer a high plasticizer content. 
     
     
         20 . The lightweight product of  claim 1 , wherein an active in one laminate layer is inter-reactive with an active in another laminate layer. 
     
     
         21 . The lightweight product of  claim 9 , wherein the layers of laminated film include at least one outer layer and at least one inner layer, the inner layers including a higher loading of cosmetic and skin care active components that the outer layers. 
     
     
         22 . The lightweight product of  claim 9 , wherein the layers of laminated film include a bottom layer, a middle layer and a top layer, the bottom layer having a high plasticizer content, the middle layer a high active loading content and the top layer a high plasticizer content. 
     
     
         23 . The lightweight product of  claim 1  comprising from 3 to 5 layers of laminated film. 
     
     
         24 . The lightweight product of  claim 9  comprising from 3 to 5 layers of laminated film.