Method and Kit For Depilation

Abstract

A depilatory kit having a protective composition, the protective composition comprising from 1% to 50% copolymer by weight of the protective composition, the copolymer comprising at least 50% by weight of the copolymer of monomers which have hydrophobic side-groups, each hydrophobic side-group comprising from 8 to 40 carbon atoms, and a depilatory composition comprising an effective amount of a keratin reducing agent.

1 . A depilatory kit comprising:
 (a) a protective composition, the protective composition comprising from about 1% to about 50% copolymer by weight of the protective composition, the copolymer comprising at least about 50% by weight of the copolymer of monomers which have hydrophobic side-groups, each hydrophobic side-group comprising from about 8 to about 40 carbon atoms,   (b) a depilatory composition comprising an effective amount of a keratin reducing agent.   
     
     
         2 . The kit of  claim 1 , wherein the protective composition comprises from about 1% to about 40% of the copolymer by weight of the protective composition. 
     
     
         3 . The kit of  claim 1 , wherein the protective composition comprises from about 3% to about 20% of the copolymer by weight of the protective composition. 
     
     
         4 . The kit of  claim 1 , wherein the copolymer comprises from about 50% to about 95% by weight of the copolymer of monomers which have hydrophobic side-groups comprising from about 8 to about 40 carbon atoms. 
     
     
         5 . The kit of  claim 1 , wherein the copolymer comprises from about 60% to about 90% by weight of the copolymer of monomers which have hydrophobic side-groups comprising from about 8 to about 40 carbon atoms. 
     
     
         6 . The kit of  claim 1 , wherein each hydrophobic side group comprises from about 8 to about 30 carbon atoms. 
     
     
         7 . The kit of  claim 1 , wherein the carbon-carbon bonds within the hydrophobic side-groups have a degree of unsaturation of less than about 50%. 
     
     
         8 . The kit of  claim 1 , wherein the carbon-carbon bonds within the hydrophobic side-groups are fully saturated. 
     
     
         9 . The kit of  claim 1 , wherein the hydrophobic side-groups comprise straight chain alkyl groups. 
     
     
         10 . The kit of  claim 1 , wherein the copolymer comprises monomers having formula (monomer A): 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
         and monomers having formula (monomer B): 
       
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
         where R is a hydrophobic side-group comprising a straight alkyl chain having from about 12 to about 30 carbon atoms and wherein the copolymer comprises from about 50% to about 99% by weight of monomer B. 
       
     
     
         11 . The kit of  claim 1 , wherein the copolymer comprises monomers having formula (monomer D): 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
         and monomers having formula (monomer E): 
       
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
         where R 1  is a hydrophobic side-group comprising a straight alkyl chain having from about 10 to about 30 carbon atoms; and monomers having formula (monomer F): 
       
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
         where R 2  is a hydrophobic side-group comprising a straight alkyl chain having from about 4 to about 26 carbon atoms, wherein the copolymer comprises from about 50% to about 99% by weight of the combination of monomers E and F. 
       
     
     
         12 . The kit of  claim 1 , wherein protective composition is an emulsion and the copolymer is comprised within the hydrophobic phase thereof. 
     
     
         13 . The kit of  claim 1 , wherein the keratin reducing agent is selected from the group consisting of potassium thioglycollate, calcium thioglycolate and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         14 . The kit of  claim 1 , additionally comprising the following instructions:
 (a) An instruction to apply the protective composition over an area of skin to be depilated;   (b) An instruction to massage the protective composition into the area of skin to be depilated for at least about 10 seconds;   (c) An instruction to apply the depilatory composition to the pre-treated area of skin to be depilated;   (d) An instruction to leave the depilatory composition in place on top of the protective composition for a period of at least about 1 minute;   (e) An instruction to remove both the protective composition and the depilatory composition from the skin, by scraping, wiping or rubbing it off.   (f) An instruction to treat the area of skin which has been depilated with a post-treatment skin care composition.   
     
     
         15 . A method of removing hair from skin comprising the steps of:
 (a) applying the protective composition defined in  claim 1  to an area of skin on which unwanted hair is growing.   (b) applying a depilatory composition to the area of skin to which the protective composition has been applied, the depilatory composition comprising a keratin reducing agent.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , comprising the following additional step between step (a) and step (b):
 (a1) massaging the protective composition into the skin for at least about 10 seconds.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , comprising the following additional step immediately following step (b):
 (c) leaving the depilatory composition in place on the protective composition for a period of at least about 1 minute.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claims 15 , wherein the keratin reducing agent is selected from the group consisting of potassium thioglycollate, calcium thioglycolate and mixtures thereof.