Personal care compositions substantially free of sulfated surfactants and containing a gel network

Abstract

A personal care composition substantially free of sulfated surfactants includes a dispersed gel network, a detersive surfactant, and water. The dispersed gel network includes one or more fatty alcohols, a gel network surfactant, and water. Methods of making a personal care composition are also disclosed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A personal care composition comprising:
 a dispersed gel network comprising:
 about 0.05% or more, by weight of the personal care composition, of one or more fatty alcohols, 
 about 0.01% or more, by weight of the personal care composition, of a gel network surfactant, the gel network surfactant selected from a first group consisting of anionic surfactants, cationic surfactants, amphoteric surfactants, zwitterionic surfactants, non-ionic surfactants, and mixtures thereof; and 
 water; 
   a detersive surfactant selected from a second group consisting of an anionic surfactants, cationic surfactants, amphoteric surfactants, zwitterionic surfactants, non-ionic surfactants, and mixtures thereof; and   liquid carrier; and   wherein the personal care composition is substantially free of sulfated surfactants.   
     
     
         2 . The personal care composition of  claim 1 , wherein the gel network surfactant and the detersive surfactant each independently comprise an isethionate, a sarcosinate, a sulfonate, a sulfosuccinate, a sulfoacetate, a glycinate, a glutamate, an ester, a carboxylate, an amphoacetate, a taurate, an acylamino acid, a betaine, a sultaine, or a mixture thereof. 
     
     
         3 . A personal care composition of  claim 1 , wherein the gel network surfactant comprises a phosphate ester. 
     
     
         4 . A personal care composition of  claim 1 , wherein the gel network surfactant comprises one or more of cetrimonium chloride, stearimonium chloride, behentrimonium chloride, behentrimonium methosulfate, behenamidopropyltrimonium methosulfate, stearamidopropyltrimonium chloride, arachidtrimonium chloride, and distearyldimonium chloride. 
     
     
         5 . A personal care composition of  claim 1 , wherein the gel network surfactant and the detersive surfactant are different. 
     
     
         6 . A personal care composition of  claim 1 , comprising about 5% or more, by weight of the personal care composition, of the detersive surfactant. 
     
     
         7 . A personal care composition of  claim 1 , wherein the dispersed gel network further comprises one or more fatty compounds selected from the group consisting of fatty amides, di-fatty ethers, fatty carbamates, fatty acids, fatty esters, fatty phosphorus compounds, fatty sorbitan derivatives, alkyl sulfoxides, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         8 . A personal care composition of  claim 1 , further comprising a stabilizing agent comprising one or more of trihydroxystearin, ethylene glycol distearate, citric, citrate, a preservative, sodium chloride, sodium benzoate, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (“EDTA”) or a salt thereof. 
     
     
         9 . A personal care composition of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more fatty alcohols comprise one or more of cetyl alcohol, stearyl alcohol, and behenyl alcohol. 
     
     
         10 . The personal care composition of  claim 1 , comprising about 5% to about 30%, by weight, of the detersive surfactant and gel network surfactant. 
     
     
         11 . A personal care composition of  claim 1 , further comprising a cationic polymer comprising one or more guar derivatives, synthetic derivatives, and cellulose derivatives. 
     
     
         12 . A personal care composition of  claim 1 , further comprising a silicone conditioning agent comprising one or more of dimethicone, dimethiconol, and an amino silicone. 
     
     
         13 . A personal care composition of  claim 1 , comprising about 1% to about 10%, by weight, of the one or more fatty alcohols and the gel network surfactant. 
     
     
         14 . The personal care composition of  claim 1 , wherein the personal care composition is a shampoo. 
     
     
         15 . The personal care composition of  claim 14 , wherein the shampoo removes more oil from hair than a similar personal care composition formed without the dispersed gel network. 
     
     
         16 . The personal care composition of  claim 14 , wherein the shampoo produces a higher volume of lather than a similar personal care composition formed without the dispersed gel network. 
     
     
         17 . The personal care composition of  claim 1 , wherein the personal care composition is substantially free of sulfates. 
     
     
         18 . A method of producing a personal care composition, the method comprising:
 a) combining one or more fatty alcohols and a gel network surfactant in a water solution in a weight ratio of about 1:10 to a ratio of about 40:1 at a temperature sufficient to allow partitioning of the gel network surfactant into the one or more fatty alcohols to form a mixture;   b) cooling the mixture to a temperature below the chain melt temperature of the one or more fatty alcohols to form a gel network; and   c) adding the gel network to a detersive surfactant and a liquid carrier to form a personal care composition; and   wherein the personal care composition is substantially free of sulfated surfactants.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the gel network surfactant and the detersive surfactant each independently comprise an isethionate, a sarcosinate, a sulfonate, a sulfosuccinate, a sulfoacetate, a glycinate, a glutamate, an ester, a carboxylate, an amphoacetate, a taurate, quaternium, behenyltrimethylammonium chloride, or a mixture thereof. 
     
     
         20 . A method of cleansing without sulfates, the method comprising:
 providing a personal care composition substantially free of sulfated surfactants comprising:
 a dispersed gel network comprising:
 about 0.05% or more, by weight of the personal care composition, of one or more fatty alcohols; 
 about 0.01% or more, by weight of the personal care composition, of a gel network surfactant, the gel network surfactant selected from a first group consisting of anionic surfactants, cationic surfactants, amphoteric surfactants, zwitterionic surfactants, non-ionic surfactants, and mixtures thereof; and 
 water; and 
 
 a detersive surfactant selected from a second group consisting of an anionic surfactants, cationic surfactants, amphoteric surfactants, zwitterionic surfactants, non-ionic surfactants, and mixtures thereof; and 
 liquid carrier; and 
   forming a lather with water and the personal care composition to clean a substrate; and   rinsing the lather out of the substrate.