1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of cosmetics in general and hair care and conditioning compositions in particular.
2- Background of the Invention
As a field of knowledge, Cosmetology has been known to the mankind from time immemorial. The art or profession of applying cosmetics has been described in many ancient textbooks and there has been a constant attempt to improve upon the known and existing products and processes intended for beautification. There was a radical shift in understanding the role of cosmetics in human life in the recent past whereby cosmetic preparations were began to be considered as part of health care systems. This change in the approach towards cosmetics compelled to think in terms of making natural and harmless cosmetics. Consequently, cosmetics based on synthetic chemical compositions started giving way to cosmetics based on natural herbal compositions.
Although many a traditional use of plant extracts in relation to cosmetic health care systems were known, there were considerable scope for improving substantially, the known use of naturally occurring substances including plant extracts, thereby giving rise to novel compositions exhibiting new cosmetic indications. It is against this background, the present invention for an improved hair care and conditioning composition and process for preparation ttiereof has been made. The present invention specifically relates to herbal extract having use in hair care for toning-up hair and scalp to arrest excessive hair fall and preventing dandruff thereby promoting hair growth. Hence the present invention is extremely useful and it is commercially viable. The process for the preparation of this herbal hair care and conditioning composition and the resultant product thereof exhibit adequate element of novelty and the present invention is sufficiently distinctive from the known art in this area.
Related Art
The most closely related art in this area is contained in the description of some of the qualities in isolation and not in the compound as it is, of the specific ingredients of this herbal extract. These prior art disclosures have been contained in the basic treatises on 'Ayurveda'. Also, processes for the preparation of oil-based cosmetic preparations are described in the Ayurvedic Formulary of India, [Ref. the Ayurvedic Formulary of India, p. 99] according to which, there are three essential compositions for the preparation of herbal oil or "Taila". These compositions are liquid compositions or drava, composition in paste form or kalka and herbal oil compositions or sneha dravya. The proportion between the solid ingredients and the liquid ingredients in the case of preparation of herbal oil composition is described in the Ayurvedic Formulary of India [ibid]. Herbal oil preparations are of three kinds on the basis of density. They are Mrdu paka, Madhyama paka and Khara paka, light, medium, and deep respectively. Preparation of each such variety of herbal oil require different quantities of water which is four to sixteen times of the herbal materials used. In addition in cases where milk is used for Paka (processing) it has to be put in for a minimum period of two days.
It is described in the Samgadhara Samhita [p. 116, Ch. IX] that medicated oil is prepared by mixing paste of herbs, fa;7am and the decoction of the herbs are mixed at ratios 1:4:4. The decoction is prepared by boiling the herbs with four times of its water and reduced it to a quarter. The quantity of water used for boiling and extraction of the medicinal properties from the herbs depends upon the nature of the herbs from which it is to be extracted.
According to the known literature in this field of invention, the admixture of the known and naturally occurring subject matters including herbal plant extracts exhibit the qualities of the ingredients thereof and do not exhibit a novel feature independent of the features of the ingredients thereof. The present invention is substantially distinctive from the known processes and products in the area of natural herbal hair care preparations based on herbal plant extracts as it exhibits cosmetic indications
like anti-dandruff, hair root and scalp stimulation distinctively from the ingredients thereof.
Further, the process herein employed is substantially different from known processes for oil based herbal preparations for topical applications. The therapeutic properties of the herbal ingredients are largely dependent on their solvency in the medium. The better the ingredients are dissolved in the medium of oil, the higher the medicinal effect of the resultant composition.
The Patent prior art survey did not bring out many identical disclosures. One of the Indian disclosures in this area describes a process for preparing herbal hair oil by mere admixture of plant extracts. [Ref. Indian Patent Application Numbered 241 Bom. 93, titled Process of Preparing Herbal Hair Oil in the name of Ms. Humauunisa Begum Edross Aloi]. This patent application was addressed to a process for the preparation of herbal hair oil by way of mixing eight herbal plant extracts of given quantity, soaking the same in water, drying the extracts thereafter, boiling the extracts in water, extracting the base oil and filtering the extract. The herbs used in this process are Acacia concinnal, Phyllanthus amblica, Viscum monoicum, Centella asiatica, Indian myretta. Euphorbia hirta, Maidenhair fern. Acacia nilotica and Cocunut oil (Base oil). The present invention relates to a distinctive process and different ingredients, thereby distinctive over the art described in the prior patent.
At present, a number of hair care compositions are available in India, the particulars of the available products are provided hereunder with a view to distinguish the present invention from these known products and ingredients thereof.
(Table Removed)
The ingredients that form part of the base composition are:-
Emblica officinalis,
Terminalia belerica,
Terminalia chebula,
Azadirachta indica,
Lawsonia inermis,
Hydrocotyl asiatica,
Hedychium spicatum,
Nardostachys jatamansi; and
Hibiscus rosa-sinensis
Milk and Water also form part of the composition. These basic ingredients are further added up with Coconut Oil and or any Vegetable oils and Sugandhit dravayas (Rosemary Oil, Lemon oil).
The uses of the above mentioned ingredients in isolation and not in combination as described herein have been cited in some of the prior disclosures.
Emblica officinalis
The known disclosures on Emblica, apart from the basic Sanskrit Treatises on Ayurveda, include Rao, R: Siddiqui, HH; Pharmacological Studies on Emblica Officinalis, Indian J Exp Biol 2 1: 29-31 (1964) [Dept. Chem. Tech. Univ Bombay, India]. This disclosure deals with the pharmacological analysis of Emblica officinalis. The chemical properties of Emblica has been disclosed in Pillai, PP:lyer, K.M; A Chemical Examination of Emblica Officinalis, Curr Sci 27 : 266=267 (1958) [Dept.
Appl. Chem, Univ Kerala, India]. Further the various therapeutic and cosmetic indications of Emblica Officinalis have been disclosed in Siddique, HH; Pharmacological Studies on Emblica Officinalis, Bull Islamic Med : 471-478 (1981), (New Delhi, India)].
The available information indicates that Emblica is known for its use in preventing premature graying of hair, scalp stimulation and it also acts as a hair-conditioning agent. However, there is no literature available in respect of amplifying these indications of Emblica by using it in composition with the ingredients disclosed here. The reasons for Emblica exhibiting such added faculties also include the novel process employed herein that Increases considerably the oil solubility of the ingredient.
Emblica officinalis, Terminalia belerica & Terminalia chebula (Trifia)
It's a mixture of three types of fruits namely Amia, Bahera & Harar. A number of chemical compounds like Gallic acid. Glucose, Vitamin-C, Chebulinic acid, Tannic acid etc. are present in Triphala. Tannin present in Trifala prevents the deterioration of Vitamin-C. Trifala helps in growing long and black hair. It prevents greying and loss of hair due to split ends. It nourishes when hair oil is made with Triphala. Bhandari, Chandraraj, Visharad Vanaushadi [An Encyclopedia of Indian Botanies and herbs, Pp-132 and P-161; Pandey, G.S., Bhavprakash Nighantu, Pp-8-11 and Pp. 329-331; Misra, Bhav. Shri., Bhavprakash, Part 1, p-559-560; Tiwari, D.N., Monograph of Neem, p-115, 188]
Azadirachta indica (Neem)
Neem is well known since ancient times for its antiseptic properties. It controls dandruff and scalp infections and prevents hair loss and premature greying. The principle constituent is sulphur a very bitter yellowish substance which was suspected to be an alkaloid, resins, glycosides and fatty acids. The sulphur containing compounds are good nutrients to the hair. Nimbidin, a bitter principle inhibits the growth of fungus. Oil has a considerable amount of tocopherol which is termed as Vitamin-E. The hair oil containing oil of margosa is reported to prevent
baldness and greying of hair. [Tiwari, D.N., Monograph of Neem, Pp-115, 188.6; Pandey, G.S., Bhavprakash Nighantu, Pp-329 - 331].
Lawsonia inermis (Henna)
Henna or mehndi has been used In perfumery since ancient times. Leaves yield a colouring matter (henna dye) and a kind of tannin (hanno-tannic acid). There is a glucoside (lawsone) present in the plant. Henna Is cooling, antifugal, conditions the hair scalp, prevents the hair fall and makes the hair healthy and lustrous. [Dr. K.M. Nadkarni's The Indian Matria Medica, p-731; SPC Journal March 94, p-69]
Hydrocotyl asiatica (Brahmi)
Useful components are alkaloid (hydrocotyline), glycoside(asiaticoside), resin, organic acid and oily substances. Brahmi tones up the supply of adequate quantities of blood to scalp thereby providing necessary growth factors [Chopra's Indigenous Drugs of India, p-352, 2nd Ed.; Pandey, G.S., Bhavprakash Nighantu, p-462-463]. Hedychium spicatum (Kapurkachri)
It is antiseptic, anti-inflammatory and promotes hair growth. The principal consistent of this essential oil is ethyl ester of para-methoxy cinnamic acid. It is good nutrient and stimulating agent.
Hibiscus rosa-sinensis [Jabaphool]
The Flowers are astringent, emollient, brain tonic. They are useful in vitiated condition of Kapha, Pitta boils, inflammation and skin diseases. Flowers are useful as a stimulating application for the growth and good color of hair. [K.M. Nadkarni's The Indian Matria Medica, p-631; Indian Medicinal Plants, Vol.3, 1995 by Orient Longman, p149].
Nardostachys jatamansi (Jatamansi)
Principal constituents reported are jatamansone, jatamansic acid, aristolene, calorene, alkaloid-actinidin & valeranone. It promotes the growth and blackness of hair. [Dr. K.M. Nadkarni's The Indian Matria Medica, p-841; Misra, Bhav, Shir, Bhavprakash, Part-I, p.241, 1-3, Pp.240-241].
Lemon Oil
Oil of Lemon is stimulant & rubefacient when applied externally. Lemon Oil is antimicrobial, antiseptic, astringent, insecticidal, bactericidal in action, greatly improve bad memory. It cures many causes of headache. It stimulates hair bulb to renewed activity and prevents premature baldness. It forms an effectual remedy for the prevention of scurf and dandruff. [Wealth of India, Vol.11, p-191; The Illustrated Encyclopedia of essential oils by Julia Lawless, p-57,120].
Rosemary Oil
Rosemary oil is anti-microbial, antiseptic, astringent in action. It is cordial, reputed to stimulate the blood, eyes, hair and memory. It has a beneficial effect on brain, its constant use will greatly improve bad memory. It cures many causes of headaches. It stimulates hair bulb to renewed activity and prevent premature baldness. It forms and effectual remedy for the prevention of scurf and dandruff. [A Modern Herbal by Mrs. M. Grieves, p-681-683; The Illustrated Encyclopedia of essential oils by Julia Lawless, p-209; Handbook of Medicinal Herbs by J. A. Duke, p-412].
3 The Detailed Description of the Invention
The present invention relates to herbal hair care and conditioning composition and process for preparing the same. The invention involves identification and selection of the ingredients, arriving at a specific proportion of the ingredients and subjecting the ingredients to the process described herein.
Chemical tests were conducted to identify the chemical compositions of these herbs. Four batches of herbal care composition by conventional and novel process were examined by TLC to ascertain the efficiency of the composition.
The process is further illustrated herein. Shake 25 gm of herbal oil with 10 ml of methanol for 10 minutes in a stoppered test tube. Allow the two layers to separate. Draw off the methanol layer carefully and filter through Whatman filter paper no.42.
Mobile Phase:
Petroleum spirit 40-60°C AR 50
Ethyl Acetate AR 50
Formic Acid AR 02
Procedure: Apply 20µ1 of methanol extract on silica gel F254 (Merck) plate. Develop the plate in the above mobile phase and examined under UV light. Then this plate is scanned and the resultant graph is as shown in Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4.
This test proved that the present invention is more effective when compared to the known products and processes in this area.
The name and proportions of the ingredients, essential and Optional, as above mentioned, as contained in the composition are as follows:-
% By weight (of the base oil) Essential Ingredients:
Emblica officinalis 0.01 % - 5.00%
Terminalia belerica 0.01 % - 5.00%
Terminalia chebula 0.01 % - 5.00%
Azadirachta indica 0.01 % - 5.00%
Lawsonia inermis 0.01 % - 5.00%
Hydrocotyl asiatica 0.01 % - 5.00%
Hedychium spicatum 0.01 % - 5.00%
Water 5.00%-10.00%
Sugandhit Dravyas 0.02% -1.00%
(Lemon Oil,
Rosemary Oil)
Coconut Oil and or any Vegetable Oils to make 100.00%
Optional Ingredients:
Nardostachys jatamansi 0.01 % - 5.00%
Hibiscus rosa-sinensis 0.01 % - 5.00%
Milk 0.20% - 2.00%
The invention involves the mixing of the above ingredients in the above proportion. Thereafter the mixed up ingredients are conditioned with milk and water for approximately 2-3 hours. Subsequently the conditioned admixture is mixed with coconut oil and or any vegetable oils. The mixture is heated up and the temperature level is maintained 2-3 hrs between 55 - 70°C and then increasing the temperature of the mixture to 100 - 115°C so that the water content in the mixture is completely evaporated away. The mixture is thereafter allowed to cool down to a temperature of 40-50°C. Sugandhit Dravyas are further added to the above herbal Taila by the use of a mechanical stirrer. All the herbal ingredients other than Milk, Water, Sugandhit Dravyas and Coconut oil and or any Vegetable Oil are added up in powder form.
The process employed herein when compared to the known conventional processes in this area is different. In conventional processes for preparing a herbal oil, the quantity of water used is four to sixteen times of the herbal materials. The resultant admixture is then boiled with taila until it becomes moisture-free. To render the resultant admixture moisture-free, the composition needs to be subjected to heat for approximately 12-16 hrs. In the instance of use milk for Paka (processing), there shall be an additional processing period of two days. The current process employs a limited quantity of water and the composition is conditioned only for 2 - 3 hrs. This time line is sufficient to extract oil soluble active ingredients in taila. Further the composition becomes moisture-free within approximately 4 hrs. This substantial deviation in the current as compared to conventional processes for preparing herbal
oils, provides various additional benefits including better commercial viability. The continuous heating of the composition in conventional process to make it moisture-free takes 16 hours or so results in the taila becoming rancid. Therefore the present invention/ novel process is more effective, viable and commercially useful when compared to the known conventional processes in this area.
Various clinical trials conducted prove that the present invention brings out herbal hair care composition and the process for its preparation involving an effective, useful and novel composition and process. Clinical study among male and female volunteers was conducted to assess the efficacy of herbal hair care composition. The tests reveal that: -
(a) Regular usage of this hair oil was found to reduce the fall of hair by nearly 50% in men and women in this study.
(b) This hair oil application improves the overall health of the scalp in men and women as evidenced by the gross visible reduction in dandruff.
(c) This hair oil improves the nourishment at the root of the hair as is reflected by the reduction in the hair with split ends.
(d) This hair oil does not cause any kind of adverse effect on the scalp.
In vitro studies are also conducted on samples prepared by both conventional and
novel process.
Methods:
Treatment of mouse skin with oil in vitro.
Protocol of Experiments:
In vitro histoculture experimental:
a) A BALB/c [a stain of mouse characterized by white (albino) hair] strain of mouse was used for this experiment wherein its back was shaved carefully taking precaution of not damaging the skin.
b) The animal was sacrificed and mounted on a dissection board with the back facing upwards and skin carefully washed with 70% alcohol and wiped dry immediately with sterile gauze.
c) The shaven area of the skin was dissected with the help of a sterile incision blade.
d) The skin was thoroughly washed in RPMI 1640 culture medium [the culture medium supporting growth of tissue] containing high concentration of antibiotics streptomycin and penicillin and anti-lungal amphotericin B. The washing was serially done in 2-3 petri dishes to ensure decontamination, if any.
e) The skin was cut into small pieces measuring approximately 1 cm2.
f) Agarose (Tissue culture grade) was prepared at 1% concentration by autoclaving. When sufficiently cool, it was mixed with RPMI 1640 medium containing 20% fetal calf serum. This was then layered in a 6 well tissue culture plate (Nunc).
g) After the gelling of this layer, 2ml of collagen was added on top.
h) The previously washed and cut pieces of skin were gently placed in each of the 6 wells of the culture plate with the dermis facing down [Figure 5]
1) The plate was incubated for 24 hrs at 37°C in a C02 incubator.
j) Herbal Care Composition by Conventional process (CP) was solubilized in Polyethylene Glycol and sterilized by placing under ultraviolet light for 12 hrs.
k) 50µl of above solution was added to 2 wells and in the same way 50µl of Herbal Care Composition by Novel process (NP) was added to 2 wells while to the remaining wells only PEG was added which served as controls.
1) Hair growth was microscopically monitored everyday.
Results
The culture plate was microscopically observed every day to look for any differences in hair growth between CP & NP. By day 3, hair growth was seen in both the groups but no significant difference was observed. However by day 7, the NP treated group exhibited a higher rate of growth compared to the CP. And in the case of control the
hair growth was very less. The difference in the density, thickness and length of the hair between NP [Figure 6], CP [Figure 7] & Control [Figure 8] was evident.

We Claim:
1. A process for preparing an improved hair care and conditioning
composition, the process comprising:
mixing the pastes, powders or solvent extracts of 0.01%-5.00% by weight of EmbHca officinaUs, 0.01%-5.00% by weight of TerminaHa belerica, 0.01%-5.00% by weight of Terminalia chebula, 0.01%-5.00% by weight of Azadirachta indica, 0.01%-5.00% by weight of Lawsonia inermis, 0.01%-5.00% by weight of Hydrocotyl asiatica, 0.01%-5.00% by weight of Hedychium spicatum to form a mixture;
optionally adding the paste, powders or solvent extract of Nardostachys jatamansi and/or Hibiscus rosa-sinensis
conditioning the mixture in water and milk for 2-3 hours;
mixing the resultant with a vegetable oil;
heating the resultant at 55-70°C for 2-3 hrs;
heating the resultant at l00-ll5°C for the water content to evaporate away;
cooHng the resultant to 40-50°C;
filtering the resultant; and
adding sugandhit dravyas to obtain the improved hair care and conditioning composition.
2. The process for preparing an improved hair care and conditioning composition as claimed in claim I, wherein the proportion by weight of the paste, powders or solvent extract of Nardostachys jatamansi ranges between 0.01% - 5.00%.
3. The process for preparing the improved hair care and conditioning composition as claimed in claim 1, wherein the proportion by weight of the paste, powders or solvent extract of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis ranges between 0.01% - 5.00%.
4. The process for preparing the improved hair care and conditioning composition as claimed in claim 1, wherein the proportion by weight of water ranges between 5-10%.
5. The process for preparing the improved hair care and conditioning composition as claimed in claim 1, wherein the proportion by weight of sugandhit dravya varies from 0.02-1.00%.
6. The process for preparing the improved hair care and conditioning composition as claimed in claim 1, wherein the proportion by weight of milk varies between 0.20-2.00%.