HYDROPHILIC COMPOSITIONS FOR USE ON ABSORBENT ARTICLES TO ENHANCE SKIN BARRIER
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the inclusion of lipidenriched, hydrophilic compositions with improved stability on the bodyfacing materials of disposable absorbent articles, such as diapers, training pants, adult incontinence products, underpants, feminine care products, nursing pads, wound dressings and similar articles having absorbent capacity. The present invention also relates to improving skin health by protecting and enhancing the barrier function of the skin through delivery of hydrophilic compositions from the bodyfacing materials of disposable absorbent articles to the skin. Prior to delivery to the skin, the compositions are stable on the bodyfacing materials. The compositions of the invention can also provide benefit to the barrier function of the
20
skin when they are incorporated into other skin-contacting materials such as tissues, wet wipes and cosmetic cleansing or buffing pads.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
25
The stratum corneum is the outer-most layer of the skin and is responsible for regulating skin water levels and functioning as a barrier against chemicals and other stress agents found in the environment. The complex arrangement of lipids in the intercellular space of the stratum corneum is 30 responsible for the establishment of normal barrier function. Multi-layered structures of cholesterol, ceramides and fatty acids, as well as some other minor lipids, provide the major barrier to the transport of substances into or through the skin. The overall structure of the stratum corneum acts as the frontline barrier to the skin. The link between skin barrier function and skin health is apparent from the skin inflammation caused by lipid extraction from the skin. That is, when skin barrier function is impaired, the other layers of the skin can be injured and have a response to that injury in 40 the form of inflammation.
In the area of skin health, it is known to apply lipidcontaining compositions to the skin in order to enhance the barrier function of the stratum corneum. This approach is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,643,899 issued to Elias et al. on 45 Jul. 1, 1997. For some time, those of skill in the art have believed that it is necessary to apply all three of the lipid components of the stratum corneum (cholesterol, ceramides and fatty acids) to the skin in order to replenish and repair the skin and in order to not affect the normal repair processes 50 of the skin. In particular, ceramides are believed to be very important. In fact, the art teaches that if fewer than all three of the components are used in a skin composition, the composition could actually compromise or delay repair of the barrier. 55
In U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/382,018 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,475,197 filed Aug. 24, 1999, various compositions for improving skin health are described, including compositions suitable for use in conjunction with absorbent articles. The compositions in patent application Ser. No. 60 09/382,018 were found to provide benefits for skin health. The compositions were described as containing a variety of potential components and, in some forms, the compositions included natural fats and oils, sterols and sterol derivatives, humectants and surfactants. These compositions have been 65 found to improve skin health even though they do not necessarily include any ceramides. Efficacy without ceram
ides was unexpected. Though the exact mechanism of functionality was not known, one hypothesis was that strongly hydrophilic components of the compositions, including hydrophilic solvent and high molecular weight polyethylene glycols, provided an overall composition that attracted water and that acted as a carrier to bring the lipid components into the skin. The surfactant and humectant components were believed to emulsify the lipid components into the composition. Further, these compositions included fatty alcohols that, together with the high molecular weight polyethylene glycols, were used to solidify the overall composition and to minimize the migration of the compositions into the nonwoven materials of the absorbent articles.
Therefore, benefits and improvements to skin health have been observed when compositions containing the lipids naturally present in the stratum corneum are applied to the skin. Though the exact mechanisms are not known, one hypothesis is that the lipids being applied with the compositions are replenishing lipids that have been lost from the stratum corneum as a result of physical or biological insults. Another hypothesis is that the lipids being applied with the compositions are providing additional lipids to the stratum corneum resulting in better protection against insults. The stratum corneum of the skin is constantly exposed to physical and biological insults that could have a negative effect on barrier function.
Absorbent articles such as diapers, training pants, incontinence products and feminine care products are worn such that they are in direct contact with the skin of the wearer. An unavoidable consequence of the use of absorbent articles is that the skin is exposed more directly to various physical and biological insults. Consequently, the barrier function of the skin covered by the absorbent article is put at risk. In order to provide disposability, absorbent articles are primarily constructed of nonwoven materials. Even though nonwoven materials are engineered to have soft hand and drape, they rub against the skin and there is friction. Such friction constitutes one form of physical insult to the skin barrier. Friction against the skin barrier also occurs with the use of absorbent tissues and wipes. Absorbent tissue and wipe products are frequently used for cleansing the skin areas covered by absorbent articles. Absorbent tissue and wipe products are necessary for removing biological waste materials from the skin.
In addition to these physical insults, skin covered by absorbent articles is also frequently exposed to biological insults. Biological fluids, such as urine, feces, vaginal secretions and nasal secretions, may contain a variety of components that can damage the skin barrier. Examples of these components include proteases, lipases and bile acids. Once the skin barrier is compromised, these components, in addition to other constituents of biological fluids, can initiate or exacerbate inflammation of the skin.
Diaper dermatitis is a genre of skin conditions that, in large part, originate from impaired skin barrier function. Impairment of the skin barrier can result from a variety of factors, including: increased skin hydration due to the occlusion of the skin caused by diapers, enzymatic skin damage due to fecal and urinary enzymes, and physical damage caused by friction against the diaper surface and repeated cleaning of the skin with absorbent tissues or wet wipes.
Excessive hydration of the skin also has a negative effect on the skin barrier. The hydration level of diapered skin, for example, may reach between five to ten times that of undiapered skin. Frequent contact of diapered skin with urine may also contribute to increased skin hydration.
3
Increased skin hydration disrupts skin lipid organization in the stratum corneum. This disruption may increase the permeability of the skin to irritants from feces and urine, thus increasing the risk of skin inflammation.
Disposable absorbent articles such as diapers, training 5 pants, adult incontinence products, absorbent under pants, feminine care products and nursing pads have been used to absorb body fluids and leave the skin dry. Disposable absorbent articles of this type generally include a liquid impermeable backsheet member, an absorbent core or 1° assembly, and a liquid permeable body facing or liner material. The body facing or liner material comes into contact with the wearer's skin. While the body facing material is made of a soft, compliant material, the material rubs against the skin during use and may not leave the skin :5 completely dry and free of the bodily fluids, such as solid or semi-solid waste, the absorbent article is trying to absorb. During frequent insults of bodily fluids and frequent use of disposable absorbent articles, the skin can become irritated and appear red and be sore to the touch. 20
Creams, lotions or ointments can be used to provide an artificial hydrophobic barrier on the skin and to treat skin conditions such as diaper rash. Application of these types of products to the skin is often messy and inconvenient. Often, these products are not used prophylactically and are only 25 used when signs of diaper rash are visible.
Diaper liners and other bodyfacing materials may be treated with emollients, such as petrolatum, that can be transferred to the skin through normal diapering practices. 3Q Once transferred to the skin, diaper liner formulations may provide an artificial barrier against feces and urine. These formulations may require high concentrations of petrolatum to ensure sufficient transfer to the skin to provide a benefit. High concentrations of petrolatum can be messy, greasy to 3J the touch, and may impair the fluid handling properties of an absorbent article, such as a diaper. The slow penetration of petrolatum into the skin can lead to smearing of the agent over the skin and onto clothes and other materials.
Formulations, such as those containing petrolatum, are 40 applied to the bodyfacing materials of absorbent articles during manufacture. In order to process and apply the formulations to the bodyfacing materials, the formulations need to be in a semi-solid or fluid state. However, in order to have stability on the bodyfacing material after 45 manufacture, the formulations need to be semi-solid or solid across a wide range of shipping and storage temperatures. Not all of the presently known formulations are sufficiently stable on the bodyfacing materials. Consequently, such formulations may transfer off of the bodyfacing material 50 prematurely or the formulations may migrate away from the skin-facing surfaces of the materials.
Thus, what is needed is a topically effective composition delivered from a bodyside or bodyfacing material of an absorbent article that protects, maintains, recovers or other- 55 wise benefits skin barrier function against physical damage and irritants in biological fluids. It would also be desirable to provide a topical composition delivered from a bodyside material of an absorbent article that absorbs into the skin, is non-greasy and cosmetically acceptable to the consumer. 60 Additionally, it would be desirable to provide a topical composition having improved stability on the bodyside material of an absorbent article. Further, it would be desirable to provide a topical composition delivered from a bodyside material of an absorbent article that does not 65 impair the waste containment functions of the absorbent article.
4
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In response to the difficulties and problems discussed above, compositions and the use of those compositions on absorbent articles for improving the barrier function of the skin have been discovered. The compositions of the invention provide several benefits associated with barrier function including protecting, strengthening, restoring and repairing the skin barrier. While the compositions of the inventions can have a variety of applications, the compositions are particularly beneficial when used in conjunction with absorbent articles such as diapers, incontinence garments, feminine care products, training pants, diaper pants, nursing pads and wound dressings. Additionally, the compositions of the invention could also provide benefits when used in conjunction with tissue, pre-moistened wipe products and cosmetic cleansing and buffing pads. A further benefit of the compositions of the invention is that the compositions show improved stability during processing and application to an article. The purposes and advantages of the present invention will be set forth in and apparent from the description that follows, as well as will be learned by practice of the invention. Additional advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by the compositions and articles particularly pointed out in the written description and claims hereof, as well as from the appended drawings.
In one aspect, the present invention relates to an absorbent article that includes an outer cover, a bodyside liner, an absorbent body and a composition. The bodyside liner is typically liquid permeable and defines a bodyfacing surface. The bodyside liner is connected in a generally superposed relation to the outer cover. The absorbent body is located between the bodyside liner and the outer cover. The composition is on a portion or the entire bodyfacing surface of the bodyside liner. The composition can be generally solid or semi-solid. The composition may be in a variety of forms, including, but not limited to, emulsions, lotions, creams, ointments, salves, suspensions, encapsulations, gels and the like. The composition can be applied to the bodyside liner using a variety of techniques including foam application, spraying, slot coating and printing. The present invention also encompasses technology that would permit integration of the composition directly with fibers or other materials used to form the bodyside liner. The compositions can be applied to the bodyfacing surface in amounts of from about 0.1 grams per meter squared (g/m2) to about 30 g/m2.
The compositions of the invention could also be applied to or be present on other skin contacting surfaces of absorbent articles such as the waist and leg elastics and the containment flaps. The compositions can include from about 10 to about 90 percent by weight of one or more hydrophilic solvents. More specifically, the compositions can include from about 25 to about 75 percent by weight of hydrophilic solvents. Desirably, the compositions of the invention can include from about 30 to about 60 percent by weight of hydrophilic solvents. Hydrophilic solvents include, but are not limited to, water, propylene glycol, low molecular weight polyethylene glycols (molecular weights of less than 720 daltons and liquid at room temperature), methoxyisopropanol, PPG-2 propyl ether, PPG-2 butyl ether, PPG-2 methyl ether, PPG-3 methyl ether, dipropylene glycol propyl ether, dipropylene glycol butyl ether, dipropylene glycol, methyl propanediol, propylene carbonate, water soluble/dispersible polypropylene glycols, ethoxylated polypropylene glycol, glycerin, sorbitol solutions, hydrogenated starch hydrolysate, silicone glycols and mixtures of such compounds.
|
