Leather & textile chemicals

A cool approach to well-being with textiles

Dr Raymond Mathis and Dr Annette Mehling of Cognis introduce the concept of cosmetotextiles
extiles are an important interface between human beings and the surrounding world and can contribute considerably to feeling protected and comfortable. Conventionally, they do this via a good fit, proper thermal and moisture management and a pleasant handle. Today, however, modern finishes can transform textiles into delivery systems for cosmetic or sensorial active ingredients, thus making them truly active players that increase our sense of well-being. The name cosmetotextiles has been coined for textiles with cosmetic properties, but these types of textiles can also harbour other actives, such as mosquito repellents, odour reducers, UV-protection agents or fragrances. At Cognis, Skintex technology and products are used as cosmetic finishes for textiles.

Rules of the game

Cosmetic products are defined in the Seventh amendment of the European Cosmetics Directive, 76/768/EEC, as any substance or preparation intended to be placed in contact with the various external parts of the human body ... or with a view exclusively or mainly to cleaning them, perfuming them, changing their appearance and/or correcting body odours and/or protecting them or keeping them in good condition. This implies that the cosmetic ingredients built into garments must

be transferred to the wearers skin to be considered a cosmetotextile. Furthermore, the amounts transferred must be sufficient to ensure that cosmetic benefits are possible. Therefore, cosmetotextiles will generally be characterised by the following features, which shows that developing and producing effective cosmetotextiles that will have a strong appeal for consumers is not an easy task: Large volumes of built-in cosmetic ingredients (up to several % of the weight of the textile, depending on functionality) Explicit cosmetic performance claims S c i e n t i f i cally substantiated claims via cosmetic efficacy and/or consumer tests A finish registered and labelled in compliance with the Cosmetics Directive and with a full cosmetic dossier Many cosmetic ingredients are heat-sensitive or prone to oxidation whereas others, such as perfumes, are volatile. This is the reason why micropackaging via microencapsulation is such a key technology for cosmetotextiles. Trapped in microencapsules, sensitive cosmetic ingredients are protected from degradation (oxidation, polymerisation, etc.) and can withs tand drying and heat-setting processes. Volatile ingredients (such as perfumes, essential oils and coolants) are protected from evapo-

SEM image of Skintex microcapsules on polyamide knitwear

Spray reloading of cosmetic effects in textile

ration, which can increase their shelf-life. Microcapsules suitable for cosmetotextiles have diameters in the range of about 0.2-10 m. These miniature spheres can be customised in terms of their size, mechanical robustness and permeability in such a way that the release profile of their contents is just right for their intended functionality on the consumer. Although covalent grafting of microcapsules especially onto natural fibres is feasible, the most common fixation involves the use of a binder with good skin compatibility. Th e amount and type of binder used depends on the textile and must be adequate to bind the microcapsules effectively to the fibres and minimise their loss during laundry. The release rate of the encapsulated cosmetic ingredients can be tailored with additional amounts of binder. The binder to microcapsules ratio can be selected as needed. Exhaust application, which is standard on hosiery and garments, is a far more complicated process, which requires a very precise steering of temperature and pH. Another role of the binder is to secure other more classic but nevertheless important properties of the final garment, such as resistance to aqueous spills or moisture management, the latter being critical in modern functional first layer sportswear.

Performance criteria
The three key elements to be expected in the performance of cosmetotextiles are sa f e t y, synergy and q u a n t i t y. Cosmetotextiles need to be as safe as cosmetics. A significant part of the cosmetic dossier that has to be generated in accordance with the Cosmetics Directive and later amendments deals with product safety. Qualified professionals make sure that toxicological data for the cosmetic ingredients and the textile auxiliaries used in the cosmetotextiles finish are available and their toxicological profile is satisfactory for use as a cosmetic ingredient. Risk assessments are made using end points including acute oral toxicity, dermal irritation, mucus membrane irritation, skin sensitisation and mutagenicity. The absence of a sensitising potential is generally verified with the help of a human repeated insult patch test on 100 or more volunteers. It is performed with a textile sample treated with a maximised level of finish. The top performing cosmetotextiles are those designed in an integ r a t ed fashion. Fabric composition and construction, garment design and cosmetic finish all work in synergy to generate the best effects. The Skintex range, for example, offers different synergies with different types of textiles. Skintex Slimming has better efficacy in a pair of elastic and tight jeans 27

Speciality Chemicals Magazine November 2007 www.specchemonline.com

Leather & textile chemicals

emollients and synthetic, long-lasting coolants. Tests were carried out on 24 healthy and informed volunteers to evaluate the efficacy of T-shirts treated with it, guided by the principles of Good Clinical Practice. Prior to testing, toxicological clearance was obtained. The test volunteers were asked to assess the cooling effect of a treated Tshirt subjectively when exercising. The wash-and-wear efficacy was assessed using polyamide/elastane sport shirts treated with the standard hydrophilic formula for Skintex Supercool. The volunteers wore one each of the test T-shirts (which had variously undergone no, two, four or six machine washes with the ISO normed ECE detergent at 40C) randomised at each session during a 30 minute treadmill run and then filled out an extensive questionnaire after each run at an independent research institute. Over 60% of the volunteers still noticed the cooling effect after the sixth wash (Figure 1a). Another important aspect is when the cooling effect starts. Figure 1b depicts the results of the self-perceived effects evaluated via the questionnaire. Most subjects noticed an effect in the first minutes after starting to exercise or when sweating began. The effect was most noticed on the back, shoulder, armpits and chest, i.e. those areas most prone to sweating.

Outlook
Bringing perceivable cosmetic performance to textiles is a quite a challenge. Skintex Supercool is just one example of the challenge being met, although further optimisation is possible. New functionalities, made possible by the constantly evolving world of cosmetic ingredients, can be introduced year after year. Much needed norms are in preparation at EU level, which will give orientation to textile brands and consumers, putting them in a position to make clear choices for serious solutions for cosmetotextiles. The concept of cosmetotextiles with proven perceivable effects should make textiles more attractive again by adding value and more fun. For more information, please contact: Dr Raymond Mathis Cognis GmbH Rheinpromenade 1 D-40789 Monheim, Germany Tel: +49 2173 4995 430 E-mail: raymond.mathis@ cognis.com Website: www.cognis.com

Efficacy tests with Skintex Supercool

which provide a close contact between the fabric and problem zones, Skintex Anti-heavy-legs gives its best performance with pantyhose featuring a certain level of progressive compression and Skintex Supercool will refresh the wearer of a sports shirt more efficiently if there is a large area of body contact and moisture absorption is secured, e.g. with a seamless microdenier polyamide/elastane construction. As far as the duration of the cosmetic functionality is concerned, one has to distinguish between effects like moisturising and slimming, which require large amounts of ingredients on the skin, and those produced by minute amounts, as is the case for perfumes. One single daily dose of an effective skin moisturising formula requires 4% w/w cosmetic finish/textile for a 20 denier pantyhose and efficacy after washing is successively lost over time.1 On heavier textiles, moisturising, slimming or cooling efficacy, for example, can be expected for five to 20 days of wear and five to ten mild machine or hand washes. The exact durability can only be determined through extensive cosmetic efficacy testing or consumer testing. However, the duration of such cosmetic effects can be increased by reload systems. Depending on the type of textiles or the actives, for example in the case of perfumes and essential oils, efficacy for ten to 30 machine washes has been demonstrated. The general philosophy is quite simple. Whatever property is claimed should be perceived by a large majority of consumers. At Cognis, each Skintex concept is designed to generate a high level of enjoyment and sat28

isfaction. After internal verification that clear effects are obtained, scientific confirmation is generated at independent research institutes.

Cool as menthol
The refreshing feeling of the wind caressing our skin, the shocking feeling of cold when ice cubes glide down our backs or the painful sensation of touching a hot object are all generated by an intricate network of nerves, and receptors that transmits signals to our brains. Most external stimulants act on receptors that in turn trigger the nerves which then transmit the signals. The types of signal, their intensity and the area of the brain involved in processing the signal then determine how we perceive the sensation. The skin has three major classes of receptors: temperature receptors (hot and cold), nociceptors (for pain) and contact receptors (for touch, vibration, pressure and tickle). Contact with skin usually activates multiple classes of receptors which act in concert to generate a total pattern of responses resulting in a sensation. Due to its highly valued properties for providing a refreshing and cooling s e n sation on the skin and mucus membranes, menthol and its derivatives have been used for many years in cosmetic and pharmaceutical products. In this context, it should be noted that they do not bring about physica l cooling, in which a cooling sensation is i m p a r t ed by the decrease of the outside temperature, but physiological cooling, in which a cooling sensation on the skin is imparted via the stimulation of receptors, without the temperature of the skin actually being lowered . Skintex Supercool is based on encapsulated menthol along with

References:
1. R. Mathis, Proceedings of the 10th International Izmir Textile & Apparel Symposium, 2 0 0 4

Figure 1 - Efficacy tests to assess the cooling effects of Skintex Supercool after washing (a) & the time of onset of the cooling effect (b)

November 2007 Speciality Chemicals Magazine www.specchemonline.com