Abstract: A water-soluble or water-dispersible material for deposition onto a fabric substrate during a treatment process. The material comprises a &bgr;1-4-linked polysaccharide structure having at least one substituent benefit agent group and optionally, one or more other substituent groups. The average degree of substitution of all substituent groups is from 0.01 to 1.2, preferably from 0.1 to 1.2, more preferably from 0.4 to 1.2. The polysaccharide structure has one or more regions with at least 3, preferably at least 4 consecutive unsubstituted saccharide rings.

Abstract: Cosmetic or personal care compositions, such as for styling hair, comprise a thermoplastic elastomer which is a block copolymer comprising a core polymer having a backbone comprising at least a proportion of C—C bonds and two or more flanking polymers. Each flanking polymer is covalently bound to an end of the core polymer and the copolymer is soluble at a level of at least 1% by weight in water at 25° C. The compositions comprise a cosmetically acceptable diluent or carrier.

Abstract: Cosmetic or personal care compositions, such as for styling hair, comprise a thermoplastic elastomer which is a block copolymer comprising a core polymer having a backbone comprising at least a proportion of C—C bonds and two or more flanking polymers. Each flanking polymer is covalently bound to an end of the core polymer and the core polymer and/or at least one of the flanking polymers is a copolymer derived from two or more monomers. The compositions comprise a cosmetically acceptable diluent or carrier.

Abstract: A process for making a polysiloxane block copolymer which is built up from units of the formula [A] [B], in which A is a polymeric block built up from radically polymerisable monomer, and B is a polysiloxane block, the process comprising the steps of forming a polysiloxane macroinitiator by grafting a radical initiator onto a polysiloxane via a nucleophilic displacement reaction between groups on the polysiloxane and radical initiator respectively, and reacting the polysiloxane macroinitiator so obtained with radically polymerisable monomers in an atom transfer radical polymerisation reaction to form a polysiloxane block copolymer. Also provided are cosmetic and personal care compositions, such as hair styling compositions, containing the polysiloxane block copolymers.

Abstract: Cosmetic or personal care compositions comprise from 0.01% to 10% by weight of a hair styling polymer comprising one or more hydrophobic groups, from 0.001% to 10% by weight of an optionally substituted cyclodextrin and a cosmetically acceptable diluent or carrier. The cyclodextrin complexes with the hydrophobic groups to increase the solubility of the hair styling polymer in the composition. The cyclodextrin thus allows the formulation of compositions with relatively higher water contents.

Abstract: A process for making a polysiloxane block copolymer which is built up from units of the formula [A] [B], in which A is a polymeric block built up from radically polymerisable monomer, and B is a polysiloxane block, the process comprising the steps of polymerising a radically polymerisable monomer in the presence of an atom transfer radical initiator to form an polymer which is end-functionalized with a leaving group capable of nucleophilic substitution by nucleophilic end-groups on a polysiloxane, and reacting the polymer with a polysiloxane having nucleophilic end-groups so that a polysiloxane block copolymer is formed via a nucleophilic displacement reaction between the end-groups on the polysiloxane and leaving groups on the polymer respectively. Also provided is a cosmetic and personal care composition, such as a hair styling composition, comprising the polysiloxane block copolymer as described above.

Abstract: A water-soluble or water-dispersible material for deposition onto a fabric substrate during a treatment process. The material comprises a &bgr;1-4-linked polysaccharide structure having at least one substituent benefit agent group and optionally, one or more other substituent groups. The average degree of substitution of all substituent groups is from 0.01 to 1.2, preferably from 0.1 to 1.2, more preferably from 0.4 to 1.2. The polysaccharide structure has one or more regions with at least 3, preferably at least 4 consecutive unsubstituted saccharide rings.

Abstract: A stable oral composition comprising a natural or synthetic macromolecule with a monofluorophosphate moiety covalently bonded thereto.

Abstract: A water-soluble or water-dispersible material for deposition onto a fabric substrate during a treatment process. The material comprises a &bgr;1-4 -linked polysaccharide structure having at least one substituent benefit agent group and optionally, one or more other substituent groups. The average degree of substitution of all substituent groups is from 0.01 to 1.2, preferably from 0.1 to 1.2, more preferably from 0.4 to 1.2. The polysaccharide structure has one or more regions with at least 3, preferably at least 4 consecutive unsubstituted saccharide rings.

Abstract: A water-soluble copolyester comprising units of a polyglycol or capped polyglycol (for example, polyethylene glycol or polyethylene glycol methyl ether), an aromatic dicarboxylic acid (for example, terephthalic acid) and at least 30 mole % of a polyol having at least three hydroxyl groups (for example, glycerol), but free of ethylene glycol units, is a highly effective soil release polymer for use in detergent compositions. The aromatic dicarboxylic acid units may include units of a sulphonated aromatic dicarboxylic acid (for example, sulphoisophthalic acid).

Abstract: A hair styling and conditioning process comprising the steps of: contacting the hair with a compound having an electrophilic group and at least one hydrophobic group whereby the electrophilic group reacts with nucleophilic sites in and on the hair to give the hair a plurality of hydrophobic groups at the surface, in which the hydrophobic group is selected from the group consisting of C.sub.10-30 and C.sub.10-30 alkenyl groups. Preferably the electrophilic group is azlactone.Also a reversible hair styling process in which the hydrophobic group is selected from the group consisting of C.sub.1-30 alkyl, C.sub.2-30 alkenyl, phenyl, diphenyl, other aromatics, and fluoroalkanes, and the electrophilic group is selected from the group consisting of azlactone, sulphide from disulphide, sulphide from thiosulphonate, vinyl zulphone, vinyl sulphoximines, banzoxazinones and isocyanates.Novel azlactones, including pentadecyl and hexyl azlactone.

Abstract: A cosmetic composition, especially for providing a conditioning benefit to hair, is provided incorporating an azlactone-functionalized copolymer consisting of vinyl azlactone and methacryloyl polydimethylsiloxane monomers.

Abstract: A method for treating hair to impart thereto a conditioning benefit, the method involving applying to the hair an azlactone-functionalised copolymer consisting of vinyl azlactone and methacryloyl polydimethylsiloxane monomers; and allowing the copolymer to chemically bond through nucleophilic reaction of the azlactone onto the hair, the monomers of the copolymer being present in amounts sufficient to achieve both bonding to the hair and imparting conditioning properties.

Abstract: Carboxylic polymers useful in detergent compositions contain keto structural units incorporated into the polymer backbone. The units may be introduced by means of the compound 2,2'-diphenyl-4-methylene-1,3-dioxolane. The polymers show better biodegradability than the acrylic and acrylic/maleic polymers commonly used in detergent compositions, while the detergency building (calcium binding) is comparable or better.

Abstract: Carboxylic polymers useful in detergent compositions contain keto structural units incorporated into the polymer backbone. The units may be introduced by means of the compound 2,2'-diphenyl-4-methylene-1,3-dioxolane. The polymers show better biodegradability than the acrylic and acrylic/maleic polymers commonly used in detergent compositions, while the detergency building (calcium binding) is comparable or better.

Abstract: Novel block copolymers comprising from 20 to 95 mole % of monomer units derived from itaconic acid or a homologue thereof and from 5 to 80 mole % of monomer units derived from vinyl alcohol or a lower vinyl ester are excellent binders of divalent or polyvalent metals and are useful as potentially biodegradable builders in detergent compositions as well as in machine dishwashing compositions and anti-scaling rinse compositions.

Abstract: Improved deposition of a cosmetic agent, e.g. a sunscreen, from a cosmetic composition such as a hair or body shampoo is achieved by incorporating the cosmetic agent in the composition in combination with, e.g. carried on the surface of or within pores of, latex particles of a polymeric material having a particle size of less than about 1 micron.

Abstract: Certain polymeric polycarboxylic acids and salts containing hydroxyl or hydroxymethyl groups in close proximity to carboxyl groups, especially poly(2-hydroxymethylacrylic) acid and its salts, are effective sequestrants of divalent and polyvalent metal ions and are useful as builders in detergent compositions.