Abstract: The object is to provide a skin whitening agent having an excellent skin whitening effect. A compound expressed by the following Formula (1), or an acid addition salt thereof is used as an active ingredient of the skin whitening agent: wherein, X represents an alkylene group having 1 to 2 carbon atoms, where a hydrogen atom may be substituted with a methyl group; Y represents COOR1 or CH2OR2; R1 represents a hydrogen atom, or an optionally branched alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms; and R2 represents a hydrogen atom or an optionally branched acyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms.

Abstract: The object is to provide a wrinkle improving agent having an excellent wrinkle improving effect. A compound expressed by the following Formula (1), or an acid addition salt thereof is used as an active ingredient of a wrinkle improving agent. (Wherein X represents an alkylene group having 1 to 2 carbon atoms in which a hydrogen atom may be substituted with a methyl group, Y represents COOR1 or CH2OR2, R1 represents a hydrogen atom, or an optionally branched alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, and R2 represents a hydrogen atom, or an optionally branched acyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms.

Abstract: Provided is a new application for D-pantothenyl alcohol. It is a melanogenesis inhibitor comprising D-pantothenyl alcohol.

Abstract: The object is to provide a wrinkle improving agent having an excellent wrinkle improving effect. A compound expressed by the following Formula (1), or an acid addition salt thereof is used as an active ingredient of a wrinkle improving agent. (Wherein X represents an alkylene group having 1 to 2 carbon atoms in which a hydrogen atom may be substituted with a methyl group, Y represents COOR1 or CH2OR2, R1 represents a hydrogen atom, or an optionally branched alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, and R2 represents a hydrogen atom, or an optionally branched acyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms.

Abstract: Provided is a new application for D-pantothenyl alcohol. It is a melanogenesis inhibitor comprising D-pantothenyl alcohol.

Abstract: An ink jet ink set including three aqueous inks of a cyan ink, a magenta ink and a yellow ink, wherein any two inks of the cyan ink, the magenta ink and the yellow ink are inks satisfying the following condition A, and the other ink is an ink satisfying the following condition B: Condition A: an ink containing a first self-dispersible pigment having a functional group that contains a phosphonic acid group and another atomic group and is bonded to a particle surface of the pigment; and Condition B: an ink containing a second self-dispersible pigment having a functional group that contains at least one of a sulfonic acid group and a carboxylic acid group and is bonded to a particle surface of the pigment.

Abstract: An ink jet ink set including three aqueous inks of a cyan ink, a magenta ink and a yellow ink, wherein any two inks of the cyan ink, the magenta ink and the yellow ink are inks satisfying the following condition A, and the other ink is an ink satisfying the following condition B: Condition A: an ink containing a first self-dispersible pigment having a functional group that contains a phosphonic acid group and another atomic group and is bonded to a particle surface of the pigment; and Condition B: an ink containing a second self-dispersible pigment having a functional group that contains at least one of a sulfonic acid group and a carboxylic acid group and is bonded to a particle surface of the pigment.

Abstract: The invention provides an ink that inhibits lowering of ejection stability caused by a precipitate derived from a self-dispersible type monoazo pigment and also inhibits deterioration of a liquid contact surface of a heater portion of a recording head. The ink is an ink for ink jet recording system employing an thermal energy, containing a monoazo pigment, a resin and a surfactant represented by the following formula (1). A proportion of a molecular weight of an ethylene oxide group moiety occupying the surfactant is 10% or more and 85% or less, the monoazo pigment is a self-dispersible pigment to the particle surface of which at least one hydrophilic group selected from the group consisting of —COOM, —SO3M, —PO3HM and —PO3M2 is bonded directly or through another atomic group, and the acid value of the resin is 240 mg KOH/g or less.

Abstract: A set of an ink containing a pigment dispersed by a water-soluble resin and having the surface tension of 38 mN/m or less and a reaction liquid containing a polyvalent metal ion and a surfactant, which is an ethylene oxide adduct of a higher alcohol of a linear primary or secondary alcohol or an isoalkyl alcohol, and has a HLB value of 13.0 or more as determined by the Griffin method. The content of the polyvalent metal ion in the reaction liquid is 10.0 times or more in terms of molar ratio as much as an amount of an acidic group derived from the water-soluble resin in the ink and the content of the surfactant in the reaction liquid is 0.15 times or more in terms of mass ratio as much as the total content of the pigment and water-soluble resin in the ink.

Abstract: A liquid composition used in combination with an ink containing a coloring material is ejected by the action of thermal energy from a recording head including a heating resistor having a protecting layer that is to come into contact with the liquid composition and that contains at least one of a metal and a metal oxide. The liquid composition contains at least either an organic compound having a carboxy group and an amino group or an amine oxide compound, an organic acid having a carboxy group, and water.

Abstract: Provided is an ink jet ink including a monoazo pigment and a resin, the ink being used for an ink jet recording system in which the ink is ejected from a recording head by an action of thermal energy. The monoazo pigment is a self-dispersible pigment having an anionic group bonded to a particle surface of the pigment directly or via another atomic group and has a surface charge amount of 5.9×10?2 mmol/g or more and 9.8×10?2 mmol/g or less. The resin has an acid value of 100 mg KOH/g or more and 160 mg KOH/g or less. The mass ratio of the content (mass %) of the resin to the content (mass %) of the monoazo pigment in the ink is 0.05 times or more and 0.25 times or less.

Abstract: Provided is a set of a reaction liquid that has a buffering action against pH change and exhibits a pH of 3.5 or more and 5.5 or less, and an ink that has a higher pH than the reaction liquid. The ink comprises a pigment to a surface of a pigment particle of which a basic group that forms a cation form at the pH of the reaction liquid is bonded. The pigment does not have an acidic group having a pKa equal to or less than the pH of the reaction liquid. The pigment is dispersed by a water-soluble polymer that has an acidic group having a pKa equal to or more than the pH of the reaction liquid and equal to or less than the pH of the ink.

Abstract: The invention provides an ink that inhibits lowering of ejection stability caused by a precipitate derived from a self-dispersible type monoazo pigment and also inhibits deterioration of a liquid contact surface of a heater portion of a recording head. The ink is an ink for ink jet recording system employing an thermal energy, containing a monoazo pigment, a resin and a surfactant represented by the following formula (1). A proportion of a molecular weight of an ethylene oxide group moiety occupying the surfactant is 10% or more and 85% or less, the monoazo pigment is a self-dispersible pigment to the particle surface of which at least one hydrophilic group selected from the group consisting of —COOM, —SO3M, —PO3HM and —PO3M2 is bonded directly or through another atomic group, and the acid value of the resin is 240 mg KOH/g or less.

Abstract: A set of an ink containing a pigment dispersed by a water-soluble resin and having the surface tension of 38 mN/m or less and a reaction liquid containing a polyvalent metal ion and a surfactant, which is an ethylene oxide adduct of a higher alcohol of a linear primary or secondary alcohol or an isoalkyl alcohol, and has a HLB value of 13.0 or more as determined by the Griffin method. The content of the polyvalent metal ion in the reaction liquid is 10.0 times or more in terms of molar ratio as much as an amount of an acidic group derived from the water-soluble resin in the ink and the content of the surfactant in the reaction liquid is 0.15 times or more in terms of mass ratio as much as the total content of the pigment and water-soluble resin in the ink.

Abstract: Provided is an ink jet ink including a monoazo pigment and a resin, the ink being used for an ink jet recording system in which the ink is ejected from a recording head by an action of thermal energy. The monoazo pigment is a self-dispersible pigment having an anionic group bonded to a particle surface of the pigment directly or via another atomic group and has a surface charge amount of 5.9×10?2 mmol/g or more and 9.8×10?2 mmol/g or less. The resin has an acid value of 100 mg KOH/g or more and 160 mg KOH/g or less. The mass ratio of the content (mass %) of the resin to the content (mass %) of the monoazo pigment in the ink is 0.05 times or more and 0.25 times or less.

Abstract: An ink jet recording ink tank includes: an ink retention member, which to hold ink exerts a negative pressure through capillary force; and ink, which is retained in the ink retention member, for which a dynamic surface tension in a lifetime of 50 msec, obtained by a maximum bubble pressure method, is higher than an interfacial tension of the ink retention member, a dynamic surface tension in a lifetime of 5000 msec is lower than the interfacial tension of the ink retention member, and a difference between the dynamic surface tension in the lifetime of 50 msec and the dynamic surface tension in the lifetime of 5000 msec is equal to or greater than 8 mN/m.

Abstract: Provided is a set of a reaction liquid that has a buffering action against pH change and exhibits a pH of 3.5 or more and 5.5 or less, and an ink that has a higher pH than the reaction liquid. The ink comprises a pigment to a surface of a pigment particle of which a basic group that forms a cation form at the pH of the reaction liquid is bonded. The pigment does not have an acidic group having a pKa equal to or less than the pH of the reaction liquid. The pigment is dispersed by a water-soluble polymer that has an acidic group having a pKa equal to or more than the pH of the reaction liquid and equal to or less than the pH of the ink.

Abstract: A liquid composition used in combination with an ink containing a coloring material is ejected by the action of thermal energy from a recording head including a heating resistor having a protecting layer that is to come into contact with the liquid composition and that contains at least one of a metal and a metal oxide. The liquid composition contains at least either an organic compound having a carboxy group and an amino group or an amine oxide compound, an organic acid having a carboxy group, and water.

Abstract: An ink jet recording ink tank includes: an ink retention member, which to hold ink exerts a negative pressure through capillary force; and ink, which is retained in the ink retention member, for which a dynamic surface tension in a lifetime of 50 msec, obtained by a maximum bubble pressure method, is higher than an interfacial tension of the ink retention member, a dynamic surface tension in a lifetime of 5000 msec is lower than the interfacial tension of the ink retention member, and a difference between the dynamic surface tension in the lifetime of 50 msec and the dynamic surface tension in the lifetime of 5000 msec is equal to or greater than 8 mN/m.