Solubilizing systems for flavors and fragrances

1. An oil containing composition comprising:

A) from 0.01 to 80% w/w of an oil;

B) a surfactant system (S) of one or more anionic surfactants and one or more non-ionic surfactants, in an amount such that the concentration ratio oil/surfactant is comprised between 1 and 3;

C) a solubilizing-aid ingredient (SA) of pyrrolidone carboxylic acid sodium salt or a mixture of pyrrolidone carboxylic acid sodium salt with one or more salts selected from the group consisting of sodium benzoate, sodium L-lactate, calcium L-ascorbate, sodium bicarbonate, di-sodium succinate;

D) optionally water;

and wherein the ratio between the amount of oil (O) and the total amount of surfactant system (S) plus solubilizing-aid (SA) ingredient is comprised between 0.1 and 5;

provided that VOC-free microemulsions which comprise from 1 to 30% w/w of an oil having a surface tension of at least 25 mN/m, at 25 C; a surfactant system containing one or more ionic surfactants and one or more non-ionic surfactants, the amount of ionic surfactant or surfactants being at least 50% weight, relative to the total weight of surfactant system; at least 60% w/w of water; and displaying a clarity comprised between 0 and 90 NTU as measured between 400 and 600 nm in a 2.5 cm cell at 25 C, are excluded.

2. A composition according to claim 1 , in the form of a clear microemulsion comprising at least 10% by weight of water.

3. A composition according to claim 2 , comprising a perfume in an amount of up to 30% weight relative to the weight of the composition.

4. A composition according to claim 1 , wherein the amount of anionic surfactant or surfactants is at least 50% by weight of the total weight of the surfactant system.

5. A composition according to claim 1 , wherein the amount of non-ionic surfactant or surfactants is at least 50% by weight of the total weight of surfactant system.

6. A composition according to claim 1 , in the form of a clear microemulsion characterized by a surface tension, measured at 25° C. of between 20 and 30 mN/m.

7. A composition according to claim 1 , wherein the oil is a perfume, a flavor, an antibacterial agent, a nutraceutical ingredient or a nutritional supplement oil, a cosmetically active agent.

8. A composition according to claim 7 , wherein the oil comprises at least 75% by weight of a perfume, relative to the weight of oil.

9. A composition according to claim 7 , wherein the perfume contains from 5% w/w to 99% w/w of terpenes or from 5% to 30% w/w of musks.

10. A composition according to claim 1 , wherein the w/w oil/surfactant system ratio (O/S) is between 1.2 and 2.0 and the w/w oil/(surfactant system+solubilizing-aid) ratio O/(S+SA) is between 0.5 and 2.

11. A composition according to claim 1 , wherein

a) the anionic surfactant or surfactants are selected from the group consisting of sodium, potassium, ammonium and mono-, di- and tri-ethanolammonium salts of C 6 -C 12 dialkyl sulfosuccinic acids, C 7 -C 24 alkarylsulfonic acids, C 6 -C 15 alkylsulfuric acid, C 10 -C 20 acyl glutamic acid, and polyethylene glycol/dimethicone sulfosuccinic acids; and

b) the non-ionic surfactant or surfactants are selected from the group consisting of ethoxylated and propoxylated (C 5 -C 12 alkyl)phenols ethers containing 5 to 20 EO or PO units, polyethylene glycol sorbitol ether containing 3 to 30 EO units, sucrose esters with C 8 -C 20 fatty acid, ethoxylated aliphatic C 6 -C 20 alcohols containing 2 to 30 EO units, C 8 -C 20 polyglyceryl esters, polyethylene glycol and polypropylene glycol block copolymers, ethoxylated glycol ether containing 2 to 30 EO units, and polyethylene glycol mono- and -diester of aliphatic C 5 -C 11 carboxylic acids containing 2 to 10 EO units.

12. A consumer article comprising a composition of claim 1 .

13. A consumer article according to claim 12 , in the form of a perfume, a textile freshener, an all-purpose cleaner or a hair or skin preparation.

14. A consumer article according to claim 12 , in the form of a beverage, a dairy product or a salad cream.

15. A method to confer, enhance, improve or modify the odor properties of a surface such as skin, hair, glass, tiles, textiles, a kitchen or bathroom surface, which method comprises applying to such surface an olfactive effective amount of a composition as defined in claim 1 .

16. A method to confer, enhance, improve or modify the odor properties of a surface such as skin, hair, glass, tiles, textiles, a kitchen or bathroom surface, which method comprises applying to such surface an olfactive effective amount of an article according to claim 13 .

17. A system for solubilizing oil, comprising at least one non-ionic surfactant and at least one anionic surfactant forming a surfactant system (S), and a solubilizing-aid ingredient (SA) of pyrrolidone carboxylic acid sodium salt or a mixture of pyrrolidone carboxylic acid sodium salt with one or more salts selected from the group consisting of sodium benzoate, sodium L-lactate, calcium L-ascorbate, sodium bicarbonate, di-sodium succinate, said surfactant system and solubilizing-aid ingredient being present in an amount sufficient to solubilize oil (O) such that the ratio O/S is comprised between 1 and 3 and the ratio O/(S+SA) is comprised between 0.5 and 5.

18. A system according to claim 17 , wherein the w/w oil/surfactant system ratio is comprised between 1.2 and 2.0 and the ratio O/(S+SA) is comprised between 0.5 and 2.

19. A method to confer, enhance, improve or modify the odor, flavor, nutritional, texture, antibacterial, malodor counteracting and/or sun-screening properties, or skin-conditioning benefits, of a composition or of an article, which method comprises adding to said composition or article an effective amount of a composition or microemulsion according to claim 1 .