Topical foam composition

1. An oil in water emulsion aerosol foam composition comprising an oil phase and a water phase, said composition comprising:

i) tazarotene,

ii) water in an amount from about 65% to about 90% by weight,

iii) an oil present in an amount from about 1% to about 10% by weight, wherein the oil is selected from the group consisting of azulene, chamazulene, isoparaffin, linear alpha olefins, cyclohexlidenediphenyl methane, didecene, diethylhexylcyclohexane, eicosane, isododecane, isoeicosane, isohexadecane, longifolene, mineral oil, light mineral oil, paraffin, pentahydrosqualene, petrolatum squalane, squalene, tetradecene, and mixtures thereof,

iv) an oil miscible organic solvent selected from the group consisting of diisopropyl adipate, isopropyl myristate, octyl dodecanol and caprylic/capric triglyceride, and mixtures thereof,

v) a surfactant component comprising a sufficient and effective amount of a hydrophilic ethoxylated fatty alcohol ether regardless of whether any other surfactant is present, in an amount from about 1% to about 8% by weight, and

vi) a propellant comprising one or more hydrocarbon propellants;

wherein the surfactant component is selected from the group consisting of steareth-10, ceteareth-12, oleth-10, and mixtures thereof, and

wherein the tazarotene is solubilized in the oil phase of the composition, and the particle size of the oil phase is less than about 1000 nm, and wherein all percentages are based on the total weight of the composition.

2. The aerosol foam composition according to claim 1 , wherein the composition comprises water in an amount from about 70% to about 85% by weight.

3. The aerosol foam composition according to claim 1 , wherein the oil is present in an amount from about 1% to about 9% by weight.

4. The aerosol foam composition according to claim 3 , wherein the oil is present in an amount from about 3% to about 8% by weight.

5. The aerosol foam composition according to claim 4 , wherein the oil is mineral oil.

6. The aerosol foam composition according to claim 1 , wherein the oil is mineral oil.

7. The aerosol foam composition according to claim 1 , wherein the surfactant component is present in an amount from about 2% to about 6% by weight.

8. A method of treating a skin disease, disorder or condition, comprising administering to the skin of a patient requiring such treatment an effective amount of a composition according to claim 1 .

9. An oil in water emulsion aerosol foam composition comprising an oil phase and a water phase, said composition comprising:

i) tazarotene;

ii) water in an amount from about 70% to about 85% by weight;

iii) an oil selected from the group consisting of azulene, chamazulene, isoparaffin, linear alpha olefins, cyclohexlidenediphenyl methane, didecene, diethylhexylcyclohexane, eicosane, isododecane, isoeicosane, isohexadecane, longifolene, mineral oil, light mineral oil, paraffin, pentahydrosqualene, petrolatum, squalane, squalene, tetradecene, and mixtures thereof; and

wherein the oil is present in an amount from about 3% to about 8% by weight;

iv) an oil miscible organic solvent selected from the group consisting of diisopropyl adipate, isopropyl myristate, octyl dodecanol and caprylic/capric triglyceride, and mixtures thereof;

v) a sufficient and effective amount of a non-ionic surfactant component comprising a hydrophilic ethoxylated fatty alcohol ether regardless of whether any other surfactant is present, in an amount from about 2% to about 6% by weight;

vi) a hydrocarbon propellant;

wherein the non-ionic surfactant component is selected from the group consisting of steareth-10, ceteareth-12 oleth-10, and mixtures thereof, and

wherein the tazarotene is solubilized in the oil phase of the composition, and the particle size of the oil phase is less than about 1000 nm, and wherein all percentages are based on the total weight of the composition.

10. A method of treating a skin disease, disorder or condition, comprising administering to the skin of a patient requiring such treatment an effective amount of a composition according to claim 9 .

11. A process for the preparation of an oil in water submicron or micro emulsion aerosol foam composition, comprising tazarotene, water, an oil present in an amount of less than about 10% by weight, an oil miscible organic solvent, a surfactant component comprising a hydrophilic surfactant in an amount from about 0.1% to about 10% by weight, and a propellant, the process comprising:

a. admixing the tazarotene, a first aliquot of water, oil, oil miscible organic solvent and surfactant component to form an oil in water emulsion,

b. heating the oil in water emulsion of step (a) to a phase inversion temperature wherein the oil in water emulsion forms a water in oil emulsion,

c. cooling the water in oil emulsion to below the phase inversion temperature to form a submicron or micro oil in water emulsion,

d. adding a second aliquot of water to cool the submicron or micro oil in water emulsion, and

e. actuating a sample of the submicron or micro oil in water emulsion with a propellant to form an oil in water submicron or micro emulsion aerosol foam.

12. The process according to claim 11 , wherein the first aliquot of water comprises about 10% to about 40% by weight of the total water content of the submicron or micro emulsion aerosol foam and the second aliquot of water comprises about 90% to about 60% by weight of the total water content of the submicron or micro emulsion aerosol foam.

13. The aerosol foam composition according to claim 9 , wherein the oil is mineral oil.

14. The aerosol foam composition according to claim 13 , wherein the oil miscible organic solvent is diisopropyl adipate.

15. The aerosol foam composition according to claim 9 , wherein the hydrophilic ethoxylated fatty alcohol ether is ceteareth-12.

16. The aerosol foam composition according to claim 1 , wherein the oil miscible organic solvent is present in an amount from about 3% to about 15% by weight.

17. The aerosol foam composition according to claim 1 , further comprising an antioxidant.

18. The aerosol foam composition according to claim 17 , wherein the antioxidant is selected from the group consisting of butylated hydroxytoluene, butylated hydroxyanisole, tocopherol, propyl gallate, polyethylene glycol succinate, and mixtures thereof.

19. The aerosol foam composition according to claim 18 , wherein the antioxidant is butylated hydroxytoluene.

20. The aerosol foam composition according to claim 17 , wherein the antioxidant is present in an amount from about 0.05% to about 0.5% by weight.

21. The aerosol foam composition according to claim 1 , wherein the propellant is present in an amount from about 5% to about 10% by weight.

22. The aerosol foam composition according to claim 1 , further comprising a preservative.

23. The aerosol foam composition according to claim 22 , wherein the preservative is selected from the group consisting of benzyl alcohol, diazolidinyl urea, methyl paraben, ethyl paraben, propyl paraben, butyl paraben, phenoxyethanol, sorbic acid, benzoic acid, salts thereof, and mixtures thereof.

24. The aerosol foam composition according to claim 23 , wherein the preservative is sorbic acid or a salt thereof.

25. The aerosol foam composition according to claim 1 , further comprising a pH adjusting agent.

26. The aerosol foam composition according to claim 25 , wherein the pH adjusting agent is a buffer selected from the group consisting of citrate/citric acid, acetate/acetic acid, phosphate/phosphoric acid, formate/formic acid, propionate/propionic acid, lactate/lactic acid, carbonate/carbonic acid, ammonium/ammonia, edentate/edetic acid, and combinations thereof.

27. The aerosol foam composition according to claim 25 , wherein the buffer is citrate/citric acid.

28. The aerosol foam composition according to claim 25 , wherein the pH of the composition is adjusted to a pH in the range of from 4.70 to 5.50.