Hair treatment compositions and methods

1. An improved hair care composition wherein the improvement comprises the presence of an effective amount of at least one aryl alkanone compound having the Formula I

wherein R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 and R 5 which may be the same or different, are each independently H, OH, or a C 1 -C 8 linear or branched alkyl or alkoxy group, and R 6 is CH 3 to prevent or reduce hair damage or hair color fading as compared to the use of the same composition without the aryl alkanone wherein the effective amount of the aryl alkanone compound is characterized as being present at a weight ratio of from 25:1 to 1:25 based on the amount of oxidizing agents in the case of hair care composition including an oxidizing agent or to be used concurrent with an oxidizing agent containing hair care composition; otherwise the effective amount is from about 0.1 to 15 percent by weight based on the total weight of the hair care composition.

2. The improved hair care composition of claim 1 wherein R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 and R 5 which may be the same or different, are each independently H or a C 1 -C 6 linear or branched alkyl or alkoxy group.

3. The improved hair care composition of claim 1 wherein R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 and R 5 which may be the same or different, are each independently H or a C 1 -C 4 linear or branched alkyl or alkoxy group.

4. The improved hair care composition of claim 1 wherein R 1 ═R 5 ═H and each of R 2 , R 3 , and R 4 is independently a C 1 -C 4 linear or branched alkoxy or a C 1 -C 8 linear or branched alkyl.

5. The improved hair care composition of claim 1 wherein R 1 ═R 2 ═R 5 ═H; and each of R 3 and R 4 is independently a C 1 -C 4 linear or branched alkoxy or C 1 -C 8 linear or branched alkyl.

6. The improved hair care composition of claim 1 wherein the aryl alkanone of Formula 1 is selected from the group consisting of:

Compound 1A: R 1 ═R 3 ═R 5 ═OMe and R 2 ═R 4 ═H; R 6 ═CH 3 ;

Compound 1B: R 1 ═R 3 ═R 5 ═H and R 2 ═R 4 ═OMe; R 6 ═CH 3 ;

Compound 1C: R 1 ═R 2 ═R 5 ═H and R 3 ═R 4 ═Me; R 6 ═CH 3 ;

Compound 1D: R 1 ═R 2 ═R 5 ═H and R 3 ═R 4 ═OMe; R 6 ═CH 3 ;

Compound 1E: R 1 ═R 2 ═R 4 ═R 5 ═H; R 3 ═OMe; R 6 ═CH 3 ;

Compound 1F: R 1 ═R 5 ═H; R 2 ═R 3 ═R 4 ═OMe; R 6 ═CH 3 ;

Compound 1G: R 1 ═R 5 ═H; R 2 ═R 3 ═R 4 ═Me; R 6 ═CH 3 ;

Compound 1H: R 1 ═R 4 ═OMe; R 2 ═R 3 ═R 5 ═H; R 6 ═CH 3 ;

Compound 1I: R 1 ═R 3 ═R 5 ═H; R 2 ═R 4 ═Me; R 6 ═CH 3 ;

Compound 1J: R 1 ═R 2 ═R 4 ═R 5 ═H; R 3 ═Me; R 6 ═CH 3 ;

Compound 1K: R 1 ═R 3 ═R 4 ═R 5 ═H; R 2 ═Me; R 6 ═CH 3 ;

Compound 1L: R 1 ═R 3 ═R 4 ═R 5 ═H; R 2 ═OMe; R 6 ═CH 3 ;

Compound 1M: R 1 ═R 2 ═R 5 ═H; R 3 ═OH; R 4 ═OCH 3 ; R 6 ═CH 3 ;

Compound 1N: R 1 ═R 3 ═R 5 ═H; R 2 ═R 4 ═Me; R 6 ═CH 3 ;

Compound 1P: R 1 ═R 2 ═R 4 ═R 5 ═H; R 3 ═Me; R 6 ═CH 3 ; and

Compound 1Q: R 1 ═R 2 ═R 4 ═R 5 ═H; R 3 ═OMe; R 6 ═CH 3 .

7. The improved hair care composition of claim 1 wherein the hair care composition comprises other agents or ingredients which are oxidizing agents and the one or more aryl alkanones is present in an amount whereby the weight ratio of the aryl alkanone to the oxidizing agents is from 25:1 to 1:25.

8. The improved hair care composition of claim 1 wherein the hair care composition comprises other agents or ingredients which are oxidizing agents and the one or more aryl alkanones is present in an amount whereby the weight ratio of the aryl alkanone to the oxidizing agents is from 15:1 to 1:15.

9. The improved hair care composition of claim 1 wherein the hair care composition is a hair treatment composition selected from hair coloring products, shampoos, conditioners, hair restorative treatments, perming products, alcohol based hair sprays, gel hair sprays, and hair bleaching compositions.

10. The improved hair care composition of claim 1 wherein the hair care composition is a hair coloring product which comprises one or more components that are individually packaged and combined and/or used concurrently or sequentially in the hair coloring process and the aryl alkanone is present in at least one of the components thereof.

11. The improved hair care composition of claim 1 wherein the aryl alkanone is free of phenolic hydroxy groups.

12. The improved hair care composition of claim 1 wherein the composition is a pretreatment composition or a post treatment composition and the composition comprises from about 0.1 to about 15 wt percent of the aryl alkanone.

13. The improved hair care composition of claim 1 wherein the composition is a pretreatment composition or a post treatment composition and the composition comprises from about 0.5 to about 10 wt percent of the aryl alkanone.

14. The improved hair care composition of claim 1 wherein the composition is a pretreatment composition or a post treatment composition and the composition comprises from about 1 to about 4 wt percent of the aryl alkanone in a carrier suitable for application to the hair.

15. The improved hair care composition of claim 1 wherein the aryl alkanone compound is acetyl zingerone.

16. The improved hair care composition of claim 1 wherein at east one of R 2 , R 3 , and R 4 is a C 1 -C 8 linear or branched alkoxy or alkyl.

17. A method of preventing or protecting hair from photo-, thermal- or oxidative damage comprising applying to the hair a composition comprising an effective amount of at least one aryl alkanone compound having the Formula I

wherein R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 and R 5 which may be the same or different, are each independently H, OH, or a C 1 -C 8 linear or branched alkyl or alkoxy group, and R 6 is CH 3 prior to exposing the hair to conditions which effect or promote photo-, thermal- or oxidative damage, whereby less hair damage is found as compared to the hair exposed to those conditions without the application of the composition wherein the effective amount of the aryl alkanone compound is characterized as being from about 0.1 to 15 percent by weight of the composition.

18. A method of reducing the damage caused by hair treatment compositions comprising either (i) incorporating into the hair treatment composition an effective amount of at least one aryl alkanone compound having the Formula I

wherein R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 and R 5 which may be the same or different, are each independently H, OH, or a C 1 -C 8 linear or branched alkyl or alkoxy group, and R 6 is CH 3 prior to or concurrent with its application to the hair or (ii) treating the hair with a composition comprising at least one of the aforementioned aryl alkanones in an effective amount prior to or following the application of the hair treatment composition to the hair, whereby less hair damage is found as compared to the treated hair which has not also been treated with the aryl alkanone wherein the effective amount of the aryl alkanone compound is characterized as being present at a weight ratio of from 25:1 to 1:25 based on the amount of oxidizing agents in the case of hair care composition including an oxidizing agent or to be used concurrent with an oxidizing agent containing hair care composition; otherwise, the effective amount is from about 0.1 to 15 percent by weight based on the total weight of the hair care composition.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the composition containing the aryl alkanone is applied to the hair prior to application of a hair treatment composition comprising oxidizing agents.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein the composition containing the aryl alkanone is applied before bleaching, perming or coloring the hair.

21. The method of claim 18 wherein the composition containing the aryl alkanone is applied to the hair prior to exposure to oxidizing conditions other than a hair treatment composition.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the composition containing the aryl alkanone is applied prior to exposure to the sun or air pollutants and/or prior to participation in an aquatic activity in which the hair is exposed to water chemicals.

23. The method of claim 18 wherein the composition containing the aryl alkanone is applied to the hair following the treatment of the hair with a hair treatment composition comprising oxidizing agents.

24. The method of claim 18 wherein the composition containing the aryl alkanone is applied to the hair following exposure to oxidizing conditions other than a hair treatment composition.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the composition containing the aryl alkanone is applied to the hair following exposure to the sun or air pollutants and/or participation in an aquatic activity in which the hair is exposed to water chemicals.

26. The method of claim 17 wherein the aryl alkanone compound is acetyl zingerone.

27. The method of claim 18 wherein the aryl alkanone compound is acetyl zingerone.

28. The method of claim 17 wherein at least one of R 2 , R 3 , and R 4 is a C 1 -C 8 linear or branched alkoxy or alkyl.

29. The method of claim 18 wherein at east one of R 2 , R 3 , and R 4 is a C 1 -C 8 linear or branched alkoxy or alkyl.

30. The method of claim 17 wherein the aryl alkanone of Formula 1 is selected from the group consisting of:

Compound 1A: R 1 ═R 3 ═R 5 ═OMe and R 2 ═R 4 ═H; R 6 ═CH 3 ;

Compound 1B: R 1 ═R 3 ═R 5 ═H and R 2 ═R 4 ═OMe; R 6 ═CH 3 ;

Compound 1C: R 1 ═R 2 ═R 5 ═H and R 3 ═R 4 ═Me; R 6 ═CH 3 ;

Compound 1D: R 1 ═R 2 ═R 5 ═H and R 3 ═R 4 ═OMe; R 6 ═CH 3 ;

Compound 1E: R 1 ═R 2 ═R 4 ═R 5 ═H; R 3 ═OMe; R 6 ═CH 3 ;

Compound 1F: R 1 ═R 5 ═H; R 2 ═R 3 ═R 4 ═OMe; R 6 ═CH 3 ;

Compound 1G: R 1 ═R 5 ═H; R 2 ═R 3 ═R 4 ═Me; R 6 ═CH 3 ;

Compound 1H: R 1 ═R 4 ═OMe; R 2 ═R 3 ═R 5 ═H; R 6 ═CH 3 ;

Compound 1I: R 1 ═R 3 ═R 5 ═H; R 2 ═R 4 ═Me; R 6 ═CH 3 ;

Compound 1J: R 1 ═R 2 ═R 4 ═R 5 ═H; R 3 ═Me; R 6 ═CH 3 ;

Compound 1K: R 1 ═R 3 ═R 4 ═R 5 ═H; R 2 ═Me; R 6 ═CH 3 ;

Compound 1L: R 1 ═R 3 ═R 4 ═R 5 ═H; R 2 ═OMe; R 6 ═CH 3 ;

Compound 1M: R 1 ═R 2 ═R 5 ═H; R 3 ═OH; R 4 ═OCH 3 ; R 6 ═CH 3 ;

Compound 1N: R 1 ═R 3 ═R 5 ═H; R 2 ═R 4 ═Me; R 6 ═CH 3 ;

Compound 1P: R 1 ═R 2 ═R 4 ═R 5 ═H; R 3 ═Me; R 6 ═CH 3 ; and

Compound 1Q: R 1 ═R 2 ═R 4 ═R 5 ═H; R 3 ═OMe; R 6 ═CH 3 .

31. The method of claim 18 wherein the aryl alkanone of Formula 1 is selected from the group consisting of:

Compound 1A: R 1 ═R 3 ═R 5 ═OMe and R 2 ═R 4 ═H; R 6 ═CH 3 ;

Compound 1B: R 1 ═R 3 ═R 5 ═H and R 2 ═R 4 ═OMe; R 6 ═CH 3 ;

Compound 1C: R 1 ═R 2 ═R 5 ═H and R 3 ═R 4 ═Me; R 6 ═CH 3 ;

Compound 1D: R 1 ═R 2 ═R 5 ═H and R 3 ═R 4 ═OMe; R 6 ═CH 3 ;

Compound 1E: R 1 ═R 2 ═R 4 ═R 5 ═H; R 3 ═OMe; R 6 ═CH 3 ;

Compound 1F: R 1 ═R 5 ═H; R 2 ═R 3 ═R 4 ═OMe; R 6 ═CH 3 ;

Compound 1G: R 1 ═R 5 ═H; R 2 ═R 3 ═R 4 ═Me; R 6 ═CH 3 ;

Compound 1H: R 1 ═R 4 ═OMe; R 2 ═R 3 ═R 5 ═H; R 6 ═CH 3 ;

Compound 1I: R 1 ═R 3 ═R 5 ═H; R 2 ═R 4 ═Me; R 6 ═CH 3 ;

Compound 1J: R 1 ═R 2 ═R 4 ═R 5 ═H; R 3 ═Me; R 6 ═CH 3 ;

Compound 1K: R 1 ═R 3 ═R 4 ═R 5 ═H; R 2 ═Me; R 6 ═CH 3 ;

Compound 1L: R 1 ═R 3 ═R 4 ═R 5 ═H; R 2 ═OMe; R 6 ═CH 3 ;

Compound 1M: R 1 ═R 2 ═R 5 ═H; R 3 ═OH; R 4 ═OCH 3 ; R 6 ═CH 3 ;

Compound 1N: R 1 ═R 3 ═R 5 ═H; R 2 ═R 4 ═Me; R 6 ═CH 3 ;

Compound 1P: R 1 ═R 2 ═R 4 ═R 5 ═H; R 3 ═Me; R 6 ═CH 3 ; and

Compound 1Q: R 1 ═R 2 ═R 4 ═R 5 ═H; R 3 ═OMe; R 6 ═CH 3 .