IP Library Granted Patent US 12,447,122
Granted Patent B2
US 12,447,122 · App. 18/336,431 · Granted Oct 21, 2025

Silk-based moisturizer compositions and methods thereof

Inventors: Gregory H. Altman (Providence, RI); Dylan S. Haas (Yorktown Heights, NY); Kevin T. Healy (Dedham, MA)
Assignee: EVOLVED BY NATURE, INC.
A61K8/64A61K8/042A61K8/062A61K8/064A61K8/19A61K8/20A61K8/27A61K8/29A61K8/361A61K8/365A61K8/368A61K8/37A61K8/4953A61K8/676A61K8/678A61K8/735A61K8/922A61K8/9789A61Q1/04A61Q5/02A61Q5/12A61Q15/00A61Q17/04A61Q19/00A61Q19/007A61Q19/02A61Q19/08A61Q19/10A61K2800/10A61K2800/28A61K2800/30A61K2800/805A61Q1/06
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,447,122
App. No.
18/336,431
Granted
Oct 21, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

In an embodiment, a moisturizing composition includes a silk solution, wherein the silk solution comprises about 1% to about 10% (w/v) of pure silk fibroin-based protein fragments that are substantially devoid of sericin; hyaluronic acid; an oil or butter; and a pH adjusting agent.

Claims (26)

1. A stable emulsion composition comprising:

about 0.001% to about 30% (w/v) of silk fibroin protein fragments having an average weight average molecular weight selected from between about 5 kDa to about 80 kDa and a polydispersity of between about 1.0 and about 5.0;

about 0.1% to about 25% (v/v) of an oil; and

about 99% to about 65% (v/v) water;

wherein the pH of the composition is in the range of about 1.0 to about 8.0,

wherein the silk fibroin protein fragments do not spontaneously or gradually gelate and do not visibly change in color or turbidity when in an aqueous solution for at least four weeks at room temperature.

2. The composition of claim 1 , comprising about 99% to about 75% water.

3. The composition of claim 1 , further comprising about 0.1% to about 8% (w/v) of hyaluronic acid.

4. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the oil comprises one or more natural or essential oils.

5. The composition of claim 1 , further comprising an additive.

6. A method of improving skin hydration comprising applying a moisturizing composition once daily to human skin, wherein the moisturizing composition comprises the stable emulsion composition of claim 1 .

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the stable emulsion composition comprises about 0.001% to about 6% silk solution, wherein the silk solution comprises about 1% to about 10% (w/v) of silk fibroin protein fragments; about 0.1% to about 25% (v/v) of an oil or butter; and about 0.1% to about 5% (v/v) of a first pH adjusting agent.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the silk fibroin protein fragments do not spontaneously or gradually gelate and do not visibly change in color or turbidity when in an aqueous solution for at least a period of time in the range of four weeks to 52 weeks at room temperature.

9. The method of claim 6 , comprising about 0.01% to about 2% (w/v) of the silk fibroin protein fragments.

10. The method of claim 6 , wherein the oil is jojoba oil, rosehip oil, glycerin, coconut oil, lemongrass oil, shea butter, or a combination thereof.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein the first pH adjusting agent is NaOH, HCL, or a combination thereof.

12. The method of claim 6 , wherein the moisturizing composition is in the form of a liquid, semisolid, solid, lotion, cream, oil, gel, emulsion, stick, spray, ointment, paste, mousse, foam, or suspension, and

wherein the moisturizing composition is in the form of a sunscreen, a cleanser, a bar of soap, a lip balm, a foot balm, a deodorant stick, an antiperspirant stick, a liquid deodorant, a spray deodorant, a liquid antiperspirant, a spray antiperspirant, a conditioner, a shampoo, or a combination thereof.

13. The method of claim 6 , wherein the oil is selected from the group consisting of an aliphatic oil, a fatty alcohol, a fatty acid, a glyceride, a phospholipid, and combinations thereof.

14. The method of claim 6 , wherein the oil is a glyceride, and the glyceride is selected from the group consisting of a monoglyceride, a diglyceride, and a triglyceride.

15. The method of claim 6 further comprising about 0.1% to about 25% (v/v) of a second oil comprising one or more natural or essential oils.

16. The method of claim 7 , wherein the first pH adjusting agent is selected from the group consisting of sodium hydroxide (NaOH), potassium hydroxide (KOH), hydrochloric acid (HCl), citric acid, and combinations thereof.

17. The method of claim 7 further comprising about 0.1% to about 5% (w/v) or (v/v) of a second pH adjusting agent selected from the group consisting of sodium hydroxide (NaOH), potassium hydroxide (KOH), hydrochloric acid (HCl), citric acid, and combinations thereof.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the first pH adjusting agent is sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and the second pH adjusting agent is hydrochloric acid (HCl).

19. The method of claim 6 further comprising an additive selected from the group consisting of vitamin E, vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin C, aspen bark, sodium anisate, oat flour, titanium oxide, titanium dioxide, glycerin, zinc oxide, a preservative, a metal, a metal ion, a metal oxide, a mineral, a salt, a plant, a plant extract, and combinations thereof.

20. The method of claim 6 , wherein the moisturizing composition further comprises an emollient, the emollient comprising one or more of a hydrocarbon oil, a hydrocarbon wax, a silicone oil, an acetoglyceride ester, an ethoxylated glyceride, an alkyl ester of a fatty acid, an alkenyl ester of a fatty acid, a fatty acid, a fatty alcohol, a fatty alcohol ether, an ether-ester, lanolin, a lanolin derivative, a polyhydric alcohol, a polyether derivative, a polyhydric ester, a wax ester, a beeswax derivative, a vegetable wax, a natural or essential oil, a phospholipid, a sterol, and an amide.

Assignments (3)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Oct 16, 2024
From: SILK THERAPEUTICS, INC.
To: SILK, INC.
Reel/Frame 069211/0036 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Oct 16, 2024
From: SILK, INC.
To: EVOLVED BY NATURE, INC.
Reel/Frame 069211/0143 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 16, 2024
From: ALTMAN, GREGORY H.; HAAS, DYLAN S.; HEALY, KEVIN T.
To: SILK THERAPEUTICS, INC.
Reel/Frame 068917/0503 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 15570653
Provisional Application 62154581 · Apr 29, 2015
Related Publication 20240189204A1 · Jun 13, 2024
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