Applicator for skin cleansing agents,skin care products and medical liniments

APPLICATOR FOR SKIN-CLEANSING AGENTS, SKIN CARE PRODUCTS AND MEDICAL LINIMENTS

The present invention relates to an applicator for skincleansing agents, skin care products and medical liniments.

Three factors are of greatest importance for providing a good and intense care of the face:

1. thorough cleansing of the skin;

2. promoting blood circulation in order to stimulate the skin function;

3. enhancing the absorption capacity for care agents of the skin.

At present, in order to promote blood circulation in the skin, massage and heat application are used. Both measures are expensive and time-consuming. Typically, absorbent cotton (cotton wool) is frequently used as an applicator for the cleansing liquid.

From the German Utility Model No. G 80 23 733 there has been known a device for applying medicaments and cosmetics to the skin, which device consists of a holder means and a thin sponge layer removably secured thereto, the holder means being connected to a handle. The sponge and support layers are preferably circular in shape. The sponge layer is preferred to be secured by means of a clamping ring or ring nut, although it may also be secured via an adhesive film. Although it is possible with this device to reach parts of the body which are difficult to reach, this device fails to enable the intense care of the face to be accomplished as required or desired.

A similar device has been known from the US-A-2,995,768, wherein, however, the liquid agent to be applied can be sprayed into the sponge from a reservoir.

From the German Utility Model No. G 8.4 06 460 there has been known a device for applying cosmetics to the skin of parts of the body which are difficult to reach, said device consisting of an absorbent application pad and a pullribbon attached to both sides thereof. This device also fails to provide the intense care of the face as required. Thus, in practice skin care is still continued to be effected by hand or by using a cotton pad. However, cotton pads do not optimize the three factors mentioned above for good and intense care of the face, so that the desired effect will occur either not at all or only in part.

This problem has been known in cosmetics. But it is also important that medical liniments are well absorbed into the skin.

It is the object of the present invention to develop an applicator which, with simple means and within a relatively short period of time, will improve and simplify the three factors mentioned above.

The object set forth hereinbefore is attained by an applicator for skin cleansing agents, skin care products and/or medical liniments, said applicator including a holder means 1 comprising a handle 2 and a rounded support 5, which can be exchangeable if desired, said applicator being characterized in that the support 5 includes a closed-cell polyethylene foam 6 which optionally has one surface thereof bonded to an absorbent layer 7 made of tissue or non-woven fabric.

The support 5 preferably consists of a laminate comprising an aluminum foil 8 covered with Closed-^cell foam 6 on both surfaces thereof. The aluminum foil acts as a mechanical stabilizer and a vapor barrier in the case that readily volatile constituents of the skin cleansing agent, skin care product or medical liniment would penetrate into the foam.

The combination between the closed-cell foam 6 and the layer 7 is accomplished by way of adhesion bonding, fusing or laminating.

Another embodiment of the applicator according to the invention includes a holder means 1 and a handle 2 made of the same material as the support 5 and includes a bowed portion 9 folded by about 90* and laterally connected to the support.

This embodiment may be made with particular ease by integrally punching the material of the foldable bowed portion from the material of the support 5 followed by punching a slot therethrough, whereby it becomes possible to partially separate and fold the bowed portion from the support.

If this simplified applicator is to be used for applying a skin cleansing agent, said applicator preferably comprises a layer 7 of cloth or non-woven fabric. If this simplified applicator is to be used for applying a skin care product or a medical liniment, the layer 7 is omitted, so that rubbing is done directly with the closed-cell foam

6.

It is important for the cleansing step that one surface of the foam is connected to an absorbent layer 7 made of cloth or of a non-woven fabric. Said layer 7 will absorb a sufficient amount of the cleansing liquid or cleansing cream, while said materials will not penetrate more deeply into the insertible support. The closed-cell foam simultaneously acts as a good heat insulator, so that the cleansing liquid or cleansing cream is applied under the action of heat. If an applicator having a replaceable support 5 is used, the cleaning step is carried out in such a way that the surface bonded to the absorbent layer 7 of the foam 6 is visible. After the cleansing operation, the support 5 is removed from the holder means 1 and is again inserted in the opposite direction so that now the closedcell foam layer is visible. Then, the skin care product is massaged into the skin while again heat is simultaneously applied. Warming of the skin results in opening the pores and facilitates either cleansing or massaging the skin care product into the skin. The skin care product in most cases contains fat-restituting components, but grease-free skin care products may also be used.

Investigations of the applicator according to the invention showed that optimum cleansing and optimum introduction into the skin of the skin care product can be achieved with substantially less effort and in less time. During the application of the two steps, the treated parts of the skin are warmed and, hence, blood flow therein is enhanced. All female test persons spontaneously expressed themselves positively on the applicator and reported, among other things, that they continued to perceive a pleasant tingling heat in their faces for about another half an hour after the treatment.

Typical embodiments of the applicator according to the invention are shown in Figures 1 through 6 of the attached drawing.

Fig. 1 is a side elevational, in part sectional, view of an applicator comprising an exchangeable support;

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of an applicator comprising an exchangeable support;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of a simplified applicator.

The Figures 4 through 6 are schematical side views of said applicator which is suitable either for cleaning by use of a skin cleansing agent or for rubbing with a skin care product or a medical liniment.

In the Figures of the drawing, the reference numerals have the following meanings:

1: Holder means

2: Handle, optionally provided with undulated depressions or a hole for providing better grip

3: Rounded mounting plate

4: Elevated outer edge, preferably inwardly sloped

5: Support

6: Layers of close-cell foam material

7: Absorbent layer made of tissue or non-woven fabric

8: Aluminum foil

9: Bow made of the material of the support

10: Metal foil.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the mounting plate 3 is preferably shaped as a rectangle having two semi-circles joined at opposing sides thereof to form an oval shape with flattened sides. Another preferred embodiment is oval in shape. Basically, the mounting plate could be circular as well, however, this creates a danger that the insertible support 5 will slip within the holder means and, thus, fail to provide optimum action. For safety reasons the support and the corners of the support and of the mounting plate have been rounded off to prevent injuries and to provide good treatment to critical areas of the face such as the parts around the eyes and the corners of the nose. The. outer edge or rim 4 is elevated and sloped along its inner periphery to provide the insertible support with a firmer and improved fit in the mounting plate.

The handle 2 is preferably attached to the mounting plate 3 and positioned vertically with respect thereto to enable the application of a sufficient pressure to the applicator and, hence, onto the skin.

In Figure 3 there is shown an oval support comprising an attached foldable bowed portion 9. Figure 4 shows said support with the bowed portion folded down. The size of the bowed portion 9 generally has been selected to be such that one, two or three fingers may be introduced to exert sufficient pressure in rubbing. Figure 5 is a sectional view of a simple applicator for skin cleansing agents. Figure 6 is a sectional view of a simple applicator for skin care products and medical liniments. In both Figures 5 and 6, an aluminum foil, preferably bearing a vapordeposited gold layer thereon, has been laminated to the surface remote to the skin. The foil provides a mechanical stabilization of the support and the bowed portion. Furthermore, it prevents direct contact of the finger tips with any solvents penetrating through the foam.

By the applicators according to the invention, the consumer is now provided with the option of individually establishing her/his care program. Irrespective of these modifications, even the simple embodiments according- to Figures 3 to 5 provide the same physical success as is attained by the system comprising replaceable supports according to Figures 1 and 2, i.e., the pores are opened and widened to an enhanced degree and thereby the skin is more efficiently and more deeply cleaned. Also by means of this embodiment the penetration of the creams or medical liniments into the skin is increased by up to 50%.

In practical tests with the applicators comprising replaceable supports it was shown that, once the support has been turned, remainders of cleanser may occasionally be squeezed out of the absorbent layer and will leach at the outer edge of the holder means. Thereby, an undesirable mixing of the skin care product with the remainders of the cleansing liquid may occur. This may be avoided by providing the inner surface of the holder means with parallel striated or concentrically annular depressions in which the squeezed remainders of the cleansing liquid may accumulate without being laterally squeezed out. Preferably, the area of the depressions is smaller than the area of the remaining inner surface, so that still a sufficient supporting surface will remain for the inserted support.

It is of course possible to shape the replaceable support 5 so that it will be usable either for only the cleansing step or only for applying a skin care product or a medical liniment. For example, if the support 5 is intended to be used only for the cleansing step, then both surfaces of the foam material 6 may be coated with the absorbent layer 7 so that both surfaces are suitable for use in the cleansing step. If the support 5 is intended to be used only for applying a skin care product or a medical liniment, then, for example, the side to be inserted in the holder means 1 of the foam may be made of a higher compacted material which results in an increased mechanical stability of the support 5, whereas the side facing the skin may consist of a less compacted material and, thus, will have a softer and more pleasant feel. It is also possible to firmly adhesion-bond the support 5 to the holder means 1.

It is further possible to make cuts to some depth and spaced apart into the side facing the skin of the support 5 made of foam. Thus, for example, a support 5 having a thickness of 8 mm may include a more compacted layer being 3 mm in thickness and, firmly bonded thereto, a softer layer being 5 mm in thickness. The surface region of the softer layer may include cuts about 2 mm deep and spaced apart by about 5 mm so that a square patterns has been formed. The agent to be applied is initially absorbed more efficiently in the incisions or grooves; however, in the course of the rubbing operation said agent in turn will be almost completely released and delivered to the skin. In another variant, a softer layer with perforations is used. Here also the agent to be rubbed with may first be accumulated in the small holes in order to be released later on during the rubbing motion.