The Procter Gamble Company

Francis James Rourke

Scott Edward Osborne

Donald Carroll Roe

John McMillan McIver

Todd Laurence Underiner

Timothy Bates

Marc Frederic Richards

The invention provides an absorbent article, at least a portion of which has a protease inhibitor incorporated therein to decrease the activity of proteases that may otherwise initiate or contribute to inflammation of the skin of a wearer of the article resulting in skin irritation or dermatitis. The article can further comprise a delivery system for releasably containing and delivering the protease inhibitor to at least a portion of the skin of the wearer. The delivery system can comprise a skin care composition and at least a portion of the composition, including the protease inhibitor, is automatically transferred from the article to the wearer's skin without manual intervention during normal usage of the article to form a defense against protease activity. Most preferably, repeated application of similarly treated articles to the wearer's skin provides an available source from which the protease inhibitor continuously transfers onto the skin over time and accumulates to provide a proactive defense against protease activity for the reduction or prevention of skin irritation or dermatitis due to proteolytic enzymes.

Protease inhibitors in absorbent articles

An absorbent article, at least a portion of which comprises a skin care composition that comprises an enzyme inhibitor and is at least partially transferred from the article to the skin of a wearer of the article as a result of normal contact, wearer motion and/or body heat. The enzyme inhibitor is transferred to the skin with the skin care composition and is available at the skin/urine and skin/feces interfaces to inhibit enzymatic activity on the skin and to reduce or prevent the occurrence of inflammation. Repeated application of similar treated articles to the wearer's skin provides an available source with which the enzyme inhibitor transfers onto the skin continuously over time and accumulates to provide a proactive defense against harmful enzymes for the treatment and/or prevention of diaper dermatitis.

Disposable absorbent article having a skin care composition containing an enzyme inhibitor

A disposable wipe which comprises a substrate, an antimicrobial protease inhibitor, and a liquid. The antimicrobial protease inhibitor may be added directly to the substrate and/or added directly to the liquid. The antimicrobial protease inhibitor is capable of inhibiting deleterious fecal microorganisms and protease enzymes thereby aiding in the prevention of diaper dermatitis. The wipe may optionally include other ingredients examples of which include humectants, emollients, surfactants, fragrances, emulsifiers, and preservatives.

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Sharonville, OH, United States of America

Francis James Rourke