Unilever Patent Holdings B.v.

Hyphens Pharma Pte. Ltd.

Chesebrough-pond's USA Co., Division of Conopco, Inc.

Kevin Hammond

Adrian Francis Davis

Alfred R Elmes

David C Sherrington

Peter Carter

Christine Morris

David B Hough

Rober C Hammond

The present invention provides a composition for topical administration of a polyhydroxy acid, such as lactobionate and especially zinc lactobionate, and low pH to an external body surface such as skin. The composition is designed to be highly effective in delivering low pH and zinc lactobionate across the layers of the skin to more effectively treat and prevent skin conditions involving a defective skin barrier such as eczema and severe dry skin.

Skin barrier composition

A porous polymeric support for biological cells is prepared having a total pore volume of at least 75% formed by a plurality of voids having an average diameter within a range of from 1 and 150 .mu.m interconnected by holes. The support is prepared by forming an emulsion containing monomers and/or prepolymers in a continuous phase and having an internal phase that forms the voids of the support, and polymerizing the monomers and/or prepolymers in the continuous phase. The emulsion may be a water-in-oil emulsion with the monomers and/or prepolymers in the oil. Biological cells are introduced into at least the voids of the support. Preferably, the voids have an average size 3 to 15 times the cell size and the holes have an average size 1 to 8 times the cell size. A compound may be produced by passing reactants into the voids via the interconnecting holes to contact the cells in the voids to cause the cells to produce the compound.

Porous polymeric support containing biological cells in interconnected

A porous polymeric material has cell sizes within the range 100 to 0.5 .mu.m and total pore volume with respect to the overall volume of the material in the range 75 to 98% and includes cross-linked polycondensation polymeric material. The material can be made from a high internal phase emulsion in which the cross-linked polycondensation polymer is formed in the continuous phase. The materials are preferably open interconnected cellular structures. They can be made of a wide range of polycondensation materials. The materials are thus highly porous and light weight and have a range of properties depending primarily on their constituent polycondensation materials.

Porous material and its preparation

The present invention relates to oral compositions such as dentifrices or mouthwashes. By inclusion therein of a shorter chain mono- and dialkylphosphate as surfactant, a mild product is obtained which also has improved anti-caries properties. Preferred are sodium mono- and di-octyl phosphates for use in these compositions.

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Wirral, United Kingdom

Kevin Hammond