Treating hair with cosmetic formulations containing polypeptides

Claim 1

A method for treating hair to improve the manageability, body and sheen thereof which comprises applying to the hair an aqueous solution having a pH from about 4 to about 7, said aqueous solution containing polypeptides, including a cosmetically effective amount of charged polypeptides, having two sterically unhindered positive charges, which charged polypeptides have the formula: ##STR9## wherein n is an integer sufficient to provide a molecular weight of the polypeptide of from about 200 to about 2,000; each R 1 is independently a side group attached to the alpha carbon of a naturally occurring amino acid; and R 2 is selected from the group consisting of: ##STR10## said charged polypeptides being soluble at a pH of from about 4 to about 9 and partially insoluble at a pH less than about 4 and at a pH greater than about 9, and wherein at least 16 mole percent of the polypeptides of the aqueous solution are said charged polypeptides; said polypeptides being formed by hydrolysis of proteins containing from about 12% to about 70% by weight arginine and lysine in combination by trypsin catalysis.

Claim 2

A method for treating hair to improve the manageability, body and sheen thereof which comprises applying to the hair an aqueous solution having a pH from about 4 to about 7, said aqueous solution containing polypeptides, including a cosmetically effective amount of charged polypeptides, having two sterically unhindered positive charges, which charged polypeptides have the formula: ##STR9## wherein n is an integer sufficient to provide a molecular weight of the polypeptide of from about 200 to about 2,000; each R 1 is independently a side group attached to the alpha carbon of a naturally occurring amino acid; and R 2 is selected from the group consisting of: ##STR10## said charged polypeptides being soluble at a pH of from about 4 to about 9 and partially insoluble at a pH less than about 4 and at a pH greater than about 9, and wherein at least 16 mole percent of the polypeptides of the aqueous solution are said charged polypeptides; said polypeptides being formed by hydrolysis of proteins containing from about 12% to about 70% by weight arginine and lysine in combination by trypsin catalysis.

Claim 5

A method for treating hair to improve the manageability, body and sheen thereof which comprises applying to the hair an aqueous solution having a pH from about 4 to about 7, said aqueous solution containing polypeptides, including a cosmetically effective amount of charged polypeptides, having two sterically unhindered positive charges, which charged polypeptides have the formula: ##STR11## wherein n is an integer sufficient to provide a molecular weight of the polypeptide of from about 200 to about 2,000; each R 1 is independently a side group attached to the alpha carbon of a naturally occurring amino acid; and R 2 is selected from the group consisting of: ##STR12## said charged polypeptides being soluble at a pH of from about 4 to about 9 and partially insoluble at a pH less than about 4 and at a pH greater than about 9, and wherein at least 16 mole percent of the polypeptides of the aqueous solution are said charged polypeptides; said polypeptides being formed by hydrolyzing with trypsin, a gelatin comprising of from about 12 to about 70 percent by weight arginine and lysine in combination.

Claim 6

A method for treating hair to improve the manageability, body and sheen thereof which comprises applying to the hair an aqueous solution having a pH from about 4 to about 7, said aqueous solution containing polypeptides, including a cosmetically effective amount of charged polypeptides, having two sterically unhindered positive charges, which charged polypeptides have the formula: ##STR11## wherein n is an integer sufficient to provide a molecular weight of the polypeptide of from about 200 to about 2,000; each R 1 is independently a side group attached to the alpha carbon of a naturally occurring amino acid; and R 2 is selected from the group consisting of: ##STR12## said charged polypeptides being soluble at a pH of from about 4 to about 9 and partially insoluble at a pH less than about 4 and at a pH greater than about 9, and wherein at least 16 mole percent of the polypeptides of the aqueous solution are said charged polypeptides; said polypeptides being formed by hydrolyzing with trypsin, a gelatin comprising of from about 12 to about 70 percent by weight arginine and lysine in combination.