Writing in its international patent, Colgate-Palmolive said it had developed the antiperspirant in response to a growing need for gentler, anti-irritant antiperspirants and to align with the surging interest in CBD. The formulation had been designed for use in various antiperspirant deodorant forms, including roll-on, stick, gel and even aerosol.
Colgate-Palmolive said whilst there was a wealth of “conventional antiperspirant salts” used by industry, including aluminium and zirconium salts, many could cause skin irritation. And with an estimated 50% of the world population considered to have sensitive skin, it said there was a clear need for an alternative.
“It is therefore desirable to develop and formulate efficacious anti-irritant ingredients into personal care products to mitigate potential irritant-induced redness, tingling, itching, or burning of the skin to a tolerable level for improved consumer compliance,” Colgate-Palmolive wrote in its patent filing.
A ‘surprising’ reduction in irritation with CBD
To achieve this, the personal care major had looked at cannabinoids, specifically CBD, to be used alongside metal-containing antiperspirant actives.
“Without being bound by theory, it is believed that cannabinoids such as CBD, with its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, are well-suited to mitigate skin irritation, such as that resulting from application of a deodorant or an antiperspirant,” Colgate-Palmolive said.
Incorporating a cannabinoid into its antiperspirant composition, it said, provided “a surprising reduction of the irritation and inflammation” caused by some of the active ingredients in conventional formulas. And in vitro testing, it said, had shown compositions containing CBD “demonstrated skin benefits like anti-irritation not only at the gene level but also at protein level”.