Improvements relating to encapsulated benefit agents

A process for the preparation of a particle, comprising:

• i.) forming an emulsion comprising
• a) an oil phase comprising a hydrophobic benefit agent and a reactive monomer comprising an aromatic group;
• and
• b) a water phase comprising a hydrophobically modified polyvinyl alcohol;
• ii.) adding a first dextran aldehyde having a molecular weight of from 10,000 to 25,000 Da such that crosslinking of the hydrophobically modified polyvinyl alcohol occurs to form an outer crosslinked shell;
• and
• iii.) adding a reactive amine such that the reactive monomer in the oil phase undergoes polymerisation to form an inner polyamide shell;
• wherein the particle comprises:
• (a) a core comprising the hydrophobic benefit agent;
• (b) an outer crosslinked shell, which comprises a crosslinked, hydrophobically modified polyvinyl alcohol, which comprises a crosslinking agent comprising the first dextran aldehyde having a molecular weight of from 10,000 to 25,000 Da;
• and
• (c) an inner polyamide shell, wherein the shell comprises a polyamide, and wherein the polyamide comprises an aromatic group;
• wherein the outer crosslinked shell is formed prior to the formation of the inner polyamide shell;
• wherein the reactive amine comprises at least one water miscible monomer selected from the group consisting of a diamine, a triamine and mixtures thereof, and the reactive monomer comprising an aromatic group comprises one water immiscible organic monomer selected from the group consisting of diacyl chlorides, triacyl chlorides and mixtures thereof;
• and
• wherein the hydrophobically modified polyvinyl alcohol is represented by the formula:
• wherein
• the average number ratio of z to x is within the range of from about 1:200 to about 1:6;
• y is the residual acetate in the range of from about 1 to about 20%, and
• R is an alkyl group having from 3 to 6 carbon atoms.