Polyaspartic acid derivatives, their preparation and their use in cosmetic composition

Abstract

Novel polymers useful, in particular, in cosmetic compositions for application to the hair are described. These random polymers can be represented by the general formula: ##STR1## in which: Z represents a mercapto radical or a sulphonic acid radical, which is free or is in the form of an alkali metal or an alkaline earth metal salt, x is an integer from 2 to 6, R represents a hydrogen atom or a lower alkyl radical, each R' independently represents a hydrogen atom, a lower hydroxyalkyl group, an alkyl group having 1 to 18 carbon atoms or an alkenyl group having at most 18 carbon atoms, each R" independently represents a hydrogen atom, a lower hydroxyalkyl group or a lower alkyl group, or R' and R", together with the nitrogen atom to which they are attached, form a 6-membered ring, which can contain, apart from the said nitrogen atom, an oxygen or nitrogen atom, M represents a hydrogen atom, an alkali metal atom or half an atom of an alkaline earth metal, D represents a ##STR2## group, R, x, Z, R', R" and M being as defined above, m is a positive integer corresponding to the number of units A in the polymer, p and q are each independently 0 or a positive integer corresponding to the number of units B and C, respectively, in the polymer, such that the sum m+p+q is from about 15 to about 500.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.