Vaginal tissue moisturizing composition and method

A method of moisturizing mammalian vaginal mucous membrane comprising:

• (A) contacting mammalian vaginal mucous membrane with an aqueous composition in an amount effective to moisturize vaginal mucosal cells, said aqueous composition, being essentially free of treating agent and comprising:
• (1) water;
• (2) a moisturizing amount of a bioadhesive moisturizing substantially non-esterified polymer in a free acid form, said bioadhesive polymer consisting essentially of particles of a water-swellable, but water-insoluble, cross-linked carboxyl-functional polymer present at about 0.25 to about 5 weight percent of said composition, said polymer particles sized to pass through a 400 mesh size sieve, U.S. Standard Sieve Series and consisting essentially of (a) a plurality of repeating units of which at least about 80 percent contain at least one carboxyl functionality, and (b) about 0.05 to about 1.5 weight percent of a crosslinking agent free of polyalkenyl polyether;
• and
• (3) a consistency-enhancing agent, said consistency-enhancing agent being a water-dispersible non-ionic or anionic polymer having a plurality of carboxyl groups that is present in an amount of about 0.5 to about 5 weight percent of said composition;
• and
• (B) maintaining said contact for a time period sufficient to moisturize said mucous membrane.

A vaginal moisturizing composition consisting essentially of:

• (A) water;
• (B) an amount sufficient to moisturize vaginal tissue of a substantially non-esterified bioadhesive in a free acid form moisturizing polymer, said bioadhesive moisturizing polymer consisting essentially of particles of a water-swellable, but water-insoluble cross-linked carboxyl-functional polymer that consists essentially of (a) a plurality of repeating units of which at least about 80 percent contain at least one carboxyl functionality, and (b) about 0.05 to about 1.5 weight percent of a cross-linking agent that is substantially free from polyalkenyl polyether;
• and
• (C) a thickening-smoothing amount of a consistency-enhancing agent, said consistency-enhancing agent being a water-dispersible non-ionic or anionic polymer.

A vaginal moisturizing composition consisting essentially of:

• (A) water;
• (B) an amount sufficient to moisturize a vagina of a substantially non-esterified bioadhesive in a free acid form moisturizing polymer, said bioadhesive moisturizing polymer consisting essentially of particles of a water-swellable, but water-insoluble, cross-linked carboxyl-functional polymer consisting essentially of (a) a plurality of repeating units of which at least about 80 percent contain at least one carboxyl functionality, and (b) about 0.05 to about 1.5 weight percent of a cross-linking agent that is substantially free from polyalkenyl ether;
• (C) a thickening-smoothing amount of consistency-enhancing agent, said consistency-enhancing agent being a water-dispersible non-ionic or anionic polymer;
• and
• (D) an adjuvant selected from the group consisting of a preservative, emollient, lubricant, emulsifying agent, humectant, coloring agent, odorant and perfume.