HAIR DYES

SCIENCE AND PHARMACEUTICAL

FORMULATIONS

BY KIRIIRI GEOFFREY
Hair Colour

 The colour of ones hair is determined by the type of

melanin dominant . Two forms of melanin exist
;eumelanin and pheomelanin
 Individuals with emelanin have black or brown hair
while those with pheomelanin express red or blonde
hair
 Hair colour is inherited from parents in the normal
mendelian fashion
Law of colour
 Color is described as the property of an object that
determines what the eye is perceiving based on how it
reflects light.
 Hair can reflect components that we perceive as brown
or blond but contain red, green, blue pigments as well
as other shades.
 The level system:
 There are ten units of measurement in the level system:
Level 1 is black and level 10 is lightest blond.
 Each unit of measurement, from level one, gets lighter
and lighter until it reaches the lightest color labeled as
#10 - lightest blond.
Hair colours
Hair Dyes

 Hair dyes can be defined as products that alter the

color appearance of hair temporarily or permanently,
by removing some of the existing color and/or
adding new color
 Hair dyes can be of natural or synthetic origin
 The dyeing can be permanent ,demi-permanent
semi-temporary or temporary
Hair Dyes
Reasons for dyeing hair

 To cover greying hair thus impart a younger look

 For identity in entertainment
 Teenage curiosities
 Camouflage during war
 Status symbol among certain cultures
 To enhance existing hair
 Wanting a different hair colour from the one given
by nature
Hair Dyeing- History

 Hair dyeing is a age old practice dating to prehistoric

era
 Native Indians adorned dyed hair.
 Egyptians used hena to dye their grey hair
 Greeks and Romans used plant extracts to colour their
strands.
 During the Roman Empire, prostitutes were required
to have yellow hair to indicate their profession
 Gaul and the Saxons were dyeing their hair a variety of
vibrant colors to show their rank and as a means of
intimidating opponents on the battlefield.
 Today an estimated 70% of American women use hair
colouring products
Chemistry of hair dyes

 The first hair dye(Mauveine) was accidentally

discovered in 1863 by William Henry Perkin as he
attempted to generate a cure for malaria
 Modification of Mauveine by August Hoffman
yielded the first permenant hair colour changing
molecule –Para phenylenediamine
 The molecule remains the foundation of permenant
hair dyes today
Modern day Dyes

 In 1907, Eugene Schueller created the first chemical

dye for commercial purposes. He called it Aureole.
This was later renamed L’Oreal
 Hair dying systems can be divided into two main
categories, oxidative or non-oxidative, and also
according to the color durability after the application
on hair strands: temporary, semi-permanent,
demi-permanent and permanent
Types of colourants

Hair dye type Level of water resistance

Temporary Washout( Within one wash)

Semi-permanent Washout( Within 6-8 washes)

Demi-permanent Washout( up to 24 washes)

Permanent Permanent( Grows out)

Bleaching Permanent( Grows out)

Mechanism of dyeing

Temporary :
 The pigment molecules are large and cannot
penetrate the cuticle layer. The dye particles remain
adsorbed to the hair shaft and are easily removed
with a single shampooing.
 They do not lighten or change the structure of the
hair.
Semi-permanent
 The dye molecules penetrate a little into the cortex
and so the colour resists up to six washes
Mechanism of dyeing
 Demi-permanent and Permanent dyes

 Demi-permanent and permanent dyes are based on color

precursors, called oxidation dyes, and the final shade is
developed by their interactions with an oxidizing agent.
 In oxidation systems, there is an intense diffusion of the
molecules into the cortex, what promotes a longer color
resistance.
 Permanent hair dyeing occurs in three stages
1.Oxidation of 1,4 - diaminobenzene derivative to the
quinone state
2. Reaction of this Di-imine with a coupler
3. Oxidation of the resulting compound to gives the final
dye
 Melanin oxidation also occurs
Ingredients

Non oxidizing dyes- Temporary

 Xanthene ( Acid Red 93)
 Anthraquinone ( Acid violet 43)
 Triphenylmethane( Acid Blue 9)
 Diazo(Acid Black 1)
 Nitro( Acid yellow 23)
 Monoazo( Acid orange 7)
Ingredients
 Non oxidizing , Semi-permanent dyes
 Nitro aniline( Acid yellow 2)
 Nitro Aniline ( Acid red 3)
 Nitro Aniline( Blue 2)
 Basic dye( Basic red 51),( Basic red 76) etc

Molecules are smaller than those used in temopary dyes

and are thus able to partially penetrate the cuticle

These nitro anilines are mixed with basic or acid dyes to

achieve better colour result and higher resistance to
washing.
They achieve more uniform colour distribution in the first
application
Ingredients

Demi permanent
These dyes contain a mix of semipermanent molecules
with oxidation dye precursors, applied with hydrogen
peroxide. ( usually 2%)
 Process falls between the semi-permanent and
permanent dye process.
Permanent Dyes
 Color formation happens upon mixing and involves
complex reactions between precursors in the presence of
an oxidizing agent. The precursors can be classified into
two categories: (1)oxidation based or primary
intermediaries, (2) couplers or reaction modifiers
 They contain 6% peroxides
Overview of common dye ingredients

Component function Examples

Peroxides Oxidants or bleaching Hydrogen peroxide

Alkalizer Swelling hair cuticle and NH3, Monoethanolamine,Amino

bleaching ethylpropanol
Dye Impart colour p - Aminophenol, 1-naphtol,
precursors p - phenylenediamine,
Solvent Dye vehicle Water, propylene glycol, ethanol,
glycerin
Surfactant Foaming, thickening Sodium lauryl sulfate, ceteareth -
25,
cocoamide MEA, oleth - 5
Buffer Stabilizing Disodium phosphate, citric acid

Fatty alcohols Emmolients Glyceryl stearate, cetearyl alcohol

Quaternary Conditioning Polyquaternium, cetrimonium

compounds chloride
Formulation

Hair dyes are formulated from colour pigments .

Different primary colours are mixed to achieve
desired colour shades.
Frequently, two to five substances are necessary to
reach the desired hair color because just one
substance does not achieve natural shades.
Some formulations use two molecules to remove the
yellowish effect in white hair and also 4-5 substances
are mixed to reach the red, brown and black shades
Formulations

 Hair dyes are available as Lotions, shampoos,

mousses and emulsions,gels,powders or solutions.
 Stabilizing agents include Surfactacts and solvents to
disperse the dye molecules and enhance hair wetting.
 Antioxidants are also included to prevent auto-
oxidation reactions during product storage
Formulation

 Coupling agents . They do not produce significant color

alone but can modify them when used as primary
intermediaries and oxidants . Eg 4-chlororesorcinol, 2,4
–diaminophenoxyethanol HCL, m-Aminophenol
 Alkalinizing compounds:necessary for the process of hair
dyeing to promote the proper pH value for the beginning
of the oxidation reaction.
 This alkali swells the hair fiber causing cuticles to
separate and open, allowing dye to penetrate the cortex
 The most commonly alkalizing compounds used are
ammonia, in the form of ammonium hydroxide, and
monoethanolamine.
Bleaches
 Hair bleaches are products that lighten hair without adding
a new color.
 In addition to hydrogen peroxide and ammonia they
contain persulfates to boost and accelerate the bleaching
efficacy.
 Bleaching is the most efficient method of lightening natural
and precolored hair.
 In the case of a partial bleaching, especially on very dark
hair, the results can be an unwanted yellow to orange -
colored shade.
 Bleach reacts more readily with dark eumelanin pigments
 than with phaeomelanin pigments
 If hair has been previously colored with permanent dye
 bleaching could vary in effectiveness
Bleaching
Quality control

 Skin irritation tests

 Eye irritation tests
 PH ( Hair has a PH of around 5.5)
 Water resistance
Health concerns

 Skin irritation/ dermatitis

 Eye and respiratory sensitization
 Severe contact allergies
 Mutagenicity on mixing with peroxides
 May induce hair to fall off
Labelling

 Name and location of manufacturer

 List of ingredients in chronological order
 Cautions
 Directions for use
 Desired storage conditions
 Expiry date
Regulation

 The FDA regulates hair dyes under the cosmetics act.

Only permitted hair colours may be incorporated
into the hair products , coal tar dyes are however
exempted.
 The EU also does regulate cosmetics under
Regulation 1223/2009. Recently reviewed to include
requirements for mutagenicity and genotoxicity
 Regulation not clearly defined in other countries
Quote

The best anti-aging product is a great, natural-

looking hair color, especially when you're graying.
Bobbi Brown
 Thank You