2-Amino-4-Hydroxyethylaminoanisole

Safety Information

The CIR Expert Panel evaluated the scientific data and concluded that these ingredients were safe for use as hair dye ingredients.

CIR Safety Review:

The CIR Expert Panel reviewed data indicating that less than 2% of 2-Amino-4-Hydroxyethylaminoanisole Sulfate in a hair dye formulation penetrated the skin. A repeat oral dose study of 2-Amino-4-Hydroxyethylaminoanisole Sulfate at exposures higher than would be expected from the use of a hair dye resulted in no adverse effects.

2-Amino-4-Hydroxyethylaminoanisole Sulfate was not a reproductive or developmental toxicant, and it was not considered genotoxic. At concentrations used in hair dyes, 2-Amino-4-Hydroxyethylaminoanisole Sulfate was not irritating nor did it cause skin sensitization.

According to the U.S. Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, hair dyes are not subject to approval by FDA but are required to bear a caution statement and appropriate “patch test” instructions for determining whether the product causes skin irritation in the user.

Patch test instructions call for a 24 hour patch on the skin of the user with the color solution and hydrogen peroxide mixed in the same manner as in use conditions. This test is to be performed prior to each and every application of the hair dye.

2-Amino-4-Hydroxyethylaminoanisole and 2-Amino-4-Hydroxyethylaminoanisole Sulfate are listed in the Cosmetics Directive of the European Union and may be used as oxidizing coloring agents for hair dying at a maximum concentration of 1.5% (as the sulfate) when combined with hydrogen peroxide (see Annex III). Hair dye products containing these ingredients must be labeled as indicated in Annex III.

Link to the EU Cosmetic Regulation: http://europa.eu/legislation_summaries/consumers/product_labelling_and_packaging/co0013_en.htm

More information about the safety of hair dyes.

Resources

The FDA's factsheet on Hair Dye Products
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Search the FDA Code of Federal Regulations
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The European Commission's Scientific Committee on Consumer Products (SCCP) Opinion
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EU Cosmetic Ingredients Inventory
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2-Amino-4-Hydroxyethylaminoanisole


Chemical image provided by National Cancer Institute
What Is It?

2-Amino-4-Hydroxyethylaminoanisole and 2-Amino-4-Hydroxyethylaminoanisole Sulfate are used in the formulation of permanent hair dyes. In permanent hair dye products, these ingredients enter the hair where they react with other compounds to form the dye compound that colors the hair.

Why Is It Used?

2-Amino-4-Hydroxyethylaminoanisole and 2-Amino-4-Hydroxyethylaminoanisole Sulfate impart color to hair.

The exact color obtained will depend on the other ingredients that are used in the hair dye preparation and the starting color of the hair.

Scientific Facts

2-Amino-4-Hydroxyethylaminoanisole and 2-Amino-4-Hydroxyethylaminoanisole Sulfate are used in permanent hair coloring systems where color is produced inside the hair fiber.

This is accomplished through careful formulation of the product so that the ingredients interact in a highly controlled process.

Hair dyeing formulations belong to three categories — temporary, semi-permanent and permanent coloring of hair. The permanent hair dyeing formulations are often referred to as oxidative hair dyes which are generally marketed as two-component products.

One component contains the compounds (precursors) that become the colorants and the other component is a stabilized solution of hydrogen peroxide.

The two components are mixed immediately prior to use. The precursors and peroxide diffuse into the hair shaft, where color formation takes place after the ingredients combine to produce the coloring mixture. The precursors are oxidized by the hydrogen peroxide to form the colorant molecules. These molecules are too large to escape from the hair structure.

The hydrogen peroxide in the oxidative hair dye product also serves as a bleaching agent for the natural pigment of the hair. The color that is formed depends on the precursors and direct dyes present in the dyeing solution, pH of the dyeing solution and the time of contact of the dyeing solution with the hair.