2-Chloro-p-Phenylenediamine Sulfate

Safety Information

Expert Panel for Cosmetic Ingredient Safety:

The safety of 2-chloro-p-phenylenediamine and 2-chloro-p-phenylenediamine sulfate has been assessed by the Expert Panel for Cosmetic Ingredient Safety. The Expert Panel reviewed the scientific data and concluded that 2-chloro-p-phenylenediamine and 2-chloro-p-phenylenediamine sulfate were safe as hair dye ingredients.

2-chloro-p-phenylenediamine and 2-chloro-p-phenylenediamine sulfate are colorants used in hair dyes at concentrations less than 1.0%. In a test for ocular irritation, 2.5% 2-chloro-p-phenylenediamine produced, at most, only mild conjunctival inflammation. 2-chloro-p-phenylenediamine was not a sensitizer when assayed on abraded and intact skin. The cited chronic studies did not provide sufficient evidence to conclude that the compound was carcinogenic. Epidemiological studies, both prospective and retrospective, support this conclusion. On the basis of available data, the Expert Panel concluded that 2-chloro-p-phenylenediamine and 2-chloro-p-phenylenediamine sulfate were safe as a hair dye ingredients at the current concentrations of use.

More information about the safety of hair dyes.

2-chloro-p-phenylenediamine may be used in cosmetics and personal care products marketed in the European Union according to the general provisions of the Cosmetics Directive of the European Union.

Resources

The FDA's factsheet on Hair Dye Products
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Search the FDA Code of Federal Regulations
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EU Cosmetic Ingredients Inventory
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2-Chloro-p-Phenylenediamine Sulfate


Chemical image provided by National Cancer Institute
What Is It?

2-Chloro-p-Phenylenediamine and 2-Chloro-p-Phenylenediamine Sulfate are hair colorants used in hair dye products.

Why Is It Used?

2-Chloro-p-Phenylenediamine and 2-Chloro-p-Phenylenediamine Sulfate impart color to hair. The exact color obtained will depend on the other ingredients that are used in the preparation and the starting color of the hair.

Scientific Facts

2-Chloro-p-Phenylenediamine and 2-Chloro-p-Phenylenediamine 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 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. 2-Chloro-p-Phenylenediamine and 2-Chloro-p-Phenylenediamine are halogenated aromatic amines. This category of ingredients is used extensively in permanent hair dye products.