EC makes amendments to hair dye regulation

03-Dec-2013 - Last updated on 03-Dec-2013 at 11:46 GMT

The European Commission has announced its decision to amend Annex III of the cosmetics Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 of the European Parliament in its Official Journal.

The amendments set to be put in place are further efforts to control the potential risks of hair dye substances.

"This Regulation shall enter into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union and shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States."

The document states that Annexes II and III to Directive 76/768/EEC were amended by Directive 2012/21/EU after the adoption of the Regulation, by including one hair dye substance into Annex II, 26 hair dye substances into Part 1 of Annex III and by changing the maximum authorised concentrations in the finished cosmetic product for two hair dye substances in Part 1 of Annex III.

Those amendments should now be reflected in Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009.

Substances amongst those to be amended

Substances like Aminophenyl imino]bis(ethanol) sulphate and 1,3-Benzenediol, 4-chloro- hair dye substances in oxidative hair dye products are amongst the substances highlighted in the document.

In regards to these substances, the EC advises that they be mixed under oxidative conditions and applied to the hair at a maximum concentration of 2.5%.

With regards to substances like '2,4,5,6-Tetraaminopyrimidine sulphate' the maximum concentration has been granted at a higher concentration of 3.4%.

Please see here for more information on other dyes and their concentrated guidelines.

Investigation and investment in hair dye segment

Hair dyes and their ingredients have been a topical issue of late for the industry and while the EC is investigating whether certain ingredients require tighter regulation, research is also being invested in the area to find safer alternatives.

Recently, a scientific discovery found that golden hair could become a permanent hair dye option on finding the first synthesis of gold nanoparticles inside human hairs.

The study conducted by French scientist, Dr Philippe Walter and his team,found that hair could synthesize gold nanoparticles into the hair cuticle. Walter noted that after the hair was exposed to a solution of a gold compound, it was synthesized into the hair, which is a normal process for a hair dye.