South Korea bans hair dye chemicals to boost management of cosmetics and protect public health
04 Oct 2022 --- South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) has added five hair dye chemicals, including o-aminophenol, m-Phenylenediamine HCl, m-Phenylenediamine, Catechol and Pyrogallol, to the list of banned components for cosmetics in order to tighten the management of cosmetics and to protect people’s health.
MFDS amended the Cosmetic Safety Standards and Other Related Provisions to bring the ban into regulation.
Alarmingly and despite its availability, hair dye has numerous warnings, precautions and safety hazards connoted to it. For instance, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has a list of instructions and safety precautions to follow when dying hair.
Some FDA rules include keeping hair dyes out of the reach of children, not leaving the dye on longer than the directions say, rinsing the scalp well with water after dyeing, wearing gloves when applying the hair dye and never mix different hair dye products as this can hurt the hair and scalp.
Hazard assessment
According to Article 8 of South Korea’s Cosmetics Law, MFDS is required to regularly undertake hazard analyses on the compounds used in hair dye. A recent analysis of the five aforementioned chemicals indicates that they are likely to pose genotoxic risks.
Since 2020, MFDS has undertaken routine hazard analyses on 352 banned compounds, out of which 76 ingredients are found in hair dyes. The plan states that MFDS will regularly evaluate each of the authorized ingredients for hazards and will issue the necessary change alerts based on the circumstances.
Within six months of the revision notice’s release, MFDS will take action to forbid the use of dangerous substances in cosmetics.
Hair dye, despite its availability, has numerous amounts of warnings, precautions and safety hazards connoted to it.Animal and human tested reactions
One of the substances, o-aminophenol, was tested by the science committee to determine consumer safety. In albino Hartley guinea pigs two protocols were investigated to assess the allergic potential. According to the report, the animals displayed moderately strong cross reactions to o-aminophenol, observed in four out of ten animals.
Similarly, in a cross-sensitivity of hair dye study on humans, three of ten patients showed weak positive patch test reactions to o-aminophenol. Oral toxicity was tested on rats over a three-month period as well, but the results proved inconclusive.
Under the microscope
Chemical m-Phenylenediamine HCl is often used in hair dyes as a “coupling agent” for creating blue colors. A study previously found that Phenylenediamines can cause DNA damage and mutation.
According to PubChem, a database of chemical compounds and their activities, controlled by the National Center for Biotechnology Information, humans who come into contact with Catechol may develop eczematous dermatitis.
In humans, skin absorption of Catechol leads to a condition similar to that brought on by phenol, but with more violent convulsions. Animals exposed to high dosages of Catechol may experience sustained blood pressure increases and central nervous system depression. It is unclear if these health effects were seen following acute (short-term) or chronic (long-term) exposure, according to PubChem. In oral-exposed rats, however, tumors in the glandular stomach were seen.
According to the same database, Pyrogallol is harmful when swallowed, in contact with the skin and when inhaled.
Dust inhalation can irritate the throat and nose. Convulsions, circulatory collapse, severe gastrointestinal irritation and even death can result from ingestion. Contact with the eyes irritates them. Localized discoloration, irritability, eczema and death, as well as sensitization, can all result from skin contact.
Furthermore, the chemical is suspected of causing genetic defects and has proven to be harmful to aquatic life with long-lasting effects, shares PubChem.
By Mieke Meintjes
