Europe Bans 22 Hair Dye Chemicals

[donsu]

http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/jul2006/2006-07-21-03.asp


To ensure safety of hair dye products for consumers, the European Commission has banned 22 hair dye substances that could potentially cause bladder cancer if used for a long time. Adopted Thursday, the ban takes effect on December 1, 2006.

-snip-

The ban is a first step in the Commission's overall strategy, agreed with EU member states and stakeholders in April 2003, to establish a positive list of hair dye substances which are considered safe for human health.

-snip-

In a second opinion of December 2002, the SCCP stated that there is epidemiological evidence to indicate that the regular and long term use of hair dyes by women may be associated with the development of bladder cancer.

The committee recommended an overall safety assessment strategy for hair dyes including the requirements for testing hair dye cosmetic ingredients for their potential genotoxicity or mutagenicity.

-snip-

The following substances will be banned:

* 6-Methoxy-2,3-Pyridinediamine and its HCl salt
* 2,3-Naphthalenediol
* 2,4-Diaminodiphenylamine
* 2,6-Bis(2-Hydroxyethoxy)-3,5-Pyridinediamine
* 2-Methoxymethyl-p-Aminophenol
* 4,5-Diamino-1-Methylpyrazole and its HCl salt
* 4,5-Diamino-1-((4-Chlorophenyl)Methyl)-1H-Pyrazole Sulfate
* 4-Chloro-2-Aminophenol
* 4-Hydroxyindole
* 4-Methoxytoluene-2,5-Diamine and its HCl salt
* 5-Amino-4-Fluoro-2-Methylphenol Sulfate
* N,N-Diethyl-m-Aminophenol
* N,N-Dimethyl-2,6-Pyridinediamine and its HCl salt
* N-Cyclopentyl-m-Aminophenol
* N-(2-Methoxyethyl)-p-phenylenediamine and its HCl salt
* 2,4-Diamino-5-methylphenetol and its HCl salt
* 1,7-Naphthalenediol
* 3,4-Diaminobenzoic acid
* 2-Aminomethyl-p-aminophenol and its HCl salt
* Solvent Red 1 (CI 12150)
* Acid Orange 24 (CI 20170)
* Acid Red 73 (CI 27290)
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they should also ban fingernail polish and anti-perspirants

[DeepModem Mom]

1. I'm assuming these are also in use in the U.S. Anybody know? nt

[musette_sf]

4. I'm guessing no

but I could be wrong. Hair dye is a risk I am willing to take, however.

and re antiperspirant mentioned by the OP, some of us gotta have it in order to function in polite society. I use the organic deodorant stuff on weekends, but I would be quite unpopular during the business week were I to eschew my Dove stick. I've tried everything and only antiperspirant really works for me.

[Southsideirish]

2. Thanks for posting. But what are we supposed to do?. Has anyone tried

henna rinses for covering grey hair? Its hard to cover without dye.

[knowbody0]

3. i just recently went "white"

cannot tell you how liberating it is after years of dyes! my hair is healthy and shinny.

[musette_sf]

6. some of us look lovely that way (au naturale)

and some of us don't. if I had Emmylou Harris' looks and skin coloring, I'd go grey/white too. but those of us with sallow (or, more euphemistically, "golden") skin tones look quite less fetching in grey.

[knowbody0]

10. trust me, i thought that too!

but i got so sick and tired of keeping up with the "landing strip" on the top of my head i put a stripper on all of it. turned all different colors from white to yellow with bits of red. i trimmed that and super conditioned it and just stopped dying it. everyone says i look softer and better this way. it's fairly long now, and thick and has lots of body. hair like i had as a kid.

[musette_sf]

12. hahahaha "landing strip"

I call it the "skunk stripe".

for all the years I battled dark roots... now they're in style. somehow I don't think the skunk stripe will ever become stylish, though.

[donsu]

23. you can look fetching but die younger

I prefer living longer without illness

[Skidmore]

7. I'm workin' on it.

I quit using dyes after I was diagnoses with cancer last year. My hair is fading to I'm not sure what yet. I hope white. We have lots of women in our family with beautiful soft white hair.

[knowbody0]

11. i remember my grandfather's fluffy white cloud of hair

and how much i loved to touch it.

when you think about the chemicals so close to our brains with the constant dying, it makes no sense risking that for the illusion of being something we are not.

how ya doin?

[Skidmore]

13. I'm doing fine now

but need to go in for a followup scan next month. Am scheduled for the 25th of August and right now am just doing the prep work to get ready for it. Changes in meds, bloodwork, and a special diet soon. By the time I actually get that scan, I'll be feeling pretty punk.

[knowbody0]

17. here's a smile from me to you

[donsu]

22. be proud of your gray or white hair - love yourself

nt

[noonwitch]

5. I'll stick with my henna

It's natural and from plants. Plus, as I am a natural red-head, I'm just touching it up a little to keep it from fading to blond now that I'm older and all.

[eppur_se_muova]

8. Those all sound charming. I remember seeing LEAD acetate as an ingredient

of a men's beard dye. Obvious solution: if it grows gray, leave it gray. 'Tis Nature's way.

[goforit]

9. Time to go organic.

[Radio_Lady]

15. Well, I might just shave it all off and wait to see what develops.

I haven't seen my true hair color since the 1980s.

Don't know if I'll look as cute as Natalie Portman; probably not.

This is quite a scary article. But then, I've been exposing myself and others to the melange of dyestuffs for years as a technical consultant at the Clairol company in Stamford, CT.

I last worked there in 1992. The chemists used to tell us, "Whatever you put on your hair to bleach or dye it -- isn't organic."

Besides that, what about all the soaps, bleaches, peroxide, ammonia, etc. we washed down the drain with each process?

You could go nuts very easily.

Thanks for the post.

[senseandsensibility]

14. Thanks for this list

And if there's anyone who knows if these ingredients are used in US hair dyes, I'd appreciate the info.

[Radio_Lady]

16. My thoughts exactly. Clairol company has an 800 number for

consumers. Regrettably, I don't have it handy.

[Radio_Lady]

18. Are there any tests for bladder cancer?

[senseandsensibility]

19. It's probably on the box

Not that I dye my hair or anything.:)

[Deb]

20. It's 1-800-CLAIROL, 1-800-4-REVLON

Can't find any number on the L'Oreal box but one of the ingredients is listed.

[Radio_Lady]

21. Thanks, Deb. I didn't think about it until later when I left the office.

I'm honestly thinking about giving up on the dye job. It might be fun to see what I look like now!