Database/Hair Dyeing/Basic Yellow 28
Mostly petroleum · ISO 16128

Is Basic Yellow 28 natural?

Mostly not. The sulfate portion of the methosulfate counter-ion is mineral-derived; the indolium dye cation and its methoxy group are petrochemical.

INCI nameBasic Yellow 28
CAS54060-92-3
FormulaC21H27N3O5S · 433.5 Da
FunctionHair Dyeing
FeedstockSynthesised from petrochemical methoxyaniline and trimethylindole precursors, quaternised…

How we scored it

Methosulfate SO3 portion(80) natural (mineral); OCH3+indolium/aniline cation(354) petrochemical; 80/433.5=0.18.
What counts. ISO 16128-2 scores the atoms that remain in the final ingredient. Reagents, solvents, catalysts and protecting groups used during manufacture leave no mass behind and are not counted.

Where it comes from

Synthesised from petrochemical methoxyaniline and trimethylindole precursors, quaternised and isolated as the methosulfate salt. No natural route exists.

In plain English

A synthetic yellow dye used to colour hair, built from petrochemical aniline and indole compounds; only a small mineral-sulfate fraction of its counter-ion is natural.

Natural alternatives with the same function

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 Bismuth Citrate 100% natural origin

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 Dihydroxyacetone 100% natural origin

The active self-tanning ingredient that reacts with skin's surface proteins to produce a temporary bronze colour; made by…

 Epicatechin 100% natural origin

An antioxidant compound naturally found in tea and cocoa, used in skin, hair and oral care. It's extracted…

 Lawsonia Inermis Extract 100% natural origin

A plant extract from the henna shrub, used to condition hair and skin and add a reddish tint.…

 Pyrogallol 100% natural origin

A hair-dye ingredient traditionally made by heating gallic acid, itself extracted from plant tannins in gallnuts, until it…

Structure

2D structure of Basic Yellow 28

4-methoxy-N-methyl-N-[(E)-(1,3,3-trimethylindol-1-ium-2-yl)methylideneamino]aniline;methyl sulfate

PubChem CID 9570625 ↗

References

  1. 1ISO 16128-1:2016 and ISO 16128-2:2017 — Guidelines on technical definitions and criteria for natural and organic cosmetic ingredients and products. ISO, Geneva.
  2. 2Basic Yellow 28. PubChem CID 9570625. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3BASIC YELLOW 28. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4BASIC YELLOW 28. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=BASIC%20YELLOW%2028