Database/Hair Dyeing/HC Red No. 7
100% petroleum · ISO 16128

Is HC Red No. 7 natural?

No. Synthetic nitroaniline-ethanolamine direct hair dye manufactured from petrochemical aniline and nitrobenzene feedstocks; no plant or mineral fragment in the molecule.

INCI nameHC Red No. 7
CAS24905-87-1
FormulaC8H11N3O3 · 197.19 Da
FunctionHair Dyeing
FeedstockHC Red No. 7 is produced by nitrating…

How we scored it

Entire C8H11N3O3 nitro-aminophenyl-ethanolamine dye built from petrochemical aniline/nitrobenzene intermediates via nitration and amination; no natural fragment present. 0/197.19 = 0.0.
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

HC Red No. 7 is produced by nitrating and aminating petrochemical aniline to build the nitro-phenylenediamine-ethanol dye molecule. There is no commercial natural-origin route for this synthetic direct hair dye.

In plain English

A synthetic red dye used to color hair directly, without needing a developer. It's manufactured in a factory from petroleum-based aniline chemicals; it isn't extracted from any plant or natural source.

CosIng definition: HC Red No. 7 is the hair color that conforms to the formula

Natural alternatives with the same function

Beta Vulgaris Root Powder 100% natural origin

A powder made by drying and grinding sugar beet root. Used as a natural colorant for hair dye…

 Bismuth Citrate 100% natural origin

A salt formed from bismuth metal and citric acid, a natural fermentation-derived fruit acid, used to buffer, chelate…

 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 HC Red No. 7

2-(4-amino-3-nitroanilino)ethanol

PubChem CID 5484089 ↗

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. 2HC Red No. 7. PubChem CID 5484089. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3HC RED NO. 7. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4HC RED NO. 7. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=HC%20RED%20NO.%207