Database/Hair Dyeing/Hydroxyethyl-p-Phenylenediamine Sulfate
Mostly petroleum · ISO 16128

Is Hydroxyethyl-p-Phenylenediamine Sulfate natural?

Mostly not. The phenylenediamine-ethanol backbone is a synthetic aromatic-amine hair-dye intermediate; only the sulfate counter-ion is mineral-derived.

INCI nameHydroxyethyl-p-Phenylenediamine Sulfate
CAS93841-25-9
FormulaC8H14N2O5S · 250.27 Da
FunctionHair Dyeing
FeedstockManufactured from petrochemical aromatic-amine chemistry, then isolated as…

How we scored it

Free base C8H12N2O 152Da petrochemical (synthetic aromatic diamine); SO4 96Da natural mineral counter-ion -> 96/250 = 0.38.
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

Manufactured from petrochemical aromatic-amine chemistry, then isolated as the sulfate salt for stability. No natural production route for the organic backbone exists.

In plain English

A hair-dye intermediate that forms colour inside the hair shaft. The colour-forming molecule is fully synthetic; only its sulfate salt component traces to a mineral source.

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 Hydroxyethyl-p-Phenylenediamine Sulfate

2-(2,5-diaminophenyl)ethanol;sulfuric acid

PubChem CID 44558315 ↗

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. 2Hydroxyethyl-p-Phenylenediamine Sulfate. PubChem CID 44558315. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3HYDROXYETHYL-P-PHENYLENEDIAMINE SULFATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4HYDROXYETHYL-P-PHENYLENEDIAMINE SULFATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=HYDROXYETHYL-P-PHENYLENEDIAMINE%20SULFATE