Database/Hair Dyeing/Lawsone
Route-dependent · ISO 16128

Is Lawsone natural?

It depends. Henna-extracted lawsone is all plant carbon (1.0); synthetic lawsone comes from petrochemical naphthalene oxidation (0.0).

INCI nameLawsone
CAS83-72-7
FormulaC10H6O3 · 174.15 Da
FunctionHair Dyeing
FeedstockMost cosmetic hair-dye use relies on extracting henna…

Why the score varies

This ingredient is made commercially by more than one route, and ISO 16128 scores the feedstock actually used. Without a supplier certificate of origin the value cannot be claimed.

RouteFeedstockNOIShareNotes
Henna leaf extractionLawsonia inermis leaves1.00likely dominant for cosmetic/hair-dye use, exact % uncertain
Petrochemical synthesisnaphthalene / 1,4-naphthoquinone oxidation0.00minority for cosmetic use, exact % uncertain
Ask your supplier. A batch-specific certificate of origin or bio-based carbon test (ASTM D6866) settles which route applies.

How we scored it

Naphthoquinone C10H6O3, 174.15 Da. Route A: extracted from henna leaves (natural, 1.0). Route B: synthesised by oxidation of naphthalene/1,4-naphthoquinone (petrochemical, 0.0). Headline shows the best route (1.00), as for every route-dependent entry on the site.
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

Most cosmetic hair-dye use relies on extracting henna leaves (Lawsonia inermis), the natural route associated with 'natural' hair dyes; a petrochemical naphthalene-oxidation route can also supply pure lawsone for dye manufacture. Henna extraction is treated as the dominant route for this cosmetic use.

In plain English

A reddish-orange dye naturally found in henna leaves, used to colour hair. It can come from extracting henna or from industrial chemical synthesis, depending on the supplier.

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 Lawsone

4-hydroxynaphthalene-1,2-dione

PubChem CID 6755 ↗

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. 2Lawsone. PubChem CID 6755. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3LAWSONE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4LAWSONE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=LAWSONE