Database/Hair Dyeing/p-Phenylenediamine
100% petroleum · ISO 16128

Is p-Phenylenediamine natural?

No. Made entirely from petrochemical aniline via nitration and reduction; no natural-origin fragment exists in this small aromatic molecule.

INCI namep-Phenylenediamine
CAS106-50-3
FormulaC6H8N2 · 108.14 Da
FunctionHair Dyeing
FeedstockManufactured from benzene-derived aniline through nitration and reduction.…

How we scored it

Benzene-1,4-diamine, a simple aromatic amine made from aniline. Wholly petrochemical (benzene derivative). 0/108 = 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

Manufactured from benzene-derived aniline through nitration and reduction. This is the only commercial route.

In plain English

p-Phenylenediamine is a synthetic dye intermediate used in permanent hair colouring to form the final colour molecules inside the hair shaft. It is made entirely from petroleum-derived aniline.

CosIng definition: (CI 76060)

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Structure

2D structure of p-Phenylenediamine

benzene-1,4-diamine

PubChem CID 7814 ↗

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. 2p-Phenylenediamine. PubChem CID 7814. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3P-PHENYLENEDIAMINE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4P-PHENYLENEDIAMINE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=P-PHENYLENEDIAMINE