Acid Orange 3

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Overview

What Is It?

Acid Orange 3 is a hair colorant used in the formulation of semi-permanent hair dyes and colors.

Why is it used in cosmetics and personal care products?

Acid Orange 3 imparts color to hair. The exact color obtained will depend on the other ingredients that are used in the preparation and the starting color of the hair.

Scientific Facts:

Acid Orange 3 is used in semi-permanent hair coloring systems where color is deposited onto the hair shaft. Users of semi-permanent hair dyes will find that their product usually consists of one package with no mixing of different components required. Semi-permanent hair dyes can typically last for up to 15-24 shampoos although their resistance to washing will be determined by molecular size and other properties such as solubility and charge.

Safety

Safety Information:

The safety of Acid Orange 3 has been assessed by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel. The CIR Expert Panel evaluated the scientific data and concluded that Acid Orange 3 was safe for use in hair dye formulations at concentrations less than or equal to 0.2%.

More safety Information:

CIR Safety Review:

Although Acid Orange 3 was mutagenic in a test in bacteria, Acid Orange 3 was not carcinogenic in studies where the ingredient was applied dermally. Additional tests found that a hair dye formulation containing Acid Orange 3 was not a reproductive toxin upon dermal or oral administration. The CIR Expert Panel set a limit of 0.2% because this was the level tested in toxicological studies.

More information about the safety of hair dyes.

Acid Orange 3 is not permitted for use in hair dye products marketed in the European Union (see Annex II).

Link to the EU Cosmetic Regulation: http://europa.eu/legislation_summaries/consumers/product_labelling_and_packaging/co0013_en.htm

More scientific Information:

Hair dyeing formulations belong to three categories - temporary, semi-permanent and permanent coloring of hair. Temporary coloring preparations, often called color rinses, provide color which lasts until the first shampooing. Ingredients which impart temporary color may have a fairly high molecular weight and are unable to penetrate the hair shaft. These materials are simply deposited onto the hair fiber and are removed by subsequent shampooing. Semi-permanent coloring preparations generally provide color through several shampooings. These materials are often low molecular weight pre-formed dyes which can penetrate the hair shaft to some extent.

Resources

Resources:

FDA's fact sheet on Hair Dye Products http://www.fda.gov/Cosmetics/ProductandIngredientSafety/ProductInformati...

Search the Code of Federal Regulations http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/cfrsearch.cfm

EU Cosmetics Inventory http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/cosmetics/cosing/

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