Hair Product Safety

Response to this request is long overdue. By law, under all circumstances, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills should have responded by now (details). You can complain by requesting an internal review.

Dear Department for Business, Innovation and Skills,

What investigations, testing and or research has been conducted into the chemical PPD (para-phenylenediamine) which is often found in hair products? What were the findings of the testing/Investigations/research undertaken?

Yours faithfully,

Greg Almond
Almond Solicitors
Manchester
http://www.almondpersonalinjurysolicitor...

FOI Requests, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

BIS ref: 11/1317

 
Dear Mr Almond,

Thank you for your request for information which was received on 3 October
2011. Your request has been passed on to the appropriate official at the
Department for Business, Innovation and Skills to deal with.

Your request is being dealt with under the terms of the Freedom of
Information Act 2000 and will be responded at the latest by 31 October
2011.

If you have any queries about this email, please contact the information
rights unit at BIS. Please remember to quote the reference number above in
any future communications.

Kind regards,
Information Rights Unit

Security and Information Rights Unit | Department for Business, Innovation
& Skills  | Victoria 3, 5th Floor, 1 Victoria Street, London, SW1H OET|
[1]www.bis.gov.uk

The Department for Business, Innovation & Skills (BIS) is building a
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success; promoting innovation, enterprise and science; and giving everyone
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Eden-Brown Tony (AMS), Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

3 Attachments

Greg Almond
Almond Solicitors
Manchester

Ref No:11/1317

28 November 2011

Dear Mr Almond

Thank you for your email of 3 October in which you requested information
about what investigations, testing and or research had been conducted into
the chemical PPD (p-phenylenediamine) in hair products and what were the
findings of the testing/Investigations/research undertaken.

Hair dyes are governed by European Directive 76/768/EEC transposed into UK
law most recently by the Cosmetics Products (Safety) Regulations 2008 (as
amended). Further information can be found at: 

[1]http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2008/...

However, PPD has been the subject of a number of reviews in recent years
at the EU level in its use as a permitted hair colorant under the
Cosmetics Directive and because of the incidence of skin sensitisation
where PPD has been found in the so called black henna temporary tattoos.

The then Department for Trade and Industry commissioned a survey in 2002
on temporary tattoos with respect to the detecting the presence of PPD. 
The outcome of the limited survey indicated that products obtained in the
UK did not contain PPD although indications were that products elsewhere
available in EU did contain PPD.  I attach a copy of the survey which you
may find useful.

[2]Microsoft Office Word Document

Para phenylenediamine (PPD) is restricted as a cosmetic ingredient under
Annex III Entry 8a of the Cosmetics Directive 76/768/EEC (amended by
2009/130/EC) as an oxidizing colouring agent for hair dyeing. After mixing
under oxidative conditions the maximum concentration applied to hair must
not exceed 2 % calculated as free base (the corresponding entry in UK
regulations is Schedule 4 part I Entry 8).

I can confirm that the European Commission holds information on
p-phenylenediamine. The information is exempt under Section 21 of the
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), because the information is accessible
to you, as it is already in the public domain.  I attach a copy of the
Directive and a link to the European Commission database of information on
cosmetic substances and ingredients.  

[3]Acrobat Document
[4]http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/cosmetics/... insert   
p-phenylenediamine

It is case that the EU Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) were
recently requested by the EU Commission on the 13 September 2011 to
consider whether p-Phenylenediamine is safe for use as an oxidative hair
dye with a concentration on-head of maximum 2.0 % taking into account the
scientific data provided? And/or does the SCCS recommend any further
restrictions with regard to the use of p-Phenylenediamine in any hair dye
formulations? The response to this request is still awaited, I attach the
terms of the question.

[5]Acrobat Document

The predecessors to the SCCS have produced a number of opinions in recent
years on p-Phenylenediamine and hair dyes in general which has seen a
reduction of the permitted concentration level of PPD allowed in hair
dyes. The following link will bring up some of the opinions of the
Scientific Committee.      [6]http://ec.europa.eu/geninfo/query/      
insert ( p-phenylenediamine )

If you are dissatisfied with the handling of your request, you have the
right to ask for an internal review. Internal review requests should be
submitted within two months of the date of receipt of the response to your
original letter and should be addressed to: Jeff Asser,  Assistant
Director,  Electronics, Materials, Chemicals and Product Regulation, 1
Victoria Street, London SW1H 0ET,  e-mail [email address]

Please remember to quote the reference number above in any future
communications.

If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review, you have
the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a
decision. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: Information
Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9
5AF

Yours sincerely,

Tony Eden-Brown
1 Victoria Street
London SW1 0ET
020 7215 0360

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References

Visible links
1. http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2008/...
4. http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/cosmetics/...
6. http://ec.europa.eu/geninfo/query/