Guangdong FDA Finds Carcinogen In Hair Dye

Guangdong Provincial Consumers' Commission recently exposed five kinds of hair dye as containing harmful chemicals, and now Guangdong Provincial Food and Drug Administration has reported that six more hair dye products, made by five companies, have been found to contain m-Phenylenediamine, a chemical that can cause cancer.

GPFDA spot-checked 81 hair dye samples from 90 cosmetics manufacturers and dealers. The results showed that six of the products contained the carcinogens m-Phenylenediamine with concentrations of between 0.09% and 0.23%. GPFDA has begun to investigate the four Guangdong-based companies and handed over the details of Beijing Zhangguang 101 Hair Dye to the relevant department in Beijing.

The hair dye products involved are reported to include Keweisi Hair Dye (natural black) and Xili Hair Dye (black) made by Zhongshan Jiali Precision Chemical Company; Qianni Herbal Hair Oil and Dye made by Zhongshan Xili Cosmetics Company; Xiaosilang Hair Dye (black) made by Xiaosilang Cosmetics Factory from Guangzhou Baiyun District; Yilika Hair Dye (natural black) made by Guangzhou Hailou Cosmetics Company; Danzhuoli Hair Dye made by Guangzhou Baiyun Darong Precision Chemical Company; and Beijing Zhangguang 101 Hair Dye made by Beijing Zhangguang 101 Science and Technology Development Company.

The main use of m-Phenylenediamine is as an industrial dye. It is widely known as a chemical that can cause gene mutations, cancer, or body malformation. It is banned for use in cosmetics.