Ingredient in the spotlight: HC Yellow No. 16
Hair colouring products are among the most popular types of cosmetics on the market and as consumer awareness about product safety continues to grow, understanding the safety profile of hair dyes has become increasingly important. In the European Union, the safety of ingredients which might pose a risk to human health, such as hair dyes, is rigorously assessed by the Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS). One such ingredient currently under evaluation is HC Yellow No. 16.
What is HC Yellow No. 16?
HC Yellow No. 16, with the chemical name 2-chloro-4-[(1E)-(1-methyl-1H-pyrazol-5-yl)diazenyl]-phenol, is a non-reactive dye used as a hair coloring agent.
It is intended to be used as a direct dye ingredient in oxidative and non-oxidative hair colouring products at on-head concentrations of up to 1% and 1.5%, respectively.
SCCS Evaluations
The SCCS has conducted thorough evaluations of HC Yellow No. 16, providing valuable insights into its safety.
In 2015, upon request of the European Commission, the SCCS evaluated the safe of this ingredient concluding that “(…) the use of HC Yellow No. 16 as an ingredient at 1% in oxidative hair dye formulations and at 1.5% in non-oxidative hair dye formulations is safe”. In addition, the SCCS stated that “the purity of HC Yellow No. 16 and impurities in it are not adequately quantified. Data on purity and impurities of HC Yellow No. 16 should be provided, together with purity specifications of the substance intended for use in cosmetic products”.
In February 2024, a new submission was made by the industry requesting the safety assessment of this ingredient in view of newly provided information on its purity.
In August 2024, the SCCS issued the preliminary version of its scientific advice on this ingredient, concluding that, in the light of the data provided in the new submission, the use of HC Yellow No. 16 as an ingredient at 1% in oxidative hair dye formulations and at 1.5% in non-oxidative hair dye formulations is safe.
This conclusion is open for comments until 27 September 2024.
References:
European Commission. The EU is the safest market in the world for hair dyes
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