PPD and Ammonia connection in Permanent Hair Color

Here is a little background in PPD:

PPD ( para-phenylenediamine) is also known as amino dyes, para dyes, oxidation dyes, or peroxide dyes. It was first introduced in 1890 for coloring feathers and furs. It is used as an intermediate in Coal Tar Dyes. It comes in about thirty shades. It has been known to possibly produce eczema, skin rashes, bronchial, asthma, gastritis, photosensitization, breast and bladder cancer, and death. It can cross react with other chemicals , including azo dyes in temporary color. In 1979, the National Cancer Institute found that when FED to rats some ingredients in coal tar dyes cause cancer. There are many kinds of PPD's that used to be in hair color and that are still in hair color. Manufacturers have voluntarily removed 4-MMPD, Direct Black 38, Direct Blue 6, 2, and 4-toluene diamene.

Ammonia is used in refrigerants, permanent wave solutions, hair colorings and bleaches, detergents, explosives, fabrics, herbicides, fertilizers, pesticides, and cleaning products. It is known to cause hair breakage. It has been shown to produce skin cancer. It is extremely toxic when inhaled in concentrated vapors, it irritates the eyes and mucous membranes.

PPD's can penetrate your skin with ammoniated hair color because not only is ammonia swelling your hair shaft and driving in pigment, it's doing that same action to the skin of your scalp.

Now we don't want to scare you. Not all hair color is dangerous, and these days most levels of PPD's even in over the counter hair colors is not what they used to be. Some people are more sensitive to PPD than others.

With Organic Color Systems they take the dangers of PPD seriously. A high pH is an extremely effective way of opening the cuticle as it is generally opened to such an extent as to allow the color to flood into the cortex. Ammonia, as well as raising the pH, when mixed with peroxide, neutralizes the existing color pigments in the hair to a greater degree and therefore much more pigment is needed (meaning more PPD's! Another reason why Organic Color Systems does not like Ammonia). Also as a result of the cuticle remaining open, the percentage of pigment in the color needs to be as high as possible, as a relatively high percentage of the color will be lost when rinsing at the shampoo bowl. This is why Organic Color Systems are able to dramatically reduce PPD levels. They don't lose the same level of color as they don't open the cuticle to the same degree as color containing ammonia.

If you are still wary, most of the PPD's found in Organic Color Systems are found in the Violet and Darker Colors in the line. Organic Color Systems has the lowest amount of PPD's in any permanent hair color line on the market today.