Organic Hair Dyes Essays -- cosmetics, history, ancient rome

Organic Hair Dyes Organic dyes in hair products and cosmetics have been used throughout history for many aspects of culture and art. Today organic dyes are used in the process of hair dying and colouring where many aspects of the organic molecule are taken into account. Some dyes are permanent where they stay until the hair falls out, where some dyes can be washed away due to their binding process into the hair1. Certain dyes have their own way of being set into hair fibres and easier ways to set these are being researched. Hair dyes have been used throughout history and have been remarkably improved on, many new colours and processes have been made and many issues have come with them. Hair dyes have been used throughout history and started out in very simple ways. Around 3150BC ancient Egyptians were one of the first to start using dyes in hair.2 From a plant called â€Å"Henna† they obtained the leaves and mashed them in mildly acidic conditions.3 When the leaves are mashed in these conditions the leaves release a molecule called lawsone.3 This molecule is the organic molecule responsible for the brownish red colour and is the dye acquired from this mixture. With small amounts of the molecule mixed with various other compounds, oranges can even be created. Mashed henna also incorporated with para-phenylenediamine (PPD) to give a dark black red colour. 3 This molecule will not stay in the hair unless it is somehow oxidized once in the hair fibres but was not discovered until the 1900s. It is speculated that the ancient Egyptians used slaked lime and water with lead oxide to make a paste where it was then rubbed into the hair for a long period of time .2 The slaked lime and water solution was very high in alkali metals,... ...hnology improves and the safer the process is becoming for all users. References 1. Clausen, T. Hair Preparations. Wiley . 2006. Volume 1.1-46. 2. Nayland, C. (2006, 10 26). [Web log message]. Retrieved from http://carlanayland.blogspot.ca/2006/10/ancient-egyptian-hair-dye-technology.html 3. Wikipedia. (2014, 04 02). Henna. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henna 4. The hair in ancient times. (2014, 04 04). Retrieved from http://thehistoryofthehairsworld.com/old_age_2.html 5. Raja et al. Pelagia Research Library. 2012, Volume 3.156-161 6. San Rafael. The Chemistry of Plant and Animal Dyes.1-5. 1981. Volume 58.1-5. 7. Discovery of hair dye. (2014, 04 04). Retrieved from http://humantouchofchemistry.com/discovery-of-hair-dye.htm 8. Morel. Olivier ,Christie. Robert. American Chemical Society. 2011. Volume 4. 2537-2561.