DEAS  461-2: 2023  
ICS 71.100.70 
 
© EA C 2023                                                                                                                        First Edition 2023   
 DRAFT EAST AFRICAN STANDARD  
Hair dye — Specification — Part 2: Aryl di -amine -based liquid oxidation  
EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY  DEAS  461-2: 2023  
ii © EAC 2023  – All rights reserved  
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Reproduction for sales purposes may be subject to royalty payments or a licensing agreement.  
Violators may be prosecuted . DEAS  461-2: 2023  
© EAC 2023  – All rights  reserved  iii 
 Contents  Page 
Foreword  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................  iv 
1 Scope  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ......................  1 
2 Normativ e references  ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................  1 
3 Terms and definitions  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........................  1 
4 Ingredients  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .............  1 
5 Requi rements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .........  2 
5.1 General requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........................  2 
5.2 Specific requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........................  2 
6 Hair dye ready for use  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........................  3 
7 Heavy metal contaminants  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...................  3 
8 Packaging  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............  4 
9 Labelling  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .................  4 
10 Sampling  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................  5 
Annex  A (normative)  Determination of pH  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...... 6 
A.1 Apparatus  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............  6 
A.2 Procedure  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............  6 
A.2.1  For the dye  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .............  6 
A.2.2  For the developer  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .. 6 
Annex  B (normative)  Determination of aryl amine content as the active dye  ................................ .............  7 
B.1 Outline of the meth od ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........................  7 
B.2 Apparatus  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............  7 
B.3 Reagents  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................  7 
B.4 Procedure  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............  8 
B.5 Calculation  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .............  8 
Annex C (normative)  Determination of hydrogen peroxide content  ................................ ............................  9 
C.1 Reagents  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................  9 
C.2 Procedure  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............  9 
C.3 Calculation  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .............  9 
Bibliog raphy  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ......................  10 
 
 
 DEAS  461-2: 2023  
iv © EAC 2023  – All rights reserved  
 Foreword  
Development of the East African Standards has been necessitated by the need for harmonizing requirements  
governing quality of products and services in the East African Community. It is envisaged that thro ugh 
harmonized standardization, trade barriers that are encountered when goods and services are exchanged 
within the Community will be removed.  
The Communi ty has established an East African Standards Committee  (EASC)  mandated to develop and 
issue East Afr ican Standards  (EAS) . The Committee is composed of representatives of the National 
Standards Bodies in Partner States, together with the representatives fro m the public and private sector 
organizations  in the community .  
East African Standards are develope d through  Technical Committees that are representative of key 
stakeholders including government, academia, consumer groups, private sector and other interes ted parties. 
Draft East African Standards are circulated to stakeholders through the National Standa rds Bodies in the 
Partner States. The comments received are discussed and incorporated before finalization of standards, in 
accordance with the Principles a nd procedures for development of East African Standards . 
East African Standards are subject to revie w, to keep pace with technological advances. Users of the East 
African Standards are therefore expected to ensure that they always have the latest versions of the standards 
they are implementing .  
The committee responsible for this document is Technical Co mmittee EASC/TC 071, Cosmetics and cosmetic 
products . 
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be subject of pat ent 
rights. EAC shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.  
This first edition cancels and replaces the first edition ( EAS 844: 2017), which has been technically revised.  
EAS 461 consists of the following parts, under the g eneral title Hair dye — Specification:  
Part 1: Aryl diamine based formulated powder  
Part 2 : Aryl di -amine -based liquid oxidation  
 DRAFT EAST AFRICAN STANDARD  DEAS  461-2:2023  
 
© EAC 2023  – All rights r eserved  1 
 Hair dye — Specification — Part 2: Aryl di -amine -based liquid oxidation   
1 Scope  
This Draft East African Standar d specifies requirements, sampling and test meth ods for permanent liquid 
oxidation hair dyes which are aryl di -amine based.  
NOTE   The product may also be referred to as ready for use hair dye.  
This standard does not apply to powder hair dyes, plant -based h air dyes, hair dye shampoo and metallic -
based ha ir dyes (temporary).  
2 Normative references   
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content constitutes 
requirements of this document.  For dated references , only the edition cited applies. For undated re ferences, 
the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.  
EAS 346, Labelling of cosmetics — General requirements  
EAS 377 (All parts), Cosmetics and cosmetic products  
EAS 846,  Glossary of term s relating to cosmetic industry  
EAS 847 -16, Cosmetics — Analytical methods — Part 16: Determination of lead, mercury and arsenic content  
ISO 24153, Random sampling and randomization procedures  
3 Terms and definitions   
For the purposes of t his standard, the terms and definitio ns given in  EAS 846 shall apply .  
ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following  addresses:   
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at http://www.iso.org/obp  
4 Ingredients  
4.1.1  All ingredients used shall comply with EAS 377.  
4.1.2  The active ingredient shall be an aryl amine dispersed in a suitable surface active agent in an alkaline 
medium. It may also contain other suitable modifiers .  
2 © EAC 2023  – All rights reserved  
 5 Requirements  
5.1 General requirements  
5.1.1  A liquid oxidation hair dyeing preparation shall generally consist of two parts supplied in separate 
containers, the dye and the developer, as follows:  
a) the dyes contain arylamines (phenylenediamine or toluen ediamine and their derivatives and 
salts) as act ive ingredients. The hair dye may also contain different chemicals like 
aminophenols. It may contain suitable modifiers such as resorcinol and other dyes of 
different chemical families, necessary to obtain di fferent hair shades; and  
b) the developer or oxida nt such as hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) or another hydrogen peroxide 
releaser  
5.1.2 The dye and developer shall be mixed together before applying them on the head.  
5.1.3 The dye shall not cause sensitization on the scalp.  
5.1.4 The dye shall have no undesirab le effect on the hair.  
5.2 Specific requirements  
5.2.1  Hair dye shall comply with the specific requirements given in Table 1 when tested in accordance with 
the test methods specified therein.  
Table 1 — Specif ic requirements for aryl di -amine -based liquid  hair dye  
S/N Characteristic  Requirements  Test method   
i.  pH at 25 °C ± 2 °C 6.0 - 11.0 Annex A  
ii.  Total active matter (dye content), % m/m  1.0 - 4.0 Annex B  
 
5.2.2 The package shall include a developer, which will be a dilute solution of hydrogen peroxide, free from 
foreign matter and suitably stabilized. The developer shall comply with the requirements given in Table 2 
when tested in accordance with the test methods specified therein.  
Table 2 — Requirements for oxidizin g agent (developer)  
Characteristic  Requirement  Test method  
pH at 25 °C ± 2 °C 1.8 – 4.0 Annex A  
H2O2 assay, % m/m  5 - 12  Annex C  
  
© EAC 2023  – All rights  reserved  3 
 6 Hair d ye ready for use  
6.1 The Para phenylene diamine (PPD) content in ready for use hair dye  shall be as given in Table 3.  
Table 3 — Requi rements for para phenylene diamine (PPD) content in hair dye, ready -for-use 
S/N Substance  Characteristic  Requirement  Test method  
i.  p-Phenylenediamine and its salts  Aryl amine in the 
solution after 
recommended 
dilution with 
developer, 
calculated as fre e 
base, %, max . 2 See 6.2 
ii.  Other N -substituted derivatives of 
p-Phenylenediamine and their 
salts; N -substituted derivatives of 
o-Phenylenediamine.  3 
iii.  1,4-Benzene -diamine and 2 - 
methyl -2,5-Diaminotoluene 
sulphate  2 
iv.  Methylphenylenediamines, their, 
N-substituted de rivatives and their 
salts 5 
NOTE: The dye ready for use is prepared by mixing the dye content and the developer in the proportion recommended by the manu facturer in the leaflet 
describing instructions for use.  
 
6.2 The procedure for calculation of PPD content in solution after recommended dilution with developer is 
as follows:  
Aryl di -amine content in ready for use preparation = 
   
Where  
X is the aryl amine content in dye 
Y is the number of parts of diluent mixed with 1 part of dye.  
7 Heavy metal conta minants  
7.1 Ready -for-use hair dye  shall comply with the limits for heavy metal contaminants given in Table 4 when 
tested in accordance with the test methods specified therein.  
Table 4 — Limits for heavy metal contaminants for hair dye , ready -for-use 
S/No. Characteristic  Maximum  limita 
mg/kg  Test method  
i. Lead  10 EAS 847 -16  
ii. Arsenic  2 
iii. Mercury  2 
a The total amount of heavy metals as lead, mercury and arsenic, in combination, in the finished product shall not exceed 10 mg/kg. 
 
7.2 The sample  for heavy metal analysis shall be prepared by mixing liquid dye with the developer as 
recommended by t he manufacturer in the leaflet.   
4 © EAC 2023  – All rights reserved  
 8 Packaging  
The product shall be packaged in suitable well -sealed containers that shall protect the contents and shall no t 
cause any contamination or react with the product.  
9 Labelling  
In addition, to the labelling requirem ents given in EAS 346, each package shall be legibly and indelibly marked 
with the  following information:  
a) product name as “ ‘Liquid oxidation hair dye ”; 
b) colour  of the dye;  
c) mixing ratio; and  
d) caution/warning:  
i. The following warnings shall be printed on the label, if the package is for general use:  
 “For general use only”;  
 Can cause an allergic reaction”;  
 “Contains phenylenediamines”;  
 “Do not use  to dye ey elashes or eyebrows”;  
 “Hair colourants can cause severe allergic reactions”.  
 Read and follow instructions”.  
 “This product is not intended for use on persons under the age of 16”.  
 “Temporary “black henna” tattoos may increase your risk of alle rgy”; and  
 “Do not colour your hair if: you have a rash on your face or sensitive, irritated and damaged 
scalp, you have ever experienced any reaction after colouring your hair, or you have 
experienced a reaction to a temporary “black henna” tattoo in the past”.  
ii. The following warnings shall be printed on the label, if the package is for professional use:  
 “For professional use only”;  
 “Contains phenylenediamines”;  
 “Hair colorants can cause severe allergic reactions;  
 “Read and follow instructions”:  
 “This  product i s not intended for use on children;  
 “Temporary “black henna” tattoos may increase your risk of allergy”; and   
© EAC 2023  – All rights  reserved  5 
  “Do not colour your hair if: you have a rash on your face or sensitive, irritated 
and damaged scalp, you have ever experienced any reac tion after  colouring 
your hair, or you have experienced a reaction to a temporary “black henna”.  
10 Sampling  
Sampling shall be done in accordance with ISO 24153.   
6 © EAC 2023  – All rights reserved  
 Annex  A 
(normative)  
 
Determination of pH  
A.1 Apparatus  
Any pH meter, preferably equipped with  a glass e lectrode  
A.2 Reagents  
A.2.1  pH 7.0 buffer solution  
A.2.2  pH 4.0 and pH 9.0 buffer solutions  
A.2.3  Deionised water  
A.3 Procedure  
A.3.1  Verification of pH meter  
A.3.1 .1 Dip the pH meter into about 50 mL of pH 7.0 buffer solution. Ensure that t he reading is 7.0.  
A.3.1.2 Rinse the meter with deionised water, and dip it into about 50 mL of pH 4.0 buffer solution. Ensure 
that the reading is 4.0. Repeat using pH 9.0 buffer solution.  
A.3.2 For the dye  
Take about 10 mL - 20 mL (or any appropriate amount) of th e dye and determine its pH at 25 °C ± 2 °C using 
the meter.  
A.3.3 For the developer  
Similarly, take 10 mL - 20 mL of the oxidizing agent (developer) and determine its pH at 25 °C ± 2 °C using 
the meter. In both cases, use the procedural ins tructions as gi ven for the type of pH meter used.  
  
© EAC 2023  – All rights  reserved  7 
 Annex  B 
(normative)  
 
Determination of aryl amine content as the active dye  
B.1 Outline of the method  
This method estimates aryl amine as diacetyl derivative of aryl amin e 
B.2 Apparatus  
B.2.1  Continuous extraction apparatus as illustrated in Figure B.1  
 
Figure B.1 — Continuous extraction apparatus  
B.2.2  G 4 sintered glass crucible  
B.2.3  Beaker,  100-mL capacity  
B.3 Reagents  
B.3.1  Chloroform, analytical reagent grade  
B.3.2  Acetic anhydride, analytical reagent grade   
8 © EAC 2023  – All rights reserved  
 B.4 Procedure  
B.4.1  Transfer accurately a weighed quantity (about 5 g) of liquid hair dye (M 2), so as to contain 0.1 g - 0.3 
g para -phenylenediamine, to the inner tube of the continuous extractor, previously charg ed with chloroform.  
Take 60 mL chloroform in the flask and completely extract the dye. About 5 h extraction is sufficient. Remove  
the flask and transfer chloroform extract to 10 0-mL beaker, rinsing the flask with few small portions of  
chloroform.  
B.4.2  Evaporate chloroform to about 25 mL and add 1 mL acetic anhydride slowly, with stirring. Let it stand  
for one hour and filter on a weighed G4 sintered glass crucible. Wash the beak er and precipitate with three or  
four 5 -mL portions of chloroform. Carefully, r emove last traces of precipitate from the beaker. Dry to constant  
mass at 120 °C and weigh the precipitate (M 1) of diacetyl para -phenylenediamine C 6H4 (NH 6COCH 3)2. 
B.5 Calculati on 
The aryl amine content (as para -phenylenediamine) content, expressed as perc ent, shall be calculated as 
follows;  
 
where  
M1 is the mass, in grams, of the precipitate; and  
M2 is the mass, in grams, of the hair dye taken for extraction.   
© EAC 2023  – All rights  reserved  9 
 Annex C  
(normative ) 
 
Determination of hydrogen peroxide content  
C.1 Reagents  
C.1.1  Dilute sulphur ic acid  
C.1.2  Potassium permanganate solution, N/10, freshly standardized  
C.2 Procedure  
Take 10 g of the developer and dilute to 500 mL. Take 25 mL of this dilute solution in a conical flask, add 5 mL  
of sulphuric acid and titrate against potassium permang anate solution.  
C.3 Calculation  
The hydrogen peroxide content , expressed as percent, sha ll be calculated as follows : 
 
where  
V is the volume of potassium permanganate solution taken for titration;  
N is the normality of potassium permanganate solution; and  
M is the mass of developer taken to prepare 500 mL solution.   
10 © EAC 2023  – All rights reserved  
 Bibliography  
EAS 844: 2017,  Aryl di -amine -based liquid oxidation hair dyes — Specification  
 DEAS  461-2: 2023    
 
© EAC 2023 – All rights reserved