DEAS  461-1: 2023  
ICS 71.100.70 
 
© EAC 2023                                                                                                                        Third Edition  2023   
 DRAFT EAST AFRICAN STANDARD  
Hair dye — Specification — Part 1 : Aryl diamine based formulated 
powder  
 
EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY  DEAS  461-1: 2023  
ii © EAC  2023  – All rights reserved  
 Copyr ight notice  
This EAC document is copyright -protected by EAC. While the reproduction of this document by 
participants in the EA C standards development process is permitted without prior permission from EAC, 
neither this document nor any extract from it may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form for 
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Reproduction for sal es purposes may be subject to royalty payments or a licensing agreement.  
Violators may be prosecuted . DEAS  461-1: 2023  
© EAC 2023  – All rights reserved  iii 
 Foreword  
Development of the East African Standards has been necessitated by the need for harmonizing requirements 
governing quality of products and servic es in the East African Community. It is envisaged that through 
harmonized standardization, trade barriers that are encountered  when goods and services are exchanged 
within the Community will be removed.  
The Community has established an East African Standa rds Committee  (EASC)  mandated to develop and 
issue East African Standards  (EAS) . The Committee is composed of representatives of the National 
Standards Bodies in Partner States, together with the representatives from the public and private sector 
organizat ions in the community .  
East African Standards are developed through  Technical Committees that are representative of key 
stake holders including government, academia, consumer groups, private sector and other interested parties. 
Draft East African Standards  are circulated to stakeholders through the National Standards Bodies in the 
Partner States. The comments received are discuss ed and incorporated before finalization of standards, in 
accordance with the Principles and procedures for development of East Afr ican Standards. XXXXXX.  
East African Standards are subject to review, to keep pace with technological advances. Users of the E ast 
African Standards are therefore expected to ensure that they always have the latest versions of the standards 
they are impleme nting.  
The committee responsible for this document is Technical Committee EASC/TC 071, Cosmetics and cosmetic 
products . 
Atten tion is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be subject of patent 
rights. EAC shall not be held  responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.  
This third  edition cancels and replaces the second edition ( EAS 461-1: 2013 ), which has been technically 
revised.  
EAS 461 consists of the following parts, under the general title Hair dye — Specif ication:  
Part 1: Aryl diamine based formulated powder  
Part 2 : Aryl di -amine -based liquid oxidation  
 DRAFT EAST AFRICAN STANDARD  DEAS  461-1:2023  
 
© EAC 2023  – All rights reserved  1 
 Hair dye — Specification — Part 1: Aryl diamine based formulated 
powder  
1 Scope  
This Draft East African Standard specifies the requirements an d sampling and te st methods for aryl diamine 
based formulated powder hair dyes.  
This standard only covers permanent powder hair dyes based on aryl di -amines which act as primary 
intermediates in dyes.  
It does not apply to vegetable -based hair dyes, metallic -based hair dyes  and liquid hair dye.  
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 r eferences, 
the latest edition of the referenced document (including any am endments) 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 industr y 
EAS 847 -16, Cosmetics — Analytical methods — Part 16: Determination of l ead, mercury and arsenic content  
ISO 24153, Random sampling and randomization procedures  
3 Terms and definitions   
For the purposes of this standard, the terms and definitio ns given i n EAS 846 shall apply . ISO and IEC 
maintain terminological databases for u se in standardization at the following  addresses:   
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at http://www.iso.org/obp  
4 Requirements  
4.1 Gener al requirements  
4.1.1  All ingredients used in the manufacture of powder ha ir dye shall comply with all parts of EAS 377.  
4.1.2  Powder hair dye shall be fine and free flowing.  
  
2 © EAC  2023  – All rights reserved  
 4.1.3  Powder hair dye shall contain an aryl diamine as the active ingredient a nd peroxide as the oxidizing 
agent.  
4.1.4  Powder hair dye shall be dermatologically safe , shall not cause irritation of the scalp  and shall have 
no undesirable effect on the hair .  
4.1.5  Powder hair dye shall be black or other colours as ready for use or in powder form.  
4.2 Specif ic requirements  
4.2.1  Powder hair dye shall comply with the specific requirements given in Table 1 when tested in 
accordance with the test methods specified therein.  
Table 1 — Specific  requirements for aryl diamine based formulate d dye 
S/N Character istic  Requirement  Test method   
Black  Other colours  
i.  pH of 5 % (m/m) solution in water  7 — 10 7 — 10 Annex A  
ii.  Aryl diamine content , %, calculated as 
free base  10 — 30 5 — 10 Annex B  
 
4.2.2  Ready for use aryl di -amine based hair dy e shall comply with requirement given in Table 2 when 
tested in accordance with the test method specified therein.  
Table 2 — Requirements for aryl di -amine based ready for use  
Characteristic  Requirement  Test method  
Black  Other colours  
Aryl diamine cont ent, %, calculated as 
free base  1.5 – 3.0  0.75 — 1.5  Annex C  
 
4.3 Heavy metal contaminants  
The product shall comply with the limits for heavy metal contaminants given in Table 3 when tested in 
accordance with the test  methods specified therein.  
Table 3 — Limits for heavy metal contaminants  for a ryl diamine based formulated powder  
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 heav y metals as lead, mercury and arsenic,  in combination, in the finished product shall not exceed 10 mg/kg. 
  
© EAC 2023  – All rights reserved  3 
 5 Patch test  
5.1 For carrying out a preliminary test by the intended user to avoid skin irritation.  
5.2 Para -phenylenediamine containing preparations may cause serious inflammation of th e skin in some 
cases and so a preliminary test should always be carried out to determine w hether or not special sensitivity 
exists. For carrying out the test, cleanse a small area of skin behind the ear or upon the inner surface of the 
forearm, using eithe r soap and water or alcohol.  
5.3 Apply a small quantity of the hair dye as prepared for u se to the area and allow it to dry. After 48, h 
wash the area gently with soap and water. If no irritation or inflammation is apparent, it shall be assumed that 
no hyp er sensitivity to the dye exists. The test shall, however, be carried out before each and  every 
application. This preparation shall on no account be used for dyeing eyebrows or eyelashes as severe 
inflammation of the eye or even blindness may result’.  
6 Packaging  
The product shall be packaged in suitable well -sealed containers that shall prot ect the contents and shall not  
cause any contamination or react with the product.  
7 Labelling  
In addition, to the labelling requirements given in EAS 346, each package shall be legibly and indelibly marked 
with the  following information:  
a) product name as “Hair dye ”; 
b) An indication  of the word “powder”;  
c) colour  of the dye;  
d) precaution/warning:  
i. The following warnings shall be printed on the label  if the package is for general  use:  
 ‘can cause an allergic reaction’; and  
 ‘do not use to dye eyelashes or eyebrows’.  
ii. The following warnings shall be printed on the label if the package is for professional use:  
 ‘for professional use only’;  
 ‘can cause a n allergic reaction’; and  
 ‘wear suitable gloves’.  
e) instructions for use . 
9 Sampling  
Sampling shall be done in accordance with IS O 24153.   
4 © EAC  2023  – All rights reserved  
 Annex  A 
(normative)  
 
Determination of pH  
A.1 Apparatus  
A.1.1  pH meter , equipped with a glass electrode  
A.1.2  Beaker, of 100 mL capacity  
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  Dip the pH meter into about 50 mL of pH 7.0 buffer solution. Ensure that the reading is 7.0.  
A.3.2  Rinse the meter with deionised wate r, and dip it into about 50 mL of pH 4.0 buffer solution. Ensure 
that the reading is 4.0. Repeat usin g pH 9.0 buffer solution.  
A.3.3  Prepare 5 % solution (m/m) of the powder dye in water. Determine its pH at 25 °C ± 2 °C using the pH 
meter. Give the resul ts, correct to an integer.   
© EAC 2023  – All rights reserved  5 
 Annex  B 
(informative)  
 
Determination of dye content  
B.1 Principle  
This method estimates the para -phenylenediamine as diacetyl derivative of para -phenylenediamine.  
B.2 Apparatus  
B.2.1 G4 sintered glass crucibles   
B.2.2  Continuous extraction apparatus as illustrated in Figure B.1  
 
Figure B.1 — Continuous extraction apparatus  
B.3 Reagents  
B.3.1  Chloroform  
B.3.2  Acetic anhydride  
 
6 © EAC  2023  – All rights reserved  
 B.4 Procedure  
B.4.1  Weigh  accurately 1 g to 2 g of the sa mple into the inner tube of the continuous extractor previously 
charged with chloroform. Add about 60 mL of chloroform, and completely extract the dye. About 5 h of 
extractions is sufficient (see Figure B.1 ).  
B.4.2  Remove t he flask and transfer the filtra te to a 250 -mL beaker. Rinse with a few small portions of 
chloroform.  
B.4.3  Evaporate the chloroform to about 25 mL and add 1 mL of acetic anhydride slowly, with stirring. Let it 
stand for one hour and filter on a weighed G 4 sintered glass crucible.  
B.4.4 Wash the beaker and the precipitate with three or more 5 mL portions of chloroform. Carefully remove 
the last traces of the precipitate from the beaker. Dry the crucible to constant mass at 120 °C and weigh the 
precipitate .  
B.5 Calculation  
The p -phenyle nediamine content , expressed as percent, shall be calculated as follows;  
 
where,  
M1 is the mass, in grams, of the precipitate, and  
M2 is the mass, in grams, of the sample taken for extraction.   
© EAC 2023  – All rights reserved  7 
 Annex  C 
(normative)  
 
Determination of aryl diamine in ready for use dye  
C.1 Procedure  
Mix the powder dye with the diluent as recommended by the manufacturer in the leaflet describing instructions 
for use.  
C.2 Calculation  
The aryl dia mine content in solution after recommended dilution with the diluent , expressed as percent, shall 
be calculated as follows:  
 
where  
X is the aryl diamine content in the powder ; and  
Y is the number of parts of diluent mixed with 1 part of dye.   
8 © EAC  2023  – All rights reserved  
 Bibliograph y 
EAS 461 -1: 2013 , Hair dyes – Part 1: Aryl diamine based formulated powders — Specification  
 DEAS  461-1: 2023    
 
© EAC 2023  – All rights  reser ved