Episode 23 — Dirty Thirty Chemicals: The Hair Dye Chemical With an Asthma Bonus

Episode 23 — Dirty Thirty Chemicals: The Hair Dye Chemical With an Asthma BonusWelcome to KeysPure.com's Dirty Thirty. I'm Bob Root. Today's chemical is P-Phenylenediamine — thankfully shortened to PPD — a hair colorant found in hair dye, shampoo, and hairspray. It's one of the most common ingredients in permanent hair color.The health profile is extensive. PPD is an immune system and respiratory toxicant. It's a probable neurotoxin. It causes eczema. It's a possible nervous system, skin, kidney, and liver toxicant. It's an irritant. It may trigger asthma and gastritis. And animal studies have shown it to cause cancer.PPD is also one of the leading causes of severe allergic contact dermatitis from cosmetics. The patch test instructions on box hair dyes exist precisely because of PPD's sensitization potential. Canada has restricted it. And yet it remains the dominant pigment in most hair color products on the market.At Keys, we think healthy hair shouldn't come with a respiratory warning or an allergy risk. Clean hair care innovation has come a long way, and there are alternatives worth exploring. Visit KeysPure.com for more on our approach.Dirty Thirty Episode Twenty-Three — PPD, the hair dye ingredient with a long list of side effects.