Coal Tar Dyes
The question

Is Coal Tar Dyes safe in hair dye?

AvoidHair dye

Synthetic dyes derived from coal tar. Several are restricted or banned in the EU and Canada. Associated with carcinogenicity and skin sensitization.

What the research flags

  • Several IARC-classified carcinogens within this group
  • Skin sensitization and allergic reactions
  • EU restricts many — notably in hair dyes
  • p-Phenylenediamine (PPD) is a known potent allergen

Regulatory
EU banned most coal tar dyes in cosmetics

Other hair dye ingredients on file

Sources & references

  1. [1]
    DatabaseIngredient database — 700239-COAL_TAR
  2. [2]
    Peer-reviewedPubMed / NCBI — pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov · ref 30593273
  3. [3]
    Newscanada.ca — coal-tar.html

Research disclaimer: Ratings reflect peer-reviewed research and regulatory assessments available at the time of publication, not the dose or formulation of any specific hair dye product. This is not medical advice.