Author(s)

Yasunaga Hidekazu, Takahashi Akiko, Ito Kazue, Ueda Masahisa, Urakawa Hiroshi

Department of Biobased Materials Science, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Kyoto, Japan.
Department of Biobased Materials Science, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Kyoto, Japan..

A novel colourant for hair dyeing was prepared by an enzymatic reaction with (+)-catechin and its characteristics as a hair dyestuff were studied. The study is aimed at inventing the hair dyestuff that is human- and eco-friendly. One potentially powerful dyestuff was obtained from (+)-catechin treated with tyrosinase after screening experiments using biobased materials. The obtained reddish orange colourant, 4-(3,4-dihydro-3α,5,7-trihydroxy-2H-1-benzopyran-2α-yl) 1,2-benzoquinone named “catechinone”, shows enough dyeability for decolourised white hair. Catechinone does not cause erythema or oedema on skin of rabbits. The colour is controlled by the addition of other biobased materials and a variety of colours of dyed hair are acquired. The fastness to light or washing for hair dyed by catechinone is high enough for practical use.

Hair Dyeing; Catechinone; Dyestuff; (+)-Catechin; Biobased Materials; Safer; Human-Friendly

Y. Hidekazu, T. Akiko, I. Kazue, U. Masahisa and U. Hiroshi, "Hair Dyeing by Using Catechinone Obtained from (+)-Catechin," Journal of Cosmetics, Dermatological Sciences and Applications, Vol. 2 No. 3, 2012, pp. 158-163. doi: 10.4236/jcdsa.2012.23031.