Natur Vital has been rapped by the UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) for marketing hair dye products as suitable for those with paraphenylenediamine (PPD) allergies.
A page on the hair care brand’s website relating to its Natur Vital ColourSafe hair colourant range, seen on 2 July 2024, featured the heading ‘PPD-free permanent hair colour’.
Further text included: “The absence of PPD in the formula could minimise the risk of allergic reaction on the scalp.
“Persons with a prior PPD allergy should read instructions carefully.”
Hyperlinked text added: “Allergic to PPD? Click here!”
PPD is used in many permanent and some semi-permanent hair dyes, with darker coloured dyes containing higher levels of the chemical.
It is a known irritant and allergen.
The ASA received a complaint from the UK’s Cosmetic Toiletry and Perfumery Association (CTPA), which challenged whether the advert misleadingly implied that the products were safe for individuals with an allergy to PPD.
It argued that Natur Vital’s ColourSafe hair dyes contained toulene-2,5 diamine sulfate, which can cause allergic reactions in individuals with a PPD allergy.
The CTPA also revealed that it had unsuccessfully approached the brand owner to raise concerns over such claims and the associated safety implications prior to its official complaint.
Barcelona-based Instituto Naturvita, the company behind Natur Vital, responded that its “Allergic to PPD?” query contained a link with information from the New Zealand Dermatological Society.
It also noted that, underneath that link, Natur Vital included a recommendation for a 48-hour patch test, stating toulene-2,5 diamine sulfate as the reason for the recommendation.
The ASA upheld the CTPA’s complaint.
Given that the advert featured several claims that the product did not include PPD and that PPD was linked to allergic reactions, it said the wording of the claims combined with their frequency would cause consumers to understand that there was very little risk of the hair colourants causing an allergic reaction in consumers with allergies to PPD or other allergens.
Additionally, it believed the product name ColourSafe to further reinforce this impression.
Wording under the subheading “frequently asked questions about ColourSafe hair colours” was also considered as ambiguous by the authority.
The text explained that, like PPD, toulene-2,5 diamine sulfate was a phenylenediamine.
However, the ASA considered that Instituto Naturvita did not make clear that the products featured the on-pack warning “contains phenylenediamines” because they contained toulene-2,5 diamine sulfate.
As such, the ASA concluded that the advert misleadingly implied that there was very little risk that the products could cause an allergic reaction in individuals with an allergy to PPD and other allergens, when that was not the case.
It ruled that the advert must not appear again in the form complained of.
Commenting on the ruling, Dr Emma Meredith, pharmacist and Director-General of CTPA, said: “CTPA and I very much welcome this ruling from the ASA, as it underlines the importance of protecting allergic consumers from experiencing reactions which can be very serious.
“Ensuring that cosmetic product claims are accurate and not misleading is crucial in preventing serious allergic reactions and safeguarding public health.”
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