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FAQs

Q: I am allergic to cobalt and nickel. Can I colour my hair? Janet, 13/5/2010

A: nickel is a frequent source of allergy and the reactions can be very nasty. The good news from a product point of view is that these are banned from being added to cosmetics and toiletries. Unfortunately, small amounts of nickel and cobalt may occur naturally in some colours used in products such as eye shadows. The presence of these small quantities will still be safe and normally this would not cause any problems, but depending on the severity of your allergy you may wish to contact the manufacturers of your preferred brands to check on the suitability of the products for you. Their address can be found on the pack which you can always take note of before you buy.

As for coloring your hair. This might be a difficult one – as you obviously have the potential to be allergic to things, and we do know there are certain hair dyes that can cause allergic reactions – although these are fairly rare. This is why manufacturers label on pack and in the instructions to perform a skin sensitivity test 48 hours before each colouring, on a small area of the body. If someone is allergic to any of the ingredients in the hair colorant then they would experience a reaction in that small area which would tell them they can’t go on to colour their hair and risk a larger reaction on the head.

As you are already known to be allergic to cobalt and nickel then it is very likely that you could be allergic to other substances too. However you may have been tested with hair dyes as part of your hospital testing – so you could always check this with the department where you had your allergy testing.

Going for highlights might be a possible option because if the hairdresser uses a rubber skull-cap or foils then the contact with the scalp is reduced even further. Your hair salon may also be able to advise you further on this. Again though if the manufacturers advise performing a skin sensitivity test before coloring then it’s really important this is done.

The Cosmetic, Toiletry and Perfumery Association (CTPA) is an association of manufacturers of cosmetic, toiletry and perfumery products, founded in 1945 to promote the interests of members, primarily with government. That remit has now extended to include the European Commission and many other regulatory bodies, national and international groups.

Members are manufacturers (full members), raw material suppliers and suppliers of services (associate members). Our Council is made up of senior industry representatives from small, medium, large and multi-national companies. Activities are funded through membership subscriptions.

The focus of our work centres on scientific, regulatory and legislative issues. We have a constant dialogue with the UK Government and this process is repeated at European level through COLIPA, the European trade body and internationally through an extensive network of national association contacts.

Visit the CTPA main website »

The Cosmetic, Toiletry and Perfumery Association (CTPA) is the voice of the cosmetic, toiletry and perfumery industry in the UK. Our members vary from small and medium-sized companies to large multi-nationals and include manufacturers, raw material suppliers and service providers.

Our primary goal is to promote good working practice to ensure that consumers are provided with the very best products. To this end, we co-ordinate the industry's viewpoint on key issues such as science, innovation and safety and maintain an open dialogue with government, both at UK and European level, as well as with international regulatory authorities and key opinion formers.

CTPA recognises that the consumer has a right to understand the processes that industry and the regulatory bodies go through to ensure the safety and efficacy of cosmetic and toiletry products. Over the years we have steadily increased our focus on providing the public with direct access to the industry's perspective and progress on safety, science and innovation.

In April 2008 we launched our consumer information website, www.thefactsabout.co.uk, which provides scientific facts about common ingredients used in cosmetics and the industry's perspective on common safety questions as well as information on how products are regulated to ensure safety and efficacy.

Further information on the work of the CTPA is available from our main website www.ctpa.org.uk which also houses the full set of legislation under 'Cosmetic regulations'.