2-Methoxymethyl-p-phenylenediamine (ME+)
Also known as: ME+; ME-PPD; 2-methoxymethyl-PPD; 2-Methoxymethyl-p-Phenylenediamine Sulfate
INCI name: 2-Methoxymethyl-p-Phenylenediamine; 2-Methoxymethyl-p-Phenylenediamine Sulfate
What it does
A modified form of PPD with a small side chain added, designed to be less likely to cause allergy while still forming permanent colour.
Benefits
A much weaker sensitiser in standard animal testing: it took about 4.3% to trigger the benchmark immune response, against about 0.1% for PPD and 0.17% for PTD. That should mean fewer people become allergic over time.
Concerns & Risks
Lower risk is not no risk. In use tests on people already allergic to PPD, 30% in one study and 48% in another still reacted to an ME+ dye. In a longer study, 29 of 43 PPD- or PTD-allergic people coped with repeated dyeing, but 14 reacted, five of them at the skin test and nine only once they dyed. Most of this research was funded by or involved the companies that sell ME+ dyes. If you already have a PPD allergy, do not treat ME+ as safe without a dermatologist's advice.
Comedogenic rating
Non-comedogenic (0)
Suitable for
People with no hair-dye allergy who want a lower-sensitising permanent colour; PPD-allergic people only after advice and testing from a dermatologist
Avoid if
You have had a severe hair-dye reaction or a strong positive patch test to PPD, unless a dermatologist has tested you with ME+
Typical concentration
EU maximum 1.8% on the head after mixing (calculated as free base). India and US: no specific limit verified.