GDS Hair Dye Shampoo ingredients, graded
Every ingredient.
Every grade.
The full declared lists for Black, Dark Brown and Brown — Part 1 colour shampoo and Part 2 developer — in the order printed on the box, with our risk grade beside each one. The high grades are the dye chemistry itself: PTD (toluene-2,5-diamine sulfate) in all three, resorcinol and m-aminophenol, plus the couplers that set each shade. No shade contains PPD. There is no version of a permanent dye that keeps the coverage and drops them.
One base, three dye sets — and no PPD. No shade contains p-phenylenediamine (PPD). All three are built on toluene-2,5-diamine sulfate (PTD), a close relative that cross-reacts in people sensitised to PPD, with resorcinol, m-aminophenol and p-aminophenol as couplers and hydrogen peroxide (Part 2) as the developer. Black adds 2,4-diaminophenoxyethanol HCl; Brown adds 4-amino-2-hydroxytoluene; Dark Brown has neither.
Ammonia-free means ethanolamine. The alkaliser that opens the cuticle is ethanolamine instead of ammonia. That is why it does not sting the eyes or smell like a box kit. It is not gentler on the allergen front.
A grade is our screening's assessment, not a safety verdict. High means a recognised sensitiser or a regulated dye intermediate; mid means an irritation, impurity or allergen-labelling concern; low means nothing notable in the literature at cosmetic use levels.
Four jobs, and which ingredient does each.
Primary intermediate
PTD (toluene-2,5-diamine sulfate), in all three shades — no PPD in any of them. The small molecule that slips into the hair shaft and becomes the pigment. A potent sensitiser that cross-reacts with PPD, and it carries our high grade.
Couplers
Resorcinol, m-aminophenol and p-aminophenol in every shade, plus 2,4-diaminophenoxyethanol HCl in Black and 4-amino-2-hydroxytoluene in Brown. They react with the intermediate to set the final tone. All are graded high except p-aminophenol, graded mid.
Developer
Hydrogen peroxide, in Part 2 — the 150ml developer you mix with the colour shampoo right before use. It oxidises the intermediates into colour inside the hair. Rinsed off, but it can irritate skin, eyes and scalp — graded mid.
Alkaliser
Ethanolamine, standing in for ammonia. Swells the hair so the dye can get in. Graded mid: safe as used per CIR, with nitrosamine formation a theoretical concern in the presence of nitrosating agents.
In the order printed on the box.
Taken from the ingredient declarations on the current two-part pack — Part 1 colour shampoo and Part 2 developer — translated to INCI names. Each graded name links to its entry in our ingredient glossary, where the grade and the reasoning behind it live. Grades shown as of 13 October 2026.
Black
Black · 150ml + 150ml
Dark Brown
Dark Brown · 150ml + 150ml
Same base and developer as Black. No 2,4-diaminophenoxyethanol HCl, and p-aminophenol, resorcinol and m-aminophenol sit in a different order.
Brown
Brown · 150ml + 150ml · NATURAL BROWN on the pack
Same base and developer as Black. Adds 4-amino-2-hydroxytoluene and has no 2,4-diaminophenoxyethanol HCl.
Every declared ingredient now has a glossary entry and a grade. how to use it step by step · which shade to pick · GDS vs the alternatives.
What a grade means, and what it does not.
What it means
High: a recognised skin sensitiser or a regulated dye intermediate with published allergy data. Mid: an irritation, impurity or allergen-labelling concern at typical use levels. Low: nothing notable in the literature for cosmetic use. Every grade has its reasoning on the ingredient's own page.
What it does not mean
It is not a safety determination for you. A low-graded botanical can still be the thing you react to, and a high-graded dye can be used for years without incident. The only test that applies to your skin is a patch test, 48 hours, before every use.
What is not in it, and what that is worth.
Ammonia-free
True. Ethanolamine does the alkalising. Less smell, no eye sting, same allergen profile.
Paraben-free
True. Preserved with phenoxyethanol, ethylhexylglycerin and 1,2-hexanediol; no paraben on any shade's list.
PPD-free, not allergy-free
True: no shade contains PPD. But all three contain PTD, which cross-reacts in many people allergic to PPD — so PPD-free is no reason to skip the patch test. We do not describe any shade as PTD-free.
Sulfates
Yes. Sodium laureth sulfate and sodium lauryl sulfate in the colour shampoo of every shade, and sodium lauryl sulfate in the developer. Graded mid.
Patch test 48 hours ahead.
Every time, not just the first.
A small dab behind the ear or on the inner elbow, left uncovered for 48 hours. Any redness, itching or swelling means do not use it. Sensitisation to PTD can appear after years of trouble-free use, and this product's "PPD-free" does not protect someone already sensitised to PPD, because PTD cross-reacts — which is why the test is repeated before each application.
Quick answers.
Does GDS Hair Dye Shampoo contain PPD? +–
No. No shade contains PPD. All three use toluene-2,5-diamine sulfate (PTD) instead, a close relative of PPD that cross-reacts in people who are sensitised to PPD — so patch test first. All three also contain resorcinol, m-aminophenol and p-aminophenol as couplers.
Is GDS Hair Dye Shampoo ammonia-free? +–
Yes. The alkaliser is ethanolamine, which is why it does not smell like a box kit or sting the eyes. It is not milder on the allergen front: the dye intermediates are the same class as any permanent colour.
Is it paraben-free? +–
Yes. No paraben appears on any shade's list. It is preserved with phenoxyethanol, ethylhexylglycerin and 1,2-hexanediol.
Why are there three lists? +–
The three shades share one base and one developer and differ in their dyes: Black adds 2,4-diaminophenoxyethanol HCl, Brown adds 4-amino-2-hydroxytoluene, and Dark Brown has neither. The order of a few dyes on the label changes too.
What does "high" mean in your grade? +–
A recognised skin sensitiser or a regulated dye intermediate with published allergy data. In this product that is PTD, resorcinol, m-aminophenol, 2,4-diaminophenoxyethanol HCl (Black) and 4-amino-2-hydroxytoluene (Brown). It is our screening's assessment, not a safety determination for any individual.
Which oils are in it? +–
Avocado, macadamia, olive, jojoba, grape seed and camellia seed oil, in the colour shampoo of every shade, which is why we say no separate conditioner is needed.
Where is the ingredient list printed on my bottle? +–
On the back of the box and the bottles, in Korean, because you receive the Korean-market packaging. The lists above are the translation to INCI names, and the export-label and Korean-label lists are set side by side on our About the label page.
Every ingredient graded.
Nothing behind a badge.
Ships from Korea within one to three business days, tracked. Patch test 48 hours before every use.