Analytical method development and dermal absorption of gallic acid, a hair dye ingredient

Gallic acid (GA) is a phenolic compound known as 3,4,5-trihydroxybenzoic acid. GA is used as a hair dye ingredient. It is limited to be below 4.0% in Korea. Dermal absorption rate of GA has not been reported yet. In this study, an analytical method for GA was developed and validated using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) in various matrices of swab, stratum corneum (SC), skin (dermis + epidermis), and receptor fluid (RF). HPLC analysis showed acceptable linearity (r² = 0.999–0.9998), accuracy (90.3–112.8%), and precision (0.7–13.6%) in accordance with validation guidelines by Korea Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS). The dermal absorption rate of GA was determined using Franz diffuse cells. GA (4.0%) was applied to mini pig skin of 10 μl/cm². After 30 min application, the GA was wiped out and receptor fluid sampling was continued until 24 h. After 24 h, skin was wiped off with swab and SC was collected using tape stripping. All samples were extracted with ethanol and analyzed using the validated method. The total dermal absorption rate of GA was determined to be 2.6 ± 1.3% (24 h).