Final answer:
Powdered off the scalp hair lighteners typically involve diluted hydrogen peroxide mixed with aqueous ammonia to bleach hair. Key compounds in these products include sodium hypochlorite along with precursor agents like trichloroisocyanuric acid. The bleaching process is a key aspect of permanent hair coloring and lightening.
Step-by-step explanation:
Powdered off the scalp hair lighteners are often used in beauty and hair salons to achieve a lighter hair color. The chemical compounds typically used in these hair lighteners include diluted hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) mixed with aqueous ammonia. Hydrogen peroxide concentrations for hair bleaching can range between 1.9% and 12%. This chemical is not only used for bleaching hair, lending to the term "peroxide blonde," but is also commonplace in tooth whitening products like whitening toothpaste.
In addition to hydrogen peroxide, special bleaching powders may contain compounds that release sodium hypochlorite, which is a classical household bleaching agent. These compounds, such as trichloroisocyanuric acid and mixtures of sodium hypochlorite ("chlorinated orthophosphate"), are precursors to the bleaching process in these types of hair treatments.
Hair lightening is a chemical process that changes the color of hair strands by altering the hair's natural pigment. Permanent hair coloring involves an oxidant, which in the context of hair bleach is often hydrogen peroxide, working in conjunction to lighten the hair's pigmentation. Notable products for cleaning that contain bleaching agents include Ajax, Bon Ami, Comet, and others, which may serve as a reference for the types of bleach compounds available in the market.