Bismuth citrate has been in use as a progressive hair dye in the USA for some time and Grecian Bismuth was launched in Europe in 2005 (approximately 6 million units sold) and in Canada in 2008 (approximately 175,000 units sold). Bismuth citrate will be incorporated in progressive hair dye formulations at a maximum concentration of 2.0%. In the USA up to 0.5% are permitted.
Progressive hair dyes work gradually, with colour build-up over a period of two to three weeks of daily application. This hair dye changes the colour of hair from grey to darker shades by reacting with the sulphur of hair keratin as well as oxidizing on the hair surface. With such application, the hair gradually darkens until the required shade is achieved. Thereafter, colour is maintained by up to 3 applications per week. This product is intended for use by middle-aged and older people, principally men. The principle of coloration from bismuth citrate has been described in section 1, Background.
Bismuth is one of the medicinal drugs referenced in Pharmacopoeias, with bismuth compounds used topically or orally for indications such as minor stomach-aches, ulcers and venereal diseases for over 200 years.
Bismuth compounds have been used as antimicrobial agents for:
syphilis (e.g. sodium/potassium bismuth tartrate, bismuth quinine iodide, iododbismol, bismuth chloride)
colitis (e.g. bismuth citrate, bismuth subnitrite)
wound infection (e.g. bismuth oxide)
quartan malaria (e.g. sodium bismuth thioglycolate)
dyspepsia (e.g. bismuth subsalicylate, bismuth subnitrate) and
peptic ulcers (e.g. colloidal bismuth subcitrate, bismuth citrate, bismuth subnitrate).
ec.europa.eu 
