* Ancient Times (around 3000 BC): The earliest evidence of hair dye use comes from ancient civilizations like Egypt and the Middle East. They used natural dyes derived from plants like henna, indigo, and saffron.
* 1863: Professor H. Hoffman at the Royal College of Chemistry discovered paraphenylenediamine (PPD). This chemical became the basis for synthetic hair dyes.
* 1907: Eugène Schueller, a French chemist, created the first synthetic hair dye. He called it "Auréole" and later founded the company that would become L'Oréal. Auréole was based on paraphenylenediamine.
So, while people were coloring their hair for millennia using natural ingredients, the first *synthetic* hair dye was created in 1907.