The composition for oxidative dyeing of hair contains 0.01 to 5.0 percent by weight of at least one 5-aminophenol compound of the formula ##STR1## wherein R is an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, X is fluorine or OR.sup.1 and R.sup.1 is an alkyl group having 2 to 4 carbon atoms, a monohydroxyalkyl group with 2 to 4 carbon atoms or a dihydroxyalkyl group with 3 and 4 carbon atoms, and physiologically tolerated water-soluble salts thereof as coupler substance; and 0.1 to 6.1 percent by weight of a total amount of the coupler substance and at least one developer substance. The developer substance can be 1,4-diaminobenzene, 2,5-diaminotoluene, 2,5-diaminobenzyl alcohol, 2-(2'-hydroxyethyl)-1,4-diaminobenzene, 4-aminophenol, 4-amino-3-methylphenol, 4-amino-2-methoxymethylphenol, 4-amino-2-ethoxy-methylphenol and tetraaminophyrimidine and physiologically tolerated water-soluble salts thereof. The invention also concerns certain new substituted 2-alkyl-5-aminophenols including 5-amino-4-ethoxy-2-methylphenol, 5-amino-4-(2'-hydroxyethyl)oxy-2-methylphenol and 5-amino-2-ethyl-4-fluorophenol.