Colourants for Cosmetics Industry
Types
of ingredients used in the cosmetics |
In the category of decorative cosmetics, the majority
of colors used are pigments. It is the inorganic pigments that are
popular with cosmetics but are subject to purity levels of heavy metals.
The range of inorganic pigments used in cosmetics is generally made up
of various chemical types. A few of the popular ones is provided in the
table.
Pigments
|
Features
and applications |
Iron Oxides |
Three basic shades: black, yellow and red, finds
use in liquid foundations, face powders, and blushers. |
Chromium Dioxides |
Shades range from dull olive green, to a blue
green, or bright green, finds use in most categories of cosmetic
preparations but prohibited for use in lip products in the USA. |
Ultramarines |
Shade range from bright blue to violet, pink and
green also, not allowed for lip products in the USA. |
Manganese Violet |
Shade is purple. |
Iron Blue |
Colour is dark blue, used in a wide range of
applications. |
White Pigments
- Titanium Dioxide
- Zinc Oxide
|
White pigments have a wide use in all cosmetics,
they show extremely good covering power, are almost totally inert
also extremely stable to heat and light. |
Mica |
Mica gives a natural translucence when used as
face powders and powder blushers. |
In addition to this some types of organic pigments
are also used along with water soluble and oil soluble dyes in the
cosmetics application.
Some examples of water soluble dyes are given here.
Dye |
C.I. Number |
Colours |
Carotene PS 300 |
75130 |
|
Annato Hydrosouble |
75120 |
|
Carmin of Cochineal |
75470 |
|
|