Have you ever thought about what ingredients give some cosmetics their bright colors?
chromium oxide
mica chips
dihydroxyacetone
manganese.
Color additives are not all made the same way, therefore they are generally classified as one of three different categories: straight colors, lakes, and mixtures. Straight colors are not mixed with other compounds or subject to any chemical reactions when they are created. Lakes on the other had are formed through chemical reactions involving straight colors, precipitants, and substrata. Mixtures are created by the combination of various color additives without the use of chemical reactions. From these descriptions, it may sound like most color additives used today are synthesized by chemists, not found naturally. There are, however, some color additives that are derived from plants or animals.
This often causes people who are worried about using artificial additives to be reluctant to try these types of products. Here is a list of FDA approved color additives in addition to the year in which they were approved.
From analyzation of these lists, it was found that certain colors are used for specific reasons. For example, iron based compounds seem to be have a strong correlation with eye care cosmetics, ie) contact lenses.
Not only can you find color additives in make-up products but also in hair products like hair dyes. Though there is the side of an initial strong odor in the hair dyes, leaving the product in for too long, can cause irritation and rashes. For that reason, it is advised that the product is only in for a maximum of 30 minutes.
Can you guess which compound produces which pigment?
(answers will be posted along with our next blog post, all about the kinetics and rate of making cosmetics!)
