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Cosmetics InformationColour & Cosmetics
by:
Jane Thurnell-Read
Galore folk avoid artificial colours in their foods, but don't check out the colours in cosmetics and personal care products. It is only in recent years that cosmetics have started to carry a full list of ingredients on their packaging.
Making sense of the ingredients can be difficult for the lay person. This is particularly true for colourings, which often go under the pretence of amount rather than names.
In galore countries colours in cosmetics are listed as colour index numbers. C.I. amount are allocated by the Society of Dyers and Colourists. The scheme covers colours used in food, personal care products, cosmetics, family products and fabric dyeing. So, for example you wish not usually see ‘tartrazine’ listed in your lipstick ingredients, but it may be there listed as C.I. 19140. Erythrosine wish be listed as C.I. 45430, and so on.
The USA uses a several system: the FD & C colors have been categorized by the American Food & Drink Administration for use in foods, drugs and cosmetics. So in this system tartrazine is FD & C yellow 5, and amaranth is FD & C red 2.
The ‘E Number’ system is used by the European Community (EC). This is a system of giving code amount to food additives, several of which are besides used in cosmetics and personal care products. This system is besides used in several another countries but without the E prefix, so E102 becomes just colour ‘102’.
All this confusion for the average user
would-be not be important, but for the fact that several of these colours are acknowledged to cause problems in susceptible individuals. For example, tartrazine (also acknowledged as FD & C Yellow 5, CI 1914 and EI02) can cause migraines, itching, coryza and agitation in susceptible individuals. Galore individuals avoid its use in food, but do not realise how extensively it is used in cosmetics, such as lipstick, and personal care products.
The big worries in terms of colours in cosmetics and personal care products are lipstick, coloured lip balms, lip gloss and lip pencils, because anyone who uses these on a regular basis
‘eats’ a fair quantity over their life time, but these colours besides appear in skin cream, foundation, make up and so on too. (Remember besides that these colours can besides be in 'natural' cosmetics and skin care products.)
Another worry is that even as the 'experts' cannot agree on an international 'safe' list of colours, so that a colour may be allowed in one country, but prohibited elsewhere. For example, quinoline yellow is allowed inside
the European Community and in several another countries, but is prohibited in Japan, Kingdom of norway and the United States.
As ever, the proposal
is: support yourself abreast of and see the label. Here is a list of the several names and amount that common colourings go under:
Tartrazine: E102 or FD & C Yellow 5 or C.I. 19140
Quinoline yellow or E104 or C.I. 47005
Sunset yellow or E110 or FD & C Yellow 6 or C.I. 15985
Amaranth or E123 or FD & C Red 2 or C.I. 16185
Ponceau 4R or E124 or C.I. 16255
Erythrosine or E127 or FD & C Red 3 or C.I. 45430
Red 2G or E128 or C.I. 18050
Allura red AC or E129 or FD & C Red 40 or C.I. 16035
Patent blue V or E131 or C.I. 42051
Indigo carmine or E132 or FD & C Blue 2 or C.I. 73015
Brilliant blue FCF or FD & C Blue 1 or C.I. 42090
Fast green FCF or FD & C Green 3 or C.I. 42053
Green S or E142 or C.I. 44090
Just about the author:
Jane Thurnell-Read researches and writes on health and well-being. Visit her site http://www.healthandgoodness.comfor well-researched articles on a whole range of topics. She's not trying to sell you thing
- this is an information web site. the most common unsought comment from folk who surf this site is "brilliant".
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