Color
and Cosmetics
When most
people think of cosmetics, what
comes to mind is usually basic
information that's not
particularly interesting or
beneficial. But there's a lot
more to cosmetics than just the
basics.
Many people
avoid artificial colors in their
foods, but don't check out the
colors 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
colorings, which often go under
the guise of numbers rather than
names.
In many
countries colors in cosmetics are
listed as color index numbers.
C.I. numbers are allocated by the
Society of Dyers and Colorists.
The scheme covers colors used in
food, personal care products,
cosmetics, household products and
fabric dyeing. So, for example
you will not normally see
‘tartrazine’ listed in
your lipstick ingredients, but it
may be there listed as C.I.
19140. Erythrosine will be listed
as C.I. 45430, and so
on.
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The
USA uses a different
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).
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This is a
system of giving code numbers to
food additives, some of which are
also used in cosmetics and
personal care products. This
system is also used in some other
countries but without the E
prefix, so E102 becomes simply
color ‘102’.
Sometimes
the most important aspects of a
subject are not immediately
obvious. Keep reading to get the
complete picture.
All this
confusion for the average
consumer would not be important,
but for the fact that some of
these colors are known to cause
problems in susceptible
individuals. For example,
tartrazine (also known as FD
& C Yellow 5, CI 1914 and
EI02) can cause migraines,
itching, rhinitis and agitation
in susceptible individuals. Many
individuals avoid its use in
food, but do not realize how
extensively it is used in
cosmetics, such as lipstick, and
personal care
products.
The big
worries in terms of colors in
cosmetics and personal care
products are lipstick, coloured
lip balms, lip gloss and lip
pencils, because anyone who uses
these regularly ‘eats’
a fair quantity over their life
time, but these colors also
appear in skin cream, foundation,
mascara and so on too. (Remember
also that these colors can also
be in 'natural' cosmetics and
skin care products.)
Another
worry is that even the 'experts'
cannot agree on an international
'safe' list of colors, so that a
color may be allowed in one
country, but banned elsewhere.
For example, quinoline yellow is
allowed within the European
Community and in some other
countries, but is banned in
Japan, Norway and the United
States.
As ever,
the advice is: keep yourself
informed and read the label. Here
is a list of the different names
and numbers that common colorings
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
Take time
to consider the points presented
above. What you learn may help
you overcome your hesitation to
take action.
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 anything -
this is an information web site.
the most common unsolicited
comment from people who surf this
site is "brilliant".
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