Hello Green Beauty

Cosmetic Chemistry: Different Types of Color Additive Used in Cosmetics

Aside from fragrance, another common additives used in cosmetics are colorants. In cosmetic chemistry, color additives refer to any substance that can change the color of the cosmetics. Their primary purpose in the formulation is to make the final product aesthetically appealing to the consumers. When it comes to choosing the right type of color additives to use in your cosmetic formulation, here are some factors that you have to consider.

Solubility

Color additives can either be soluble or insoluble. For instance, water soluble colors (e.g. dyes) are capable of dissolving completely in water. Meanwhile, insoluble colors (e.g. mica) are only dispersible in either water or oil. Basically, the choice of color additives will be dependent whether your product is hydrous or anhydrous.

Application

FDA (Food and Drug Administration) approved color additives are either D&C or FD&C. D&C colors can be used in drugs and cosmetics, but not in food. On the other hand, FD&C colors can be used in food, drugs and cosmetics. If your product is intended to be applied on lips, then you must use FD&C colors.

Organic vs. Inorganic

Color additives can either be organic or inorganic. The difference between the two has something to do with their chemical composition and source.

Organic colors contain carbon and are often derived from coal tars and other petrochemicals. Their greatest asset is their vibrant colors. However, organic colors have a tendency to fade over time especially when exposed to light. They are also more expensive than inorganic colors.

Inorganic colors do not contain carbon and are derived from minerals. Unlike organic colors, they are more stable when exposed to light, more economical to produce (cheaper) and have more color range available. However, inorganic colors are not as vibrant as organic colors and are often insoluble.

Now that we know the various factors to consider when choosing a color additive, let’s proceed in identifying the different types of cosmetic color additive.

1. Dye

Dyes are organic, water soluble colors that produce vibrant colors. They are the perfect choice of color to use in liquid soap because they are easily dissolved in water without using a pre-dispersion agent. Since dyes have tendency to “bleed” (color migration), they are not recommended for multicolored Melt & Pour soap. Being an organic color, dyes have vibrant shades but they will morph and fade over time especially when exposed to UV light.

2. Lake

Lakes are organic, oil dispersible colors which are produced by combining FD&C dyes with an insoluble metallic salt. Aside from oil, lakes can also be dispersed in glycerin, propylene glycol and sucrose. Because of their bright, non-bleeding colors and oil dispersibility, lakes are ideal colors to be used when formulating lip balms, lip glosses (oil-based) and lipsticks. Compared to dyes, lake colors are also more stable as they don’t fade over time.

3. Pigment

Pigments are inorganic, oil dispersible colors that are very popular among soap makers since they don’t “bleed” making them the perfect choice when creating multi-colored soap. They are also very stable (fade-proof) and inexpensive color additives. However, colors produced by pigments are not as vibrant as dyes and lakes. Pigments are always created synthetically as mandated by FDA to insure that they are free from toxic metals (e.g. lead) and safe to use in cosmetics.

Examples of pigments are iron oxide, titanium oxide, zinc oxide, chromium oxide, ultramarine, manganese violet, among others.

Here are some useful info to know when using pigments:

When using pigments in Melt & Pour soap (water-based), it’s important to pre-disperse them in either glycerin or 70% rubbing alcohol so that they will stay suspended on the soap.
Manganese violet is unstable in products with high pH (alkaline) so they are not recommended in cold process soap making.
Ultramarine pigments should not be used on lip products. Also, they are unstable in products with low pH (acidic).

4. Mica

Micas are naturally derived from silicate minerals (e.g. muscovite). Synthetic micas (known as fluorphlogopite) are also available in the market. Compared to natural micas, synthetic ones are brighter and have more uniform finish. In its purest form, micas are white in color. Most often they are combined with titanium dioxide (to increase opacity) and coated with either pigments or dyes to add color.

Micas are both water and oil dispersible. They are also either organic or inorganic, depending whether they are coated with pigments or dyes.

Micas are popular for their ability to add sparkle to cosmetic products due to optical reflection. They are best added to transparent Melt & Pour soap as it makes the sparkle more visible. Micas are also non-bleeding colors so they’re perfect for multicolored soap (except when micas are coated with dyes). In lipstick products, micas can add shimmer but they’re not as pigmented as iron oxides.

When buying micas, make sure to take note of their particle size. The particle size of micas is measured in microns, typically between 15 and 150 microns. The rule of thumb is “the larger the particle size, the higher the luster (more sparkly)”. This is also the reason why when making mineral makeup, it’s not recommended to grind micas as it will reduce their luster.

In summary, when choosing color additives to use in your cosmetic formulations, you have to consider the solubility and application of your cosmetic products. The most commonly used color additives are dyes, lakes, pigments and micas. Each one of them has its own pros and cons. Most important of all, if you’re planning to sell your homemade cosmetic products, then make sure to only use FDA-approved color additives for cosmetics (which may vary from country to country).

BONUS

I found this helpful reference table that indicates application restrictions for each color additives (e.g. colors that can’t be used around the eye areas). It also specifies the Color Index (CI) for each color. Usually, we use the Color Index when specifying colors in cosmetic product labels. For instance, red iron oxide is indicated in cosmetic product labels as CI 77491.

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Product Review: Bayani Brew Farm Fresh Tea

My husband and I are big fan of bottled iced teas that you can conveniently bought from supermarkets. However, the problem with most commercial bottled iced teas is that they are too sweet. To our delight, my husband finally found our staple healthy version of bottled iced tea – it’s none other than Bayani Brew.

Bayani Brew farm fresh tea is the perfect combination of refreshing and healthy beverage made from organically-grown local ingredients. Instead of using imported tea leaves, they use ingredients that grow abundantly in the Philippines such as lemongrass (tanglad), sweet potato leaves (talbos ng kamote), pandan and moringa (malunggay). These plants are brewed and bottled the same day to maintain their freshness. The final product is a healthy bottle of farm fresh tea that is GMO-free, pesticide-free and doesn’t contain any artificial flavor and color. Moreover, the thing I like the most about Bayani Brew is that it’s not too sweet and its taste is so clean that I don’t feel thirsty right after drinking it. Since all of their products are caffeine-free, even the kids can safely drink them without any guilt.

Being a social enterprise, Bayani Brew also supports local farmers through the Gawad Kalinga Enchanted Farm communities. True to their slogan of “drink healthy, support farmers”, it feels good that whenever I drink Bayani Brew bottled iced teas, I also help farmers earn income.

Bayani Brew currently has 6 different refreshing flavors.

Lemongrass Ginger

If you’re a fan of salabat (ginger tea), then you’ll definitely love this flavor. Ginger has anti-inflammatory properties so they’re good for treating sore throat and muscle pain. This is our most favorite Bayani Brew flavor ^_^

Lemongrass Turmeric

The strong yellow color of this drink comes from turmeric. Just like ginger, turmeric also has anti-inflammatory properties. It also has antiviral properties that can be beneficial in fighting viral infections.

Lemongrass Pandan

Tea made out of pandan leaves and lemongrass stalks is very popular in Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries. Among all the Bayani Brew flavors, this is the most fragrant tea due to pandan leaves.

Lemongrass Mango

This is their newest flavor and the only one I haven’t tried so far. It also contains calamansi extract which complements the sweetness of mango and enriches the tea with 100% vitamin C.

Moringa Dalandan

Moringa leaves (or better known in the Philippines as malunggay) are rich in iron that’s why they’re one of the best supplements to reduce anemia. This drink is also ideal for lactating mothers as moringa leaves are proven to increase the breast milk production.

Sweet Potato Leaves

The light pinkish hue of this drink comes from boiling sweet potato leaves (a.k.a. talbos ng kamote in Filipino) together with lemongrass. The highly nutritious sweet potato leaves are rich in iron so if you don’t like eating them to treat your anemia, you can just drink them as tea.

Bayani Brew products are available at the following online stores:

Have you tried drinking Bayani Brew bottled iced teas? Tell us your favorite flavors in the comment section below.

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