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Colour & Cosmetics |
by:
Jane Thurnell-Read |
Many people avoid artificial colours in their foods, however don't check out the colours in cosmetics also 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 guise of numbers rather than names.
In many countries colours in cosmetics are listed as colour index numbers. C.I. numbers are allocated by the Society of Dyers also Colourists. The scheme covers colours used in food, personal care products, cosmetics, household products also fabric dyeing. So, for example you will not normally see ‘tartrazine’ listed in your lipstick ingredients, however it may be there listed as C.I. 19140. Erythrosine will be listed as C.I. 45430, also so on.
The USA uses a different system: the FD & C colors have been categorised by the American Food & Drink Administration for use in foods, drugs also cosmetics. So in this system tartrazine is FD & C yellow 5, also amaranth is FD & C red 2.
The ‘E Number’ system is used by the European Community (EC). This is a system of giving code numbers to food additives, some of which are or else used in cosmetics also personal care products. This system is or else used in some other countries however without the E prefix, so E102 becomes simply colour ‘102’.
All this confusion for the average consumer would not be important, however for the fact that some of these colours are known to cause problems in susceptible individuals. For example, tartrazine ( or else known as FD & C Yellow 5, CI 1914 also EI02) can cause migraines, itching, rhinitis also agitation in susceptible individuals. Many individuals avoid its use in food, however do not realise how extensively it is used in cosmetics, such as lipstick, also personal care products.
The big worries in terms of colours in cosmetics also personal care products are lipstick, coloured lip balms, lip gloss also lip pencils, because anyone who uses these regularly ‘eats’ a fair quantity over their life time, however these colours or else appear in skin cream, foundation, mascara also so on too. (Remember or else that these colours can or else be in 'natural' cosmetics also skin care products.)
Another worry is that even the 'experts' cannot agree on an international 'safe' list of colours, so that a colour may be allowed in one country, however banned elsewhere. For example, quinoline yellow is allowed within the European Community also in some other countries, however is banned in Japan, Norway also the USA.
As ever, the advice is: keep yourself informed also read the label. Here is a list of the different names also numbers that common colourings go under:
Tartrazine: E102 or FD & C Yellow five or C.I. 19140
Quinoline yellow or E104 or C.I. 47005
Sunset yellow or E110 or FD & C Yellow six or C.I. 15985
Amaranth or E123 or FD & C Red two or C.I. 16185
Ponceau 4R or E124 or C.I. 16255
Erythrosine or E127 or FD & C Red three 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 one or C.I. 42090
Fast green FCF or FD & C Green three or C.I. 42053
Green S or E142 or C.I. 44090
About the author:
Jane Thurnell-Read researches also writes on health also 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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