Health and Fitness · May 17, 2022

All you want to know about Cosmetic Dyes

Pigments and dyes have been coloring your life for ages now. From pharmaceuticals to cosmetics and plastics to food, dyes remain constant in every single product. In today’s time, their application is not just limited to any specific category and has extended into different applications. In the similar ways cosmetic dyes play a major role in all your beauty products and you just cannot imagine your world without them.

From malachite green eye shadow to crimson lips, cosmetic colors have been an active part of human culture for centuries. Over the years, naturally, the materials used for producing color have changed, and yes in many cases, for better results. For instance, dangerous concoctions of copper and lead which arose during the 1800s have now been replaced with zinc oxide.

What are cosmetic dyes?

Cosmetic dyes are color additives which are often used as coloring agent in different cosmetic products like eye-make up, facial make up, and other kinds of products. All lip products are soluble in the medium in which they are used. Dyes are easy to use but their resistance is much smaller than pigments.

The types of cosmetic dyes & colors

Cosmetic color additives could be divided in 2 broad categories: organic & inorganic. Make a note that the term “organic” means the chemical structure of colorant includes carbon atoms.

There are 3 common types of organic color additives: lakes, synthetic dyes, and botanicals. The inorganic color additives are made up of mineral compounds, like zinc oxide and iron oxide.

What is the difference between pigments & dyes?

Color additives, both inorganic and organic are further classified as either pigment or dye. The organic dyes are also considered as dyes. Botanicals and organic lakes, along with inorganic mineral compounds are even considered as pigments. Generally, when you refer to cosmetic color additives, what exactly determines a pigment from a dye is its solubility – pigments are oil dispersible while dyes are water soluble.

Which colorants are safest?

In general, the mineral pigments, particularly oxides, ultramarines, and micas, are considered to be the safest color additives. Lakes and synthetic dyes can pose serious health threats. Their use must be either strictly used in limited amount, or avoided altogether.

Other uses of cosmetic dyes

Different dyes that are used on cosmetics could be used in personal care products such as deodorants, lotions, hair oil, liquid soap, body scrub, face wash, shower gels, sanitizers, aftershave, skin creams and sanitizers. They are even incorporated in the manufacturing of various home care products like glass cleaner, detergents, dish wash liquid, toilet cleaner and floor cleaners. Therefore, cosmetics dyes are extremely important in several other things around you, besides making you beautiful by enhancing your skin color.

If you are looking for the best quality and safest cosmetic dyes that are US FDA certified colors, contact Neelikon Colours Global today. Their cosmetic lakes and pigments are manufactured using unique proprietary technology for achieving extremely fine and soft particles. They are one of the top 3 producers in the world for cosmetic pigment/dyes, food colors and fluorescent dyes.