Ultramarines and Oxides for Lip Color? Not Always!
If you are considering using ultramarines and oxides blended with castor oil to color lip products, you might want to reconsider. Sure, you will see on the FDA website that both ultramarines and oxides are safe to use in externally applied cosmetics, but what does that mean?
According to 21 CFR §70.3, “The terms externally applied drugs and externally applied cosmetics mean drugs or cosmetics applied only to external parts of the body and not to the lips or any body surface covered by mucous membrane.”
So the FDA restricts the use of the following color additives in lipsticks, lip glosses, lip balms or cosmetics applied to the lips.
Ultramarines
According to 21 CFR §73.2725 (c) “Uses and restrictions. The ultramarine pigments may be safely used for coloring externally applied cosmetics, including cosmetics intended for use in the area of the eye, in amounts consistent with good manufacturing practice.”
Hydrated Chromium Green
According to 21 CFR §73.2326(b) “Uses and restrictions. Chromium hydroxide green is safe for use in coloring externally applied cosmetics, including those intended for use in the area of the eye, in amounts consistent with good manufacturing practice.
Chromium Green Oxide
According to 21 CFR §73.2327(b) “Uses and restrictions. The color additive chromium oxide greens may be safely used in externally applied cosmetics, including cosmetics intended for use in the area of the eye, in amounts consistent with good manufacturing practice.”
So, if you want tint lipsticks, lip glosses or lip balms, consider using lakes instead of ultramarines or the above mentioned oxides. If you want green consider a blend of yellow and blue lakes.
That said, yellow, brown and black oxides are safe for general cosmetics, so there’s no problem with mixing them with castor oil and using those for color.
If you’re thinking about using micas your lip products, you may also want to check and see if the following are an ingredient in the mica you are considering. Both of these color additives are usually primarily in blue micas, but they are also used in many other colored micas too. You’ll need to be sure and do some research.
Ferric ferrocyanide.
According to 21 CFR §73.2299(b) “Uses and restrictions. Ferric ferrocyanide is safe for use in coloring externally applied cosmetics, including cosmetics applied to the area of the eye, in amounts consistent with good manufacturing practice.”
Ferric ammonium ferrocyanide.
According to 21 CFR §73.2298(b) “Uses and restrictions. Ferric ammonium ferrocyanide is safe for use in coloring externally applied cosmetics, including cosmetics applied to the area of the eye, in amounts consistent with good manufacturing practice.”