CI 42090 ●
TL;DR. This ingredient is a synthetic colorant used to give formulas a blue shade or adjust the final tone of a product. It is used for visual identity rather than skin, hair, or cleansing performance.
What does CI 42090 do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient is a synthetic colorant used to give formulas a blue shade or adjust the final tone of a product. It is used for visual identity rather than skin, hair, or cleansing performance.
Is CI 42090 clean?
From a clean-beauty perspective, this ingredient has friction because it is a synthetic dye and is excluded by many standards that limit artificial colorants. It is generally used at very low levels, but clean frameworks may scrutinize batch certification, residual impurities, and consumer sensitivity concerns.
Is CI 42090 sustainable?
This material is typically made from nonrenewable petrochemical feedstocks. Its strong color and resistance to ready biodegradation can make wastewater treatment and environmental persistence relevant concerns, although it is not expected to bioaccumulate strongly because it is highly water-soluble.
Is CI 42090 COSMOS-approved?
It is not permitted in COSMOS-natural or COSMOS-organic certified formulas because the standard does not allow this type of synthetic organic colorant. Its fit with Green Chemistry is weak due to nonrenewable sourcing, multi-step synthesis, and limited biodegradability.
How does CI 42090 work chemically?
The molecule is a sulfonated triarylmethane dye, with aromatic rings providing strong visible-light absorption and sulfonate groups making it water-soluble and anionic. It is typically used at very low levels, often below 0.1%, and shade strength can shift with pH, ionic strength, and interactions with cationic ingredients.
Last updated 2026-05-13