[+/- MAY CONTAIN / PEUT CONTENIR CI 77499 / IRON OXIDES ●
TL;DR. This ingredient is a cosmetic colorant used to create black, gray, smoky, or depth-building shades in makeup, hair products, and tinted skin care. It is valued for opacity, shade stability, and compatibility with powders, emulsions, sticks, and anhydrous formulas.
What does [+/- MAY CONTAIN / PEUT CONTENIR CI 77499 / IRON OXIDES do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient is a cosmetic colorant used to create black, gray, smoky, or depth-building shades in makeup, hair products, and tinted skin care. It is valued for opacity, shade stability, and compatibility with powders, emulsions, sticks, and anhydrous formulas.
Is [+/- MAY CONTAIN / PEUT CONTENIR CI 77499 / IRON OXIDES clean?
It has a low irritation and sensitization profile because the particles are insoluble and largely inert on skin. Clean standards generally allow it, with attention to heavy-metal impurity limits and cosmetic-grade purity.
Is [+/- MAY CONTAIN / PEUT CONTENIR CI 77499 / IRON OXIDES sustainable?
This material is mineral-derived or synthetically produced from abundant elements, and it is not biodegradable in the organic-carbon sense. It is environmentally persistent as an inert mineral particle, so the main sustainability questions are mining impacts, energy use, and impurity control rather than aquatic bioaccumulation.
Is [+/- MAY CONTAIN / PEUT CONTENIR CI 77499 / IRON OXIDES COSMOS-approved?
It is permitted in COSMOS-natural and COSMOS-organic products as an approved colorant of mineral origin when cosmetic-grade purity criteria are met. Its Green Chemistry fit is acceptable: abundant mineral chemistry and high stability, but limited alignment on biodegradability and possible energy inputs for purification or synthesis.
How does [+/- MAY CONTAIN / PEUT CONTENIR CI 77499 / IRON OXIDES work chemically?
This compound is an inorganic, insoluble mixed-valence mineral pigment made of metal and oxygen atoms in a crystalline lattice, which is why it provides strong black color and high opacity. Use levels vary widely by product type, from trace shade adjustment to high percentages in pressed powders or eye products, and it is stable across normal cosmetic pH ranges, heat, and light.
Last updated 2026-05-13