Red 17 ●
TL;DR. This ingredient is a synthetic colorant used to give products a red hue, especially in oil-based or anhydrous cosmetics. It is mainly a shade-adjusting dye rather than a skin-care active.
What does Red 17 do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient is a synthetic colorant used to give products a red hue, especially in oil-based or anhydrous cosmetics. It is mainly a shade-adjusting dye rather than a skin-care active.
Is Red 17 clean?
From a clean-beauty perspective, this ingredient has notable friction because it is a synthetic dye with regulatory use limits, area-of-use restrictions, and batch-certification expectations in some markets. It is not considered a low-concern natural colorant by stricter clean frameworks.
Is Red 17 sustainable?
This material is typically petroleum-derived and made through synthetic dye chemistry. It is not a strong fit for readily biodegradable, renewable, low-residue ingredient strategies.
Is Red 17 COSMOS-approved?
This ingredient is not permitted in COSMOS-natural or COSMOS-organic products. Its synthetic origin, limited biodegradability profile, and colorant restrictions make it a poor fit with Green Chemistry preferences.
How does Red 17 work chemically?
The molecule is an oil-soluble synthetic monoazo colorant with an aromatic structure, which helps it disperse into lipophilic systems rather than water-based phases. It is used at low color-adjustment levels and must be formulated within applicable regional color-additive rules, including product-category and application-area limits.
Last updated 2026-05-13