Red 21 Lake ●
TL;DR. This ingredient is a synthetic colorant used to add bright red to pink color in makeup, lip products, nail products, and some personal care formulas. As a it pigment, it is insoluble and is used where opacity, dispersion, and color staying power are needed.
What does Red 21 Lake do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient is a synthetic colorant used to add bright red to pink color in makeup, lip products, nail products, and some personal care formulas. As a it pigment, it is insoluble and is used where opacity, dispersion, and color staying power are needed.
Is Red 21 Lake clean?
From a clean-beauty perspective, this ingredient has friction because many clean standards restrict synthetic certified color additives and it pigments. It is regulated by use area, requires batch certification in the U.S., and is assessed for trace impurities such as heavy metals.
Is Red 21 Lake sustainable?
This material is synthetically produced from nonrenewable chemical feedstocks and combined with a mineral-based substrate. It is not considered readily biodegradable, and its insoluble pigment form can persist as particulate color in wastewater streams.
Is Red 21 Lake COSMOS-approved?
It is not permitted under COSMOS-natural or COSMOS-organic standards because it is a synthetic color it rather than an allowed mineral or nature-derived colorant. Its fit with Green Chemistry is weak due to nonrenewable feedstocks, multi-step synthesis, and limited biodegradability.
How does Red 21 Lake work chemically?
The molecule is a halogenated xanthene-type dye converted into an insoluble aluminum it, which improves dispersion in oils, waxes, and anhydrous color cosmetics. Typical use varies by shade and product format, often from trace tinting levels up to a few percent in decorative cosmetics, and performance depends on pigment wetting, particle dispersion, and regulatory approval for the intended application area.
Last updated 2026-05-13