Pigments in cosmetic
Pigments are essential in cosmetics. They allow to color many products and give a unique dimension to the face thanks to their subtle shades and mesmerizing colors. Synthetic pigments have gained the upper hand during the 20th century but are generating more and more interrogations which allows to natural pigments to make their come back nowadays.
What is a pigment ?
Pigments are solid molecules that add colour and shade to a liquid or solid preparation. Pigments are found in both cosmetics and wall paintings.
In the large pigment family, we find :
- Mineral pigments (rocks and earths, such as ochre, which is a ferric rock; or precious and semi-precious stones);
- Organic pigments (from living materials such as plants, flowers); synthetic organics from organic chemistry ;
- Metallic pigments (from bronze, copper, etc.) ;
- Chemical pigments (composed of elements such as carbon, lead chromates*, zinc oxides, titanium dioxides, cadmium sulfide*, or iron oxides to obtain all desired shades).
* If you are looking for these pigments, you will not find them with us.
Watch out for artificial pigments ! The development of organic chemistry has led to the creation of synthetic organic pigments to the detriment of natural pigments. Yes, it is the chemistry of petroleum, and more precisely the derivatives of aniline, which has led to the very marked appearance of pigmentary shades. These synthetic dyes are easy to produce, less expensive, mix well with various ingredients and have an amazing covering ability. But the use of certain synthetic pigments has raised serious concerns about their dangerousness in recent years. These pigments are extracted from ores or industrial waste, and then undergo several modifications to obtain the desired tints.
Lipsticks, for example, are very rich in synthetic pigments. For experts, tar derivatives are carcinogenic and can cause allergies instantly. Not to mention the eosin acid dyes that can cause photosensitivities.
Prefer natural pigments
One of the fundamental principles of organic makeup is to use only dyes and components of natural origin. This is why carefully selected ingredients are included in their composition. The organic industry prohibit, among other things, azo dyes, pigments used in Europe in the manufacture of conventional make-up, while they are prohibited in the United States.
Natural pigments offer a more limited palette of colours and shades compared to conventional cosmetics, but creativity continues to serve the natural to create more extensive ranges. Indeed, although the manufacturers of natural makeup only benefited from iron oxides and a few natural dyes, more and more are offering a wider range of colours, whether for powders, lipsticks, eye shadows or mascaras. Let’s enjoy it while protecting our health !
How to choose your Ocres de France's pigment
In addition to the packaging offered on the site, cosmetic professionals can benefit from larger packaging (quote request by email to infos@ocres-de-france.com). The small volumes (10, 20, 30 grams) are packaged in glass jars, recyclable in the green containers -black iron capsule-, labeling «Ocres de France», volume 40ml. The 200, 300, 500, 700, 900 grams and 1kg are packed in PET pots.
The pigments listed below are acceptable in the cosmetic formulation of rinse-off products (to be checked according to the legislation in force in each country). However, recipes for finished products containing cosmetic pigments will have to be validated by a toxicologist and, as the manufacturer, you will remain the only responsable for placing your product on the market.
We can provide the documents listed in the table below :
This information may change according to the statements of our suppliers and our own studies. Regarding Ocre jaune cosmecert and Ocre rouge cosmecert, from March 1sd, 2023, we will no longer provide the analysis reports that we previously provided on each batch number. We will only send the MSDS indicating the possibility of cosmetic use, the technical data sheet, the chemical analysis, the certificate of non-test on animals and the vegan certificate as well as the attestation Cosmecert 2022 (which validated the use of these two pigments in organic cosmetic use). You will remain the only one responsible for the analysis of these pigments in your formulations.
Current batch numbers (batch n°506822C for ocre jaune cosmecert and batch n°510422C for ocre rouge cosmecert) are end of stock. After depletion of stocks, we will not renew the Cosmecert approval and will no longer be able to offer these references. You will still have the yellow ochre JFLES and the red ochre RFLES for which we provide only the FDS mentioning the possible use in cosmetics and the other documents previously listed in the table.
We will not provide additional documentation or complete the supplier raw material verification documentation.
For more info : infos@ocres-de-france.com