CI 77499 is a black pigment commonly used in skincare. From a chemical perspective, black iron oxide is a mixture of iron II oxide and iron III oxide. Unlike red and yellow pigments, it is magnetic. Approved for organic use, CI 77499 is often mixed with other iron oxides such as CI 77491 (red) and CI 77492 (yellow). Let's focus on its utility.
What is "CI 77499" and what is its purpose?
Published on February 2, 2024, by Stéphanie, PhD, Doctorate in Life and Health Sciences — 3 min of reading
Everything you need to know about CI 77499.
iron tetraoxide , CI 77499 is a black colourant of mineral origin. It is important to distinguish between two groups of colourants:
The organic dyes: They are manufactured from substances containing carbon;
The non-organic dyes: They are produced from minerals and metallic oxides.
Each iron oxide colour corresponds to a mixture of ferrous or ferric oxides, coloured clay, and manganese.
Many factors can influence each shade, namely:
The concentration of minerals;
The cooking temperature;
The size of the particles;
The pH.
Composed of natural minerals, synthetic iron oxide is commonly used in the skincare industry. In addition to providing a lasting colour to these products, it displays a high resistance to moisture and is considered non-toxic. Regarded as safe, CI 77499 is synthetically produced and does not contain ferrous or ferric oxides.
CI 77499: What is its purpose?
CI 77499 is a colouring agent. It imparts colour to the skin and provides colouration to skincare products. Synthetic iron oxides offer numerous advantages:
They provide resistance to light;
These are dispersing agents;
They impart an intense colour to the treatments.
At Typology, CI 77499 is partly responsible for the colouring of tinted skincare products, such as the tinted serum, the tinted concealer and the tinted lip balms.
6 shades
