Colorant

Ingredients with the function of a dye give cosmetics the desired shade and make the appearance of the product more understandable and attractive: they are responsible for the color of lipstick, eye shadow, blush, shampoo or cream. In decorative cosmetics, such substances form the color of the coating on the skin, lips, eyelashes or hair, and in care products they often affect primarily the shade of the formula itself, almost without changing its care properties. According to the FDA definition, this group includes dyes, pigments, and other substances that can impart color to a product or body; however, their use in cosmetics is regulated separately and requires compliance with established safety regulations. (fda.gov)

Such components can work in different ways on skin and hair: some give a bright visible coloring, others create a softer tone or visual leveling effect. They are important for the texture of the formula because they help to obtain a uniform color of the stick, powder, gel or emulsion, as well as maintain a recognizable appearance of the product from batch to batch. Typical examples are CI 77491 (red iron oxide), which is often used in foundation products and decorative cosmetics, and CI 77891 (titanium dioxide), which gives white color and opacity to many formulas. The FDA separately specifies that color additives in cosmetics should be allowed for a specific application, and some synthetic dyes are subject to mandatory batch certification. (fda.gov)

It is important to understand that such ingredients are primarily responsible for the color and visual effect, and not for moisturizing, nourishing or restoring skin and hair. Therefore, their role is usually aesthetic: to make the product noticeable, to help adjust the tone, to emphasize facial features or to dye the hair in the right shade. Safety here especially depends on the correct concentration, purity of raw materials and compliance with permitted use, therefore, in high-quality cosmetics, dyes are selected taking into account the requirements of regulators and labeled in the composition according to established rules. (fda.gov)