Toda United Indusrial (Zhejiang) Co., Ltd.

Iron oxides are useful is in the cosmetic and personal care industry, Because iron oxides come in shades or red, orange, brown and black, cosmetic manufacturers use them to add color to cosmetic products like eye shadow, blush, face powders, lipstick and mineral makeup. Using iron oxides as coloring agents in cosmetics has some advantages. They're resistant to moisture, don't easily bleed or smear and have "staying power" so you don't have to keep reapplying your eye shadow or blush. They also create intense pigments that have a rich color.

Iron oxide pigments work well in makeup products that remain on the surface of the skin, but they aren't ideal for permanent makeup placed beneath the skin. When they're placed into the dermis of the skin during the application of permanent makeup, the iron is gradually absorbed by blood vessels in the dermis, and the color can change or fade. Therefore, iron oxide pigments aren't truly permanent when injected subcutaneously.

Iron oxides are found in a wide array of cosmetic products from eye shadow to talcum powder - even products that are marketed as natural or organic. That's because they're safe, although the iron oxide in cosmetics is made synthetically. Iron oxides are made in a lab for safety reasons since naturally produced varieties often contain impurities. These impurities aren't an issue when iron oxides are made under carefully controlled conditions. Cosmetic-grade iron oxides are made from mined iron salts that are then oxidized in a laboratory and purified. Oxides formed in a natural, uncontrolled setting are often contaminated with heavy metals like arsenic, mercury and cadmium. This is an example of natural not always being safer.

Iron oxides are gentle and non-toxic in cosmetic products placed on the surface of the skin, although they aren't suitable for permanent cosmetics placed into the dermal layer of the skin since they can be absorbed by blood vessels and lead to color changes. They're usually not irritating to the skin and aren't known to allergenic. The few reports of allergic reactions to iron oxides have turned out to be an allergy to nickel instead. Iron oxides typically don't cause problems even for people with sensitive skin. All in all, they're safe and non-irritating in the amounts found in cosmetic products.

This article comes from skinstore edit released