The ingredient narratives reshaping clean beauty.
Mineral & Iron Oxide Pigments
aka iron oxide · iron oxides · ci 77491 · ci 77492
The pigment backbone of clean color cosmetics — iron oxides (red, yellow, black), titanium dioxide, mica, ultramarines, and chromium oxides. These mineral pigments do double duty in tinted SPF: iron oxides absorb meaningful visible light (HEV/blue light), the mechanism behind tinted SPF's emerging photoprotection-against-melasma claim. RMS Beauty, Kjaer Weis, and ILIA build palettes around them; Saie and Tower 28 use them in tinted SPF.
- stable, hypoallergenic color across skin tones
- iron oxides absorb visible light (HEV) — emerging photoprotective claim
- compatible with mineral SPF systems
- mineral foundations
- tinted SPF
- lipsticks and balms
- blushes and cream products
Coated pigments (silica, jojoba ester) for skin-feel and water-dispersibility in clean lines. Carmine is the historical red — modern clean brands replace with synthetic iron oxide reds for vegan positioning. Avoid lake dyes for clean credentials.
'Mineral makeup' often contains synthetic micas and pigments alongside true minerals — the clean spectrum is uneven. Mica supply chain (child labor in Indian micaregions) is the open ethics question; certified mica (RMI) addresses it.
Strongly trusted as molecules; the mica supply story is where clean rigor is tested.
The ingredient narratives reshaping clean beauty.
Mineral & Iron Oxide Pigments
aka iron oxide · iron oxides · ci 77491 · ci 77492
The pigment backbone of clean color cosmetics — iron oxides (red, yellow, black), titanium dioxide, mica, ultramarines, and chromium oxides. These mineral pigments do double duty in tinted SPF: iron oxides absorb meaningful visible light (HEV/blue light), the mechanism behind tinted SPF's emerging photoprotection-against-melasma claim. RMS Beauty, Kjaer Weis, and ILIA build palettes around them; Saie and Tower 28 use them in tinted SPF.
- stable, hypoallergenic color across skin tones
- iron oxides absorb visible light (HEV) — emerging photoprotective claim
- compatible with mineral SPF systems
- mineral foundations
- tinted SPF
- lipsticks and balms
- blushes and cream products
Coated pigments (silica, jojoba ester) for skin-feel and water-dispersibility in clean lines. Carmine is the historical red — modern clean brands replace with synthetic iron oxide reds for vegan positioning. Avoid lake dyes for clean credentials.
'Mineral makeup' often contains synthetic micas and pigments alongside true minerals — the clean spectrum is uneven. Mica supply chain (child labor in Indian micaregions) is the open ethics question; certified mica (RMI) addresses it.
Strongly trusted as molecules; the mica supply story is where clean rigor is tested.