Ingredient
KAOLIN
Name / description
Kaolin, a natural hydrated aluminium silicate; Kaolinite; CI 77004; White Clay (Bolus alba); Bentonite; Pigment White 19; Food colorant: E 559
Function(s) of this ingredient in cosmetic products
ABRASIVE
Removes dental plaque or dirt from the skin surface through a grinding / polishing effect
ABSORBENT
Takes up finely dispersed substances
ANTICAKING
Prevents powdered products from caking / sticking together
BULKING
Reduces the density of cosmetic products by swelling
COLORANT
Colours cosmetic products, skin, nails and / or hair
OPACIFYING
Reduces transparency and translucency by clouding the product
Origin
mineral
Background information on use in cosmetics
Colourants ensure an appealing appearance of the cosmetic product and serve for the embellishment of the skin and hair. The most frequently used colourants are synthetic; only a few natural substances are available. For colourants, the applicable INCI names are in most cases the so-called Colour Index Numbers, the "CI Numbers".
Information on safe use
According to the EC Cosmetics Regulation [Regulation (EC) No. 1223/2009], which applies to the entire EU market, colourants are defined as substances which are exclusively or mainly intended to colour the cosmetic product, the body as a whole or certain parts thereof, by absorption or reflection of physical light. Annex IV of the Regulation defines the substances which may be used as colourants in cosmetic products. In this positive list of colourants maximum concentrations are defined in part for the use of these substances in cosmetic products as well as the permitted areas of application. Hair colourants are currently still separately regulated in the EC Cosmetics legislation. In future it is planned to include them also into Annex IV. Colourants are examined prior to their authorisation in Annex IV selectively for their toxicological safety and subjected to extensive tests. The manufacturers must prove the health safety in extensive scientific studies. Moreover, the approved colorants are reassessed and the list is updated accordingly in line with new scientific findings and in the event of suspected adverse events evident from market surveillance.
Links to scientific assessments
Opinion of the SCCS (2019) on the safety of aluminium in cosmetic products
Opinion of the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR, 2020) on Aluminium
Opinion of the SCCS (2021) on the safety of aluminium in lipsticks
Belongs to the following substance groups
Regulating cosmetics
Cosmetics Ingredients are subject to regulation. Please note, different regulations may apply to cosmetic ingredients outside the EU.