What Is It?

Artificial colors can be derived from coal tar but are more commonly made from petroleum.[4][10] Colors can be added to foods, cosmetics, hair dyes, and personal care products to perform a product function or to appeal more attractive to the consumer. The use of Red 40, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6 account for 90 percent of all dyes used in commerce.[4]

Artificial color additives in cosmetics exist in three forms: straight colors, lakes, and mixtures.[10] A straight color, like FD&C Blue No. 1, has not been mixed or reacted with another substance. Lakes, like Red 28 Lake, are synthesized through the reaction of straight colors with aluminum derivatives.

Why It Matters

Artificial colors can be found in products we use or consume daily, from packaged foods to cosmetics. Impurities often contained within artificial colors and dyes include carcinogens or heavy metal contaminants, and some colors are linked to endocrine disruption. Color additives are also associated with hyperactivity in children. Unlike other cosmetic ingredients, color additives must be pre-approved by the FDA prior to incorporation in consumer products under the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic (FD&C) Act.[11] However, ‘natural’ color additives derived from plant or mineral sources are generally excused from FDA certification.[10] Although in compliance with purity specifications and use limitations, ‘natural’ colors are not inspected for quality and safety prior to market roll-out.

Where It’s Found

Artificial colors can be found in foods, cosmetics, hair dyes, and other personal care products.

Found In

Foods
Makeup
Hair dyes

The Health Concern

A number of artificial colors, individually and in combination, have been associated with increased hyperactivity in children, including those with pre-existing hyperactivity and without.[1][2][6][8] As a result of studies on hyperactivity, the United Kingdom banned a number of food dyes,[7] some of which are still legal in the United States.

In addition to hyperactivity in children, food dyes have been linked to hypersensitivity;[4] allergic reactions;[4] hastened dermal absorption in damaged skin;[5] genotoxicity; and brain, bladder, and testes tumor growth.[4] Red 3, though recognized as a carcinogen by the FDA and banned in cosmetics, is still allowed for use in foods.[4]

Artificial dyes are not considered to be ‘pure’, in that they could contain impurities comprising over ten percent of the dye, some of which could be carcinogens.[4] Many artificial colors and dyes can also be contaminated with metals, such as lead, cadmium, nickel, copper, cobalt, and aluminum, amongst others. The FDA allows lead acetate in hair dyes up to 0.6%, in part responsible for coloring the hair black.[3] Additionally, FD&C Green No. 3, Red No. 3, and Yellow No. 6 are on the TEDX list of Potential Endocrine Disruptors.

Very little independent published research on artificial colorings exists, including research on mixtures of dyes, which is common practice. There are significant data gaps, and very few long-term studies.[4] However, what research exists is cause for alarm, and a number of organizations have called for their ban.

Every color and dye warrants individual evaluation. Whether a color ingredient is artificial or natural is not, on its own, a reliable indicator of safety. What matters are the individual components of every color and dye, and in many cases the manufacturing process, which determines whether incidental additives are present. If there is not substantial information about an ingredient’s safety, the precautionary principle applies: it is best avoided until further testing can prove it is safe.

Artificial colors to look for on ingredient lists:

Blue 1
Blue 2
Green 3
Red 3
Red 40
Yellow 5
Yellow 6

How to Avoid It

Consumers can read labels to identify and avoid relevant ingredients. and avoid any artificial colors.

Read labels to avoid artificial colors.

Avoid colorant “lakes”, which are usually expressed as a color and number combination, followed by the word “lake” (e.g., “Red 28 Lake”, “Yellow 6 Lake FD&C”).

Be wary of products that are marketed as using natural colors, as these are not evaluated by the FDA and may be subject to adulteration or contamination.[9]

When shopping for you and your family, opt for fresh, organic produce, and avoid heavily processed and packaged foods.