Iron Oxides: Colors from Nature
If you ever read over the labels of your cosmetic products, you may have noticed iron oxides listed under the ingredients. Iron oxides are being used in more and more makeup products, and in this article we’ll discuss what they are, where they come from, and their safety and effectiveness.
Written by Christine Conrad, Green Health Research Contributer
What Are Iron Oxides?
Iron oxides are compounds of iron and oxygen particles, and come in many different colors. The color of the iron oxide depends on much water is added to the iron to make the iron oxide, and if this water contains high levels of any other minerals. Colors of iron oxides include: red, brown, black, orange, and yellow.
Where Do They Come From?
Iron oxides occur both naturally in the soil and can be manufactured in a lab. Iron oxides are manufactured by taking iron salts and either heating them until they breakdown and separate into iron oxide and other materials, or by dissolving the iron salts in water and then collecting the iron oxide which separates out from the rest of the mixture. Another way of manufacturing iron oxides is by adding iron to other organic compounds which will bond with iron.
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