Iron Oxides
Part of our Ingredient Glossary — educational information about raw materials we may use in our products. We don't sell raw ingredients.
Iron oxides are the oldest pigments in human history. The red ochre in prehistoric cave paintings? Iron oxide. The warm terracotta of ancient pottery? Iron oxide. The rusty reds and earthy browns in renaissance frescoes? Iron oxide. These minerals have colored human expression for at least 100,000 years.
In cosmetics, iron oxides provide the reds, yellows, browns, and blacks that make up most makeup shades. They're prized for stability. Unlike many organic dyes, iron oxides won't fade in sunlight, shift with pH changes, or break down over time. The color you see in the tube is the color you get on your skin.
Modern cosmetic iron oxides are typically synthetic, which sounds less romantic but is actually better. Lab-created iron oxides are purer and more consistent than mined versions. More importantly, they're free from the heavy metal contamination (arsenic, lead, mercury) that can occur in natural deposits. When it comes to pigments you're putting on your face, purity matters.
In our shimmer sticks, iron oxides work alongside mica to create both color and dimension. The iron oxides provide the tint; the mica provides the light-play. Together, they create makeup that looks like healthy skin rather than product sitting on top of it.
