How we scored it
Inorganic iron-cyanide pigment (CI 77510 family). Scored as a mineral pigment for consistency with the site's existing CI 77510 and Ferric Ferrocyanide entries (1.0). Note: a strict reading would treat the cyanide carbon (from methane-derived hydrogen cyanide) and the ammonium as petrochemical, giving about 0.4; this convention is under review.
What counts. ISO 16128-2 scores the atoms that remain in the final ingredient. Reagents, solvents, catalysts and protecting groups used during manufacture leave no mass behind and are not counted.
Where it comes from
Iron salts reacted with hydrogen cyanide-derived ferrocyanide and ammonium salts.
In plain English
A deep blue pigment used in some cosmetics, made by combining iron with a cyanide-based compound. The iron comes from mineral sources, but the cyanide and ammonium parts are made from natural gas.
Structure
azanium;iron(2+);iron(3+);hexacyanide
References
- 1ISO 16128-1:2016 and ISO 16128-2:2017 — Guidelines on technical definitions and criteria for natural and organic cosmetic ingredients and products. ISO, Geneva.
- 2Ferric Ammonium Ferrocyanide. PubChem CID 33190. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
- 3FERRIC AMMONIUM FERROCYANIDE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
- 4Ferric Ammonium Ferrocyanide. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=Ferric%20Ammonium%20Ferrocyanide