Database/Colorant/Ferric Ferrocyanide
100% natural origin · ISO 16128

Is Ferric Ferrocyanide natural?

Yes. Inorganic iron-cyanide pigment complex; classified as mineral origin analogous to other inorganic colorants (iron oxides, ultramarine) under ISO 16128.

INCI nameFerric Ferrocyanide
CAS12240-15-2
FormulaC18Fe7N18 · 859.2 Da
FunctionColorant
FeedstockFerric ferrocyanide (Prussian Blue, CI 77510) is manufactured…

How we scored it

Fe7(CN)18 inorganic complex; scored as mineral/inorganic-pigment origin (like iron oxides) per standard ISO 16128 practice, though CN ligands could arguably trace to natural-gas-derived HCN — flagged for 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

Ferric ferrocyanide (Prussian Blue, CI 77510) is manufactured by precipitating iron salts with a ferrocyanide salt, both inorganic mineral feedstocks. No organic petrochemical carbon chain is present despite the cyanide ligands.

In plain English

A deep blue pigment used to colour cosmetics, made by combining iron salts with a cyanide-based mineral salt. It's classified as a mineral-origin colorant, similar to iron oxide pigments.

CosIng definition: Ferric Ferrocyanide is the inorganic salt that conforms to the formula. To identify the colorant meeting the requirements for labeling purposes in the US, the INCI Name Ferric Ferrocyanide must be used. To identify the colorant allowed for use in the European Union (EU), the INCI Name CI 77510 must be used, except for hair dye products.

Structure

2D structure of Ferric Ferrocyanide

tris(iron(2+));tetrakis(iron(3+));octadecacyanide

PubChem CID 2724251 ↗

References

  1. 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.
  2. 2Ferric Ferrocyanide. PubChem CID 2724251. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3FERRIC FERROCYANIDE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4FERRIC FERROCYANIDE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=FERRIC%20FERROCYANIDE