Database/Hair Dyeing/Pigment Red 48
Mostly petroleum · ISO 16128

Is Pigment Red 48 natural?

Mostly not. Two names for one colorant carry one value; the calculation is on the CI 15865 page.

INCI namePigment Red 48
CAS3564-21-4
FormulaC18H11ClN2Na2O6S · 464.8 Da
FunctionHair Dyeing
FeedstockAn azo pigment made from petrochemical toluene and…

How we scored it

This name and CI 15865 are two listings of the same colorant, so it carries that entry's value: 0.10.
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

An azo pigment made from petrochemical toluene and naphthalene intermediates, as its sodium salt.

In plain English

A red synthetic azo pigment used in hair-dye products, listed here as its sodium salt. It is built from petrochemical aromatic chemicals; only the sodium, sulfonate group and chlorine come from mineral sources.

CosIng definition: Pigment Red 48 is classed chemically as a monoazo colour. It conforms to the formula:

Natural alternatives with the same function

Beta Vulgaris Root Powder 100% natural origin

A powder made by drying and grinding sugar beet root. Used as a natural colorant for hair dye…

 Bismuth Citrate 100% natural origin

A salt formed from bismuth metal and citric acid, a natural fermentation-derived fruit acid, used to buffer, chelate…

 Dihydroxyacetone 100% natural origin

The active self-tanning ingredient that reacts with skin's surface proteins to produce a temporary bronze colour; made by…

 Epicatechin 100% natural origin

An antioxidant compound naturally found in tea and cocoa, used in skin, hair and oral care. It's extracted…

 Lawsonia Inermis Extract 100% natural origin

A plant extract from the henna shrub, used to condition hair and skin and add a reddish tint.…

 Pyrogallol 100% natural origin

A hair-dye ingredient traditionally made by heating gallic acid, itself extracted from plant tannins in gallnuts, until it…

Structure

2D structure of Pigment Red 48

disodium;2-[(3-carboxy-2-oxidonaphthalen-1-yl)diazenyl]-4-chloro-5-methylbenzenesulfonate

PubChem CID 135544134 ↗

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. 2Pigment Red 48. PubChem CID 135544134. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3PIGMENT RED 48. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4PIGMENT RED 48. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=PIGMENT%20RED%2048