Database/Hair Dyeing/Pigment Yellow 12
100% petroleum · ISO 16128

Is Pigment Yellow 12 natural?

No. Dichlorobenzidine and acetoacetanilide are benzene and aniline derivatives, and the azo nitrogen comes from ammonia-derived nitrite, so nothing is natural-origin.

INCI namePigment Yellow 12
CAS6358-85-6
FormulaC32H26Cl2N6O4 · 629.5 Da
FunctionHair Dyeing
FeedstockMade by tetrazotising 3,3'-dichlorobenzidine and coupling it with…

How we scored it

C32H26Cl2N6O4 629.5 Da: 3,3'-dichlorobenzidine, two acetoacetanilide units and azo nitrogens all petrochemical. 0 / 629.5 = 0.00.
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

Made by tetrazotising 3,3'-dichlorobenzidine and coupling it with two molecules of acetoacetanilide, all from petrochemical benzene and acetyl intermediates. No natural route exists.

In plain English

A synthetic yellow organic pigment (a diarylide azo pigment) that does not dissolve in water and is used in inks, plastics and coatings. In cosmetics it is listed for hair dyeing. It is made from petroleum-derived aromatic chemicals.

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 Yellow 12

2-[[4-[4-[(1-anilino-1,3-dioxobutan-2-yl)diazenyl]-3-chlorophenyl]-2-chlorophenyl]diazenyl]-3-oxo-N-phenylbutanamide

PubChem CID 186342 ↗

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 Yellow 12. PubChem CID 186342. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3PIGMENT YELLOW 12. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4PIGMENT YELLOW 12. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=PIGMENT%20YELLOW%2012