Yellow Iron oxide is a naturally occurring pigment and can be found in many parts of the world. One notable place is in Southern France in an area called Luberon. It is so abundant here that the hillsides are distinctly yellow and orange in colour and awash with the yellow iron oxide.
For cosmetic use yellow iron oxide is manufactured so that it is pure and free from toxins. Yellow iron oxide that is mined or extracted from nature is more likely to contain toxins and heavy metal which we would not want to be in our products. It is created by the hydration of ferric oxide. While the iron oxide pigments are known to be very stable you need to be a bit careful when using yellow iron oxide. If it is heated to approximately 125-150 degrees celsius yellow iron oxide can start to lose some of its hydration which means it will start to change colour and look more red. This change is visible and can be seen by the naked eye.
Yellow iron oxide is not a lemon or bright yellow shade but more mustard in hue. It is ideal for soapers who are wanting to create earthy tones in their soap projects and for paint makers making ocher shades.
Mineral makeup is the cosmetic application where yellow iron oxide is most valuable. It is often used to create earthy eye-shadows, lipsticks and foundations in liquid or powder form.
While novice formulators will use titanium dioxide or another white pigment to lighten foundations yellow iron oxide is often the better choice. Believe it or not yellow is the common shade found in almost all skin types so using yellow to lighten a foundation is usually the go to pigment. White pigments can make foundations appear ashy especially darker shade foundations for those with darker skin tones.
Don’t delay and start adding this fantastic pigment to your projects. It can be found here – yellow iron oxide.
