Is CI 77489 (Iron Oxide Brown) safe in cosmetics?
CI 77489 (Iron Oxide Brown) has a safety rating of "EXCELLENT" in our database. EU status: permitted. US status: permitted.
EXCELLENT
Cosmetic Ingredient
CI 77489 (Iron Oxide Brown)
Also known as: EINECS 215-277-5, UNII-XM0M87F357, ferric ferrous oxide, ferro ferric oxide, iron(II,III) oxide
INCI: CI 77489
CI 77489 (Iron Oxide Brown) (CAS 1317-61-9) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as Colorant. Synthetically prepared mixed iron oxide pigment (ferrous-ferric oxide. EU Regulation 1223/2009 status: permitted. Industrial safety data is also available in the chemical safety database. Same-CAS public records also appear in industrial chemical safety and food safety data.
Function
Colorant. Synthetically prepared mixed iron oxide pigment (ferrous-ferric oxide mixture, FeO·Fe2O3) producing brown hues. Also known as Iron(II,III) Oxide or magnetite-type brown iron oxide. Provides warm brown tones to cosmetic formulations. Used in foundations, face powders, eye shadows, mascaras, brow products, and skin-tone cosmetics. Part of the iron oxide family of colorants, which are among the most widely used inorganic pigments in cosmetics globally.
Editorial assessment
EXCELLENT
Preliminary editorial note — not a computed safety verdict.
Chemistry & Identifiers
IUPAC Name
oxoiron;oxo(oxoferriooxy)iron
InChIKey
SZVJSHCCFOBDDC-UHFFFAOYSA-N
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
permitted
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
Iron oxides (including brown variants, CI 77489) are listed as color additives exempt from certification under 21 CFR 73.2250. May be safely used for coloring cosmetics generally, including cosmetics applied to the area of the eye, in amounts consistent with good manufacturing practice. Purity specifications include limits on arsenic (max 3 ppm), lead (max 10 ppm), and mercury (max 3 ppm).
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for CI 77489 (Iron Oxide Brown).
Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.
EPA ToxValDB — Toxicity Values
10 toxicity values from EPA ToxValDB (aggregated from CCTE, HPV, ToxRefDB, IRIS, and other regulatory dossiers).
| Endpoint | Value | Species | Route | Duration | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ADI | <=0.5 mg/kg | Human | oral | - | WHO/JECFA |
| LD50 | >1578 mg/kg | Mouse | injection | - | ECHA |
| LD50 | =163.6 mg/kg | Mouse | injection | - | ECHA |
| LD50 | >438 mg/kg | Mouse | injection | - | ECHA |
| LD50 | >168 mg/kg | Rat | injection | - | ECHA |
| LEL | >50 mg/kg-day | Rat | oral | - | ECHA |
| LEL | =5 mg/kg-day | Mouse | injection | short-term | ECHA |
| LD50 | =4350 mg/kg | Mouse | oral | - | ECHA |
| LD50 | =6946 mg/kg | Mouse | oral | - | ECHA |
| LD50 | >2000 mg/kg | Rat | oral | - | ECHA |
ECHA REACH Registration
European Chemicals Agency REACH dossier and Substances of Very High Concern listing.
Registration Type
Full
Tonnage Band
10,000 - 100,000 tonnes
Substance Type
SUBSTANCE
SVHC Candidate
No
PubChem Annotations
Safety and regulatory annotations from PubChem (NCBI) aggregated sources.
Regulatory (1)
JECFA Evaluation
CI PIGMENT BLACK 11 | 1979 | 0-0.5 mg/kg bw | TRS 648-JECFA 23/13 | FAS 6/NMRS 54A-JECFA 18/100 (1974)
Source: WHO/JECFA
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Dye
Pigment
Regulatory List Membership (1)
EU Regulated in Personal Care
Editorial summary
Preliminary editorial summary for CI 77489 (Iron Oxide Brown) — not a computed safety verdict. See the sourced toxicological data above.
Regulatory Flags
inorganic-colorant
iron-oxide
mineral-pigment
eu-annex-iv
eu-unrestricted
fda-exempt-certification
eye-area-permitted
synthetic-pigment
brown-pigment
Known Synonyms
EINECS 215-277-5
UNII-XM0M87F357
ferric ferrous oxide
ferro ferric oxide
iron(II,III) oxide
Chemical Function
Pigment
Dye
Regulatory Lists
Europe; Personal care
Canada; consumer_product; Substances in Products - Canada (4/2014)
inert_ingredient; Pesticides
inert_ingredient; non_food_use; Pesticides
inert_ingredient; non_food_use; Pesticides
general_foods
pharmaceutical
Europe; plastic_additive
Australian Status
AICIS status: listed
Cross-Vertical Safety Context
Same-CAS public records found in food safety data.
SOURCE
EFSA / FDA GRAS
food_additives
Food Safety Data
Same-CAS food additive or FDA GRAS records from the core public database.
Food Name
Iron oxide black
E Number
E172 (Black)
ADI
0.5 mg/kg bw
Food Category
colorant
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CI 77489 (Iron Oxide Brown) allowed in the EU?
CI 77489 (Iron Oxide Brown) EU regulatory status: permitted. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does CI 77489 (Iron Oxide Brown) do in cosmetics?
CI 77489 (Iron Oxide Brown) functions as: Colorant. Synthetically prepared mixed iron oxide pigment (ferrous-ferric oxide mixture, FeO·Fe2O3) producing brown hues. Also known as Iron(II,III) Oxide or magnetite-type brown iron oxide. Provides warm brown tones to cosmetic formulations. Used in foundations, face powders, eye shadows, mascaras, brow products, and skin-tone cosmetics. Part of the iron oxide family of colorants, which are among the most widely used inorganic pigments in cosmetics globally.. It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 1317-61-9.
Is CI 77489 (Iron Oxide Brown) used outside cosmetics?
CI 77489 (Iron Oxide Brown) also appears in industrial chemical safety and food safety data. The cross-vertical cards on this page render same-CAS public rows from the matched databases.
Compliance Tools
Check CI 77489 (Iron Oxide Brown) compliance across multiple jurisdictions:
Ingredient Decoder
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Substance Compliance
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MoS Calculator
Calculate Margin of Safety using SCCS methodology
Heavy Metal Limits
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