Colour and minerals
Synthetic Colours (Lakes)
Names like Red 7 Lake, Yellow 5 Lake and Blue 1 Lake are synthetic colours. A "lake" is a dye bound to a mineral salt so it becomes an insoluble pigment that won't bleed. Each has a colour index number, such as CI 15850 for Red 7.
- On a list as
- Red 7 Lake · Red 33 Lake · Yellow 5 Lake · Blue 1 Lake · Red 21 and others
- What it does
- Colour
- Where it comes from
- Synthetic
- Vegan?
- Yes
Why it’s in a formula
They give lipsticks, glosses and eyeshadows bright, even colour. In shade ranges they usually sit in the "may contain" part of the list.
- They contain no animal ingredients. The red that does is carmine, CI 75470.
- In the US these are batch-certified colour additives; each is approved for particular uses.
Where you’ll find it at Divina
Read from each piece’s published ingredient list. 12 pieces.
L'Éclat
Lip Gloss
$44
Listed as Red 33 Lake (CI 17200), Red 7 Lake (CI 15850), Yellow 5 Lake (CI 19140), Red 21 (CI 45380), Red 28 Lake (CI 45410), Blue 1 Lake (CI 42090) · some shades
Not vegan: lanolin and beeswax, and some shades may contain carmine
L'Aloès
Aloe Soothing Gel — 100ml
$44
Listed as Blue 1 (CI 42090), Yellow 5 (CI 19140)
Vegan, going by its list
Le Fond de Teint
HD Cream Foundation
$72
Listed as Yellow 5 Lake (CI 19140) · some shades
Vegan, going by its list
Le Blush
Pressed Blush
$48
Listed as Yellow 5 Lake (CI 19140:1), Yellow 6 Lake (CI 15985:1), Red 6 Lake (CI 15850:2), Red 7 Lake (CI 15850:1), Red 27 Lake (CI 45410:2) · some shades
Vegan, going by its list
L'Ombre
Talc-Free Eyeshadow
$46
Listed as Blue 1 Lake (42090), Yellow 5 Lake (CI 19140), Yellow 6 Lake (CI 15985:1), Yellow 10 Lake (CI 47005:1), Red 6 Lake (CI 15850:2), Red 7 Lake (CI 15850:1), Red 27 Lake (CI 45410:2), Red 40 Lake (CI 16035:1) · some shades
Vegan, going by its list
La Palette
Eyeshadow Palette
$78
Listed as Blue 1 Lake (CI 42090), Yellow 5 Lake (CI 19140), Yellow 6 Lake (CI 15985:1), Yellow 10 Lake (CI 47005:1), Red 6 Lake (CI 15850:2), Red 7 Lake (CI 15850:1), Red 27 Lake (CI 45410:2), Red 40 Lake (CI 16035:1), Solvent Yellow 21, Solvent Yellow 82, Solvent Red 119, Solvent Orange 62 · some shades
Vegan, going by its list
Le Rouge
Liquid Lipstick
$48
Listed as Red 33 Lake (CI 17200), Red 7 Lake (CI 15850), Yellow 5 Lake (CI 19140), Red 21 (CI 45380), Red 28 Lake (CI 45410), Blue 1 Lake (CI 42090) · some shades
Not vegan in every shade: a synthetic wax rather than beeswax, but some shades may contain carmine
Le Crayon Lèvres
Lip Pencil
$28
Listed as Red 7 Lake (CI 15850), Yellow 5 Lake (CI 19140), Blue 1 (CI 42090:1), Red 40 Lake (CI 16035:1) · some shades
Not vegan: beeswax
Le Gommage Lèvres
Lip Sugar Scrub
$24
Listed as Red 7 Lake (CI 15850), Red 33 Lake (CI 17200), Blue 1 Lake (42090) · some shades
Vegan, going by its list
Le Soin des Lèvres
Lip Conditioner
$36
Listed as Red 7 Lake (CI 15850), Red 33 Lake (CI 17200), Blue 1 Lake (CI 42090) · some shades
Vegan, going by its list
La Teinte
Lip Gloss Stain
$40
Listed as Red 33 Lake (CI 17200), Red 7 Lake (CI 15850), Yellow 5 Lake (CI 19140), Red 21 (CI 45380), Red 28 Lake (CI 45410), Blue 1 Lake (CI 42090) · some shades
Not vegan in every shade: beeswax in sixteen of its twenty-two shades, and most may contain carmine; Shy, Cinnamon, Rose, Firedown and Dazzle read vegan
Questions
Is Red 7 Lake vegan?
Yes. It is a synthetic colour, not carmine. Check the rest of the list, including the "may contain" section, for carmine (CI 75470).
What does "lake" mean on an ingredient list?
That the dye has been bound to a mineral salt to make an insoluble pigment, so the colour stays put instead of bleeding.
How we know: every ingredient list on this site is the manufacturer’s own, read piece by piece and shade by shade, and the pieces above are worked out from those lists each time the site is built. Ingredient names and functions follow the EU’s CosIng database. This page describes cosmetic ingredients; it isn’t medical advice.
More in “Colour and minerals”