Coal-tar Colors—suspected Cancer Culprit

By far the most common coloring agents in makeup are the coal tar colors. Coal tar is a sticky, black liquid produced by heating a kind of coal, called bituminous coal, in large ovens from which air is absent. Coal tar colors are formed from ring-shaped carbon- and hydrogen-containing compounds called aromatic hydrocarbons, which are purified from coal tar.

Coal tar colors are the only makeup ingredients the FDA requires to undergo safety testing for every product batch. That is because many of the compounds have been shown to cause cancer when they are injected into the skin of mice.

As a result of lawsuits filed over safety concerns, some coal tar colors are banned, some are approved for external uses only, and some are approved for external and internal uses. Once the compounds pass safety tests, they are given one of two designations. The term FD&C (Food, Drugs & Cosmetics), means that the color is safe for internal and external use. The term D&C or Ext. D&C means the compound is safe only for external use. Safety studies have found internal use of D&C colors can cause cancer in animals and, in at least one instance, have caused blindness in humans. Coloring agents designated D&C or Ext. D&C should never be applied where they can be absorbed, such as near the eyes and on the lips.

Girls and women who spread face foundation on their lips or eyelids before applying lipstick or eye shadow should pay close attention to labeling information. In addition, coal tar dyes occasionally trigger allergic or irritant reactions such as rashes or inflammation, with yellow and red hues posing the most problems.