CI numbers in cosmetics: what CI 77491, CI 77891 and mica mean in make-up
Five-digit codes such as CI 77891 or CI 77491 are how colorants appear on an EU ingredient list. What the Colour Index is, how to recognise iron oxides, titanium dioxide, mica and synthetic dyes, and why a lipstick can list colours that are not in it.
Updated: 31 October 2026 · Reviewed by: Kamil Pyziak
What “CI” stands for
CI means Colour Index, an international reference catalogue of dyes and pigments maintained by the Society of Dyers and Colourists together with the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists. Each colorant gets a five-digit number, and that number is the same in every industry, from textiles to paints to cosmetics.
On EU ingredient lists, colorants (except hair dyes) are usually declared by their CI number instead of a chemical name. So “CI 77891” means the same pigment whichever brand uses it. Products sold internationally sometimes add the US name in brackets, for example “CI 15850 (Red 7 Lake)” or “CI 42090 (Blue 1)”, because US labelling uses its own FD&C and D&C names.
The number gives a hint about the chemistry
Numbers starting with 77 belong to inorganic pigments: metal oxides, mineral-based colours and metal powders. Numbers starting with 75 are mostly natural organic colorants, such as CI 75470 (carmine) or CI 75300 (curcumin). Lower numbers typically belong to synthetic organic dyes from different chemical families, for example CI 15850 and CI 19140 (azo dyes), CI 45410 (a xanthene dye) or CI 42090 (a triarylmethane dye).
Many organic dyes are used as “lakes”: the soluble dye is fixed onto an insoluble carrier, often an aluminium compound, so that it behaves like a pigment and does not bleed. In the EU, lakes and salts of a permitted colorant are declared with the same CI number as the dye itself.
The pigments you see most often
CI 77891 is titanium dioxide, the standard white pigment. It gives opacity to foundations, concealers and many pastel shades. In sunscreens, titanium dioxide also works as a UV filter; in that role it is normally listed under its name, Titanium Dioxide, rather than as CI 77891.
Iron oxides are the backbone of skin-tone shades: CI 77491 is red iron oxide, CI 77492 yellow and CI 77499 black. Mixed with titanium dioxide, they produce almost every foundation colour. Other frequent inorganic pigments are CI 77007 (ultramarines, blue or violet), CI 77288 and CI 77289 (chromium oxide greens), CI 77742 (manganese violet), CI 77510 (ferric ferrocyanide, a deep blue) and CI 77266 (carbon black).
Mica, shimmer and metallic effects
Shimmer usually starts with Mica, a natural mineral that splits into thin, shiny flakes. It is listed by its INCI name, Mica. Pearlescent pigments are mica flakes coated with a thin layer of titanium dioxide and/or iron oxides, so a highlighter often reads “Mica, CI 77891, CI 77491”. The thickness of the coating determines the colour and the shine.
Alternatives include Synthetic Fluorphlogopite (often called synthetic mica), Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate and Silica. Metallic effects can come from metal powders: CI 77000 (aluminium), CI 77400 (bronze), CI 77480 (gold) and CI 77820 (silver). CI 77163, bismuth oxychloride, gives a pearly sheen. Natural mica mining has been linked in investigations to child labour in some regions; some companies use responsible-sourcing programmes or synthetic alternatives, but the INCI name does not show the origin.
“May contain” and “+/-”: why a lipstick lists colours it does not have
Decorative cosmetics sold in a range of shades are allowed under EU rules to list all colorants used across the whole range, after the words “may contain” or the symbol “+/-”. One printed list can then cover twenty lipstick shades.
For you, this means that not every CI number after “+/-” is necessarily in the shade you are holding. If you need to know whether a specific colorant is present in one particular shade, ask the manufacturer.
What EU rules say about colorants
In the EU, only colorants listed in Annex IV of the Cosmetics Regulation may be used to colour cosmetic products. For some of them the annex limits the type of product: certain colorants may not be used in products applied near the eyes, others not on mucous membranes such as the lips, and some only in rinse-off products. Purity criteria may also apply. Hair dyes are regulated separately and appear under their own names, not as CI numbers.
Titanium dioxide is also subject to specific EU conditions when used in powder form in products that could be inhaled, such as loose powders and sprays. Ingredients used in nanomaterial form must be followed by “(nano)” on the list, for example “CI 77891 (nano)”. Carmine (CI 75470) is made from cochineal insects, which matters for people who choose vegan products.
What the label does not tell you
The list shows which colorants may be present but not how much of each, the particle size (apart from the “(nano)” marking) or how the pigments were treated. Many pigments are coated to improve dispersion and wear; the coating agents, such as Triethoxycaprylylsilane or Dimethicone, appear as separate ingredients without showing which pigment they belong to.
It also does not reveal whether the mica was mined responsibly or whether iron oxides were synthesised or obtained from minerals; cosmetic-grade iron oxides are usually made synthetically to control purity. Claims such as “natural colours” are the brand’s own wording, so compare them with the CI numbers on the list.