D&C RED 6

D&C Red 6 (also written D and C Red No 6 or CI 15850) is a bright orange-red azo dye supplied as a powder or lake pigment for colouring cosmetics and externally applied drugs. It is available as a water-soluble sodium salt and as various insoluble lakes for better stability in oil systems and pigmented formulations. Typical forms you’ll see on spec sheets are D&C Red 6 sodium salt (powder) and D&C Red 6 lake (aluminium or barium lakes), which disperse well into creams, lipsticks, balms, and topical drug bases.

D&C Red 6 belongs to the family of azo dyes (aryl azo compounds) and appears in regulatory and chemical inventories under Colour Index CI 15850 and CAS 5858-81-1. At the start, manufacturers use this dye in the cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries to get a more consistent, bright, and long shelf life colour, which is not possible with natural food colours. Over time, manufacturers also developed their lake form (aluminium or barium lakes) to make it insoluble, which is suitable for a range of make-up and personal care products such as lipsticks and compact powders. Today, manufacturers around the world use D&C Red 6 colour in various products that require a bright orange-red or yellowish-red hue in their products.

Manufacturers use D&C Red 6 in a wide range of non-food applications where vibrant and appealing final colours are required. In the field of cosmetics and personal care products, D&C Red 6 is used in various products, such as lipsticks, lip glosses, lip balms, blush, rouge, creams, foundations, and pressed powders. In pharmaceuticals, D&C Red 6 colour makes the medicines, including tablets, capsules, syrups, and injectables, appealing and differentiable to patients, which reduces the chances of taking the wrong medicines. Manufacturers around the world use high-quality D&C Red 6 colour in their products to stand out in the competitive market and boost the sales of their products. 

The use of low-quality D&C Red 6 colour in products can lead to various challenges, especially at the commercial level, where the appearance of colour on products plays a crucial role in their sales and brand recognition in the market. Inferior quality colours may appear patchy or faded on products, which leads to a mismatch of colour in finished goods that harms the brand image in the market. Low-quality D&C Red 6 colour often does not fulfill all the regulatory standards set by the governmental bodies, leading to product bans or recalls from the market, which damages the brand reputation and sales. Low-quality D&C Red 6 Colour has resulted in various negative impacts on the well-being of the users. In return, most manufacturers all over the world are using high-quality D&C Red 6 colour in their products so as to make their products outstanding in the competitive market and to increase the sales of their products.

While sourcing colourants, whether they are synthetic or natural, always ensure the quality and regulatory compliance of the colour. Every country has its own regulatory body that checks the quality and safety of colours, such as the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the US, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) in European Union, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) in India, the National Health Commission (NHC) in China, and the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) in Japan. Their regulatory bodies also check the quality of colours from time to time.

Ajanta Food Colours is the top producer of high-quality D&C Red 6 colour in India, which they export all over the world to be used on different products. The company gives its customers full regulatory support that includes regulatory support documentation, full specifications, batch certificate data, and COAs to help pass regulatory compliance audits and also to help you in your labeling requirements.

Some of the awards and certificates received by Ajanta Food Colours are includes the Arch of Europe Award, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) Award, certifications from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the US Food and Drug Administration (US FDA), as well as Halal, Alcumus ISOQAR, Star-K Kosher, Food Safety System 22000 (FSSC 22000), and ISOQAR certifications, among others.

D&C Red 6 is a very important synthetic dye for cosmetic and externally applied drugs to be used when they are to be made safe, as well as from an authenticated, high-quality source. An appropriate grade and supplier reduce shade variability and stability issues and also ensure the meeting of regulatory obligations across markets. For a reliable, compliant, human-friendly supply of D&C Red 6 — Ajanta Food Colours is your trusted manufacturing partner! Contact us for technical sheets, sample batches, and regulatory documentation today!