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CI 15985 (Yellow 6 / Sunset Yellow FCF)
CI 15985 · Yellow 6 · Yellow 6 Lake
A synthetic orange-yellow azo dye used as a color additive — present to color the formula, not to do anything to the skin.
What it does
CI 15985 is the colorant code for Sunset Yellow FCF, a synthetic sulfonated monoazo dye approved by the FDA as FD&C Yellow No. 6. In skincare it functions purely as a color additive. The water-soluble dye form colors the liquid phase; the "Lake" variant is the chromophore bound to an aluminum substrate so it can disperse in oil-phase or anhydrous formulas. Either form contributes only color — no documented skin-care effect.
Also known as
yellow 6, sunset yellow fcf, fd&c yellow no. 6, orange yellow s
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