D&C Red 7

D&C Red 7 (CAS 5281-04-9), also known as Lithol Rubine BK, is a synthetic azo pigment approved for cosmetic and personal care use in the United States.

Where is D&C Red 7 used?

• Cosmetics: deep red and pink shades in lipsticks, lip glosses, blushes, nail lacquers
• Printing inks: lithographic and flexographic inks for packaging requiring bright reds
• Industrial coatings: pigment in solvent-based and water-based systems where opacity and lightfastness matter
• Adhesives and sealants: color-coding products
• It delivers a vivid, bluish-red hue with strong tinting strength.

Good to know: Cosmetic-grade material meets FDA 21 CFR specifications for the US market; technical grades serve industrial ink and coating uses where cosmetic compliance is not required.

Commercial specifications

• Particle size and dispersibility vary by grade
• Color consistency and batch-to-batch stability are critical for formulators