New Bug-Free Red Pigment Made from Radishes Is Coming to a Lipstick Near You

Swiss ingredient manufacturer Givaudan Active Beauty recently developed New Red 1805—a vegan red pigment for use in cosmetics. The pigment gets its hue from Chinese red radishes and serves as a viable alternative to both synthetic colors and carmine—an ingredient derived from crushed bug bodies typically used in cosmetics, particularly in red lipsticks. The new, radish-derived pigment also features antioxidants that protect lips against free radicals.

“Most of the existing color formulas rely on synthetic pigments,” Yohan Rolland, Givaudan Global Category Manager, said. “Proudly crafted by Green fractionation, New Red 1805 enables brands to bring a premium vegan, cruelty-free and performant innovation in the most iconic category of colours cosmetics: the red lipstick. With a 100-percent natural origin, it doesn’t interfere with performance.”