Bismuth oxychloride is a
synthetically able white or about white baggy or cautiously apparent powder.
Bismuth oxychloride is used in formulations of abounding corrective and claimed
affliction products, including make-up, attach products, cleansing products,
fragrances and hair colouring products. Bismuth oxychloride imparts a white
colour to cosmetics and claimed affliction products.
The United States Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) lists bismuth oxychloride as a colour accretion absolved
from certification. The FDA requires that bismuth oxychloride conforms to the
afterward blueprint and shall be chargeless from algae added than those called
(to the admeasurement that such added algae may be abhorred by acceptable
accomplishment practice): Volatile matter, not added than 0.5%; Lead (as Pb),
not added than 20 ppm; Arsenic (as As), not added than 3 ppm; Mercury (as Hg),
not added than 1 ppm; Bismuth oxychloride, not beneath than 98%. Bismuth
oxychloride is acceptable to be used to colour evidently activated drugs,
including those advised for use in the breadth of the eye. Use in lipsticks is
permitted. The FDA considers that acceptance of bismuth oxychloride is not
all-important for aegis of accessible health.
Toxicological extracts
presented in a account commodity in 1975 provided the afterward summary: The
pearlescent white pigment, bismuth oxychloride, which is used as a colouring
abettor for adorning cosmetics, was administered to BD rats in the diet in a
absorption of 1, 2 or 5% for two years. Neither baleful action nor added
baneful aftereffect attributable to the analysis admixture was detected in the
animals, which were maintained on a ascendancy diet from the abortion of
analysis until their death.
Bismuth oxychloride was
included on the Australian Register of ameliorative Appurtenances (ARTG) in
July 2002. TGA currently permits its use as an alive additive in biologicals, and
as an excipient in biologicals or medical devices. The ARTG states that bismuth
oxychloride "will not be accessible as a starting actual for OTC
(products)" - this is constant with the accepted scheduling of bismuth
oxychloride (Schedule 4 for animal ameliorative use).
The TGA regulates some
sunscreens as ameliorative goods. These cover primary sunscreens with SPF 4 or
more, accessory sunscreens (except those adapted as cosmetics), and primary or
accessory sunscreens with SPF 4 or added that accommodate an insect repellent.
Articles that accommodate an additive with sunscreening backdrop area the
primary purpose of the artefact is neither sunscreening nor ameliorative
('cosmetic sunscreens') are adapted as cosmetics by the National Industrial
Chemicals Notification and Appraisal Scheme (NICNAS). Bismuth oxychloride is
not used as a UV filter, but may be included as an excipient in corrective
articles (e.g. to accord architecture a ablaze effect), including corrective
sunscreens.
In Australia, the NICNAS Inventory
multi-tiered appraisal and prioritisation (IMAP) framework lists the cachet of
bismuth oxychloride (bismuthine, chlorooxo-) for corrective use as Tier I Final
(chemicals that are not advised to affectation an absurd accident to the health
of workers and accessible health on the base of the Tier I assessment).