What is Bismuth Oxychloride?

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).