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This past week, Oprah's Dr. Oz tried to increase his ratings by bashing Mineral Makeup as one of the most dangerous forms of color cosmetics. His basic concern was the inhalation hazard. Umm. OK. I'm going to set that one to the side for now and ask, "Hey, Dr. Oz, how about taking a look at the newest trend on QVC, which is color cosmetics made with fruit and vegetable pigments?" Can we say "not-FDA approved and at risk for bacterial growth"? Loose powder mineral makeup is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) but the use of fruits and vegetables to pigment cosmetics sure ain't. The FDA strictly regulates color additives and their approved uses in cosmetics. Per the FDA, the definition of a color additive is a follows (source: Sec 201 ) (t)(1) The term "color additive" means a material which— (A) is a dye, pigment, or other substance made by a process of synthesis or similar artifice, or extracted, isolated, or otherwise ...

I am determined to drill this one down, because our customers would love to start using botanical additives for color cosmetics. The fear is that the FDA would act against them if they did. The FDA strictly regulates color additives and their approved uses in cosmetics. Per the FDA, the definition of a color additive is a follows (source: Sec 201 ) (t)(1) The term "color additive" means a material which— (A) is a dye, pigment, or other substance made by a process of synthesis or similar artifice, or extracted, isolated, or otherwise derived, with or without intermediate or final change of identity, from a vegetable, animal, mineral, or other source, and (B) when added or applied to a food, drug, or cosmetic, or to the human body or any part thereof, is capable (alone or through reaction with other substance) of imparting color thereto; except that such term does not include any material which the Secretary, by regulation, determines is used (or intended to be used) solely f...

I have been following the growth and changes at 100% Pure and I received some interesting responses . You can revisit that post and those responses here: http://tkbtrading.blogspot.com/search/label/100%25%20pure Long Story Short: This Berkeley-based company makes natural cosmetics and has a patent pending on using fruit and flower pigments to color them. Yesterday the broker who sold TKB the building we are currently in came to visit. We purchased the building about a year and a half ago and he was checking in to see if we were ready to expand. He said that 100% Pure had just signed on for a new, 75,000 square foot space (about two years ago, they had just moved from their 10,000 square foot space to a 30,000 square foot space). So obviously, Home Shopping Network is working for them. In other news of the month, Leslie Blodgett , founder of San Francisco-based Bare Escentuals (sales of $556 million in 2008) sold her business to the Japanese Cosmetic firm Shiseido for $1.7 Billio...