Synthetic dyes give body bars their colour. They have no skincare benefit and are purely aesthetic. On INCI lists they appear as CI numbers: a code starting with "CI" followed by a number.
The EU permits a select list via Annex IV of Regulation 1223/2009, but permitted is not the same as necessary.
Our bars have their own colour: the yellow of shea butter, the brown of cacao, the cream of goat milk. No synthetic colour added.
What are synthetic dyes?
Synthetic dyes are industrially produced colourant molecules, typically derived from petrochemical raw materials. They have been used for decades in food, textiles and cosmetics for their colour fastness, low cost and wide availability.
On INCI lists you recognise them by CI numbers (Colour Index numbers). Each CI number refers to a specific dye with a known chemical structure.
They fall into organic dyes and inorganic pigments. Both are added purely for visual purposes.
What does colour do in a body bar?
Colour in a body bar does exactly one thing: make it look more attractive. A pink bar does not cleanse better, does not care for the skin more deeply and does not last longer than an uncoloured bar. The colour is purely visual.
Yet many brands choose synthetic dyes because they are stable, inexpensive and easy to combine. They give products a recognisable appearance on the shelf.
For us, that is not a reason to add them. We add nothing without a skincare function. What you see in our bars is the colour of the ingredients themselves.
Are synthetic dyes harmful?
Not all synthetic dyes are dangerous. But a subgroup, in particular certain azo dyes, can cause contact allergy or redness in sensitive or irritated skin. Reactions are individual and not universally predictable.
Certain dyes can cause chemical reactions with frequent skin contact. That risk is significant enough that the EU has banned specific dyes in clothing with prolonged skin contact.
Whether a dye is formally permitted says little about its necessity. Permitted is not the same as necessary for your skin.
How do you identify dyes on packaging?
Synthetic dyes appear on the INCI list as a CI number followed by a number. Each CI number refers to a specific dye from the international Colour Index system.
If you see terms such as Red 40, Blue 1 or Yellow 5 on packaging? Those are the American names for the same CI numbers.
If there are no CI numbers on the packaging, the product contains no added synthetic dyes.
Why does La Fuente Mía choose uncoloured bars?
We add nothing to our bars without a skincare function. That applies to synthetic fragrance, to unnecessary preservatives, and to synthetic dyes.
The colour of our bars is the result of the ingredients themselves: the yellow of shea butter, the brown of cacao butter, the warm cream of goat milk. No extra layer. What you see is what is in it.
We avoid all synthetic dyes, without exception. Both organic dyes and inorganic pigments added as colourants are on our NO-list.
View the full NO-list and ingredients.
Last updated: 6 March 2026