They are encapsulation-based colour-change systems. The colour shift is triggered by the aqueous environment around the particle, which in a cosmetic product means pH and moisture rather than temperature.
The particle is a shell containing a colourant system that responds when the surrounding medium changes. That is why the application route matters so much: on dry skin with no water present, nothing happens; when the product is rubbed onto skin or mixed with a water-based phase, the shell environment changes and the colour shifts.
This is why the two series exist. It is not a temperature indicator and should not be specified as one.
460 is the universal grade and 160 is specified for W/O emulsions.
The 460 series (WY-460, WR-460, WB-460, BS-460, WG-460, WV-460) covers six colour shifts including white-to-skin-tone, and is used across emulsion types. The 160 series (WB-160, WY-160, WR-160, WBr-160, WG-160, BS-160, WV-160) is designed for water-in-oil systems, where the continuous oil phase and the internal water phase create the specific environment the particle needs.
Choosing the wrong series is the most common failure: a 460 grade in a system it does not suit simply does not shift, and it looks like a dead batch.
Usually because the particle is fully wetted and stays wetted, so there is no change in its local environment to trigger the shift.
The effect depends on the particle experiencing a change — typically moisture or pH — when the product is applied. In a heavily wetting base, or one where the water activity is already high and constant, the particle is at equilibrium from the moment it is mixed in and there is nothing left to trigger.
Check three things in this order: is the series right for the emulsion type; is the base wetting the particle too early; and is the loading high enough to be visible. The third is the most common and the easiest to fix.
1–5%, with the effect becoming obvious around 2–3%.
Below 1% the shifted colour is too diffuse to read as a deliberate effect, and it looks like an off-shade rather than a colour change. Above 5% the particle starts to affect the texture and, in a pressed product, the press behaviour.
The loading also depends on how much colour contrast you want: a white-to-red shift at 1% reads clearly, while white-to-skin-tone needs a higher loading because the shift is subtle by design.
Stable in a properly formulated base, but they are the most process-sensitive material in our range — handle them accordingly.
The shell is the functional part, so anything that damages it also kills the effect: high shear during incorporation, prolonged high temperature, and aggressive solvents all reduce performance. Add them at the end of the process, at low shear, and keep the temperature down.
Request a sample and run an accelerated stability test in your own base before committing to production. That is not a formality with this product family — it is the only way to know whether your process is gentle enough.
As cosmetics containing colourants, which means the colourant inside the particle has to be permitted for the product category in the destination market — the encapsulation does not exempt it.
In practice the questions are: which colourant is inside, is it permitted for that category in that market, and how is it declared on the label. Because the effect is visual rather than functional, the product is normally assessed as a cosmetic, but some markets have asked for additional justification for the colour-change claim.
Tell us the destination and the product category at enquiry. This is one family where getting the documentation right before the first order saves a lot of time later.
In use, the shift is intended to be a one-way visual effect within the application — the product changes as it is applied and does not return to the original colour on the skin.
That is the point of the effect in makeup: the visible change happens during application. It is not designed as a reversible indicator, so do not specify it as one in a product claim.
If you need a reversible effect for a demonstration or a sample, tell us — that is a different specification and it is not what the standard grades are built for.
MOQ is 1 kg for a sample and 25 kg for production. Lead time 7–15 working days.
Store sealed, at 15–30 °C, away from direct light and away from strong odours — the shell can pick up volatile compounds. Use within the shelf life on the COA and do not carry a part-used container forward into a new production run without checking the effect still works.
Because the material is process-sensitive, we recommend ordering against your actual consumption rather than stocking up.
We reply within one business day with shipping arrangements and technical documents. Samples are free of charge; freight is collect or credited against your next order.
