What do the Clean, Low, Watch and Swap levels mean?

They are cut from a continuous concern level the app computes from the sourced claims that the chosen evidence lens shows: each claim counts its concern class, tier weight, confidence and dose relevance, combined worst-first with a decay so one serious finding outweighs many small ones, then scaled by how much of the substance reaches you in this use. Clean is below 0.35, Low below 1.1, Watch below 2.0 and Swap above that, on a 0 to 3 scale.

Is Carbon Black (ci 77266) safe on skin (left on)?

Q: Is carbon black (ci 77266) safe on skin (left on)?

Under the app's default Cautious lens, carbon black (ci 77266) on skin (left on) rates Swap: the app would put this near the top of your swap plan. 3 sourced concerns count (suspected carcinogen, consensus tier; restricted, consensus tier; theory, consensus tier). This is research with sources, not medical advice.

Cosmetics1 use researched3 sourced claims

Where it turns up: black pigment, eyeliner, mascara, pah. Detox My Life researched carbon black (ci 77266) under one use, because the same substance means something different in each use. Every claim below carries its evidence tier, how sure the research is that it applies here, and the sources it cites. The level is computed by the app's own deterministic engine, so the page says exactly what the app would.

Level by use and lens

Use	Mainstream	Cautious (default)	Based	Concerns · favour · fringe
On skin, left on	Swap	Swap	Swap	3 · 0

Mainstream shows consensus claims only; Cautious adds emerging research; Based adds fringe claims, labelled as such. The last column counts, under Cautious, the sourced concerns, the findings in its favour and the fringe claims Based would add.

Safer swaps: the app's swap catalog has no entry tied to this ingredient yet. When you scan a product that contains it, the app suggests cleaner alternative types for that product; the swap categories list what the catalog covers today.

On skin, left on Swap

Under the default Cautious lens carbon black (ci 77266) on skin (left on) rates Swap: the app would put this near the top of your swap plan. Mainstream (consensus only) rates it Swap; Based (adds the fringe) rates it Swap. Researched 2026-09-03.

Sourced concerns (3)

ConsensusSuspected carcinogenconfidence 90%

Carbon black (CI 77266) is classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as Group 2B, meaning it is possibly carcinogenic to humans.

Why here: While the primary evidence for this classification is based on inhalation studies in animals, the substance is used as a colorant in dermal leave-on cosmetic products.
What would have to be true: General exposure to carbon black.
The other side: Regulatory bodies such as the US FDA and the EU Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) have concluded that cosmetic-grade carbon black, produced with specific purity criteria, is safe for dermal application on healthy, intact skin, as there is no scientific evidence of carcinogenicity through the oral or dermal routes. The IARC classification is based on sufficient evidence in experimental animals (rats) following inhalation at lung overload doses, but inadequate evidence in humans for carcinogenicity. Studies of dermal application in mice using various carbon blacks showed no carcinogenic effect on the skin.

Sources the engine cites:

Carbon Black (IARC Summary & Evaluation, Volume 65, 1996) — inchem.org (1997) · review
Carbon Black Profile — carexcanada.ca (2020) · review
1 web article (decodelabel.com), linked in the app.
2 community or commercial pages, not counted here.

ConsensusRestrictedconfidence 90%

Carbon black (CI 77266) is permitted as a colorant in all types of cosmetic products in the European Union under Annex IV of the EU Cosmetics Regulation, and in the United States by the FDA for various cosmetic products including eye makeup, makeup, and nail products, provided it conforms to strict purity specifications. In the US, it is not permitted in lip products, and in the EU, it is banned in lip products.

Why here: This directly governs the legal and safe use of carbon black in dermal leave-on cosmetic products.
What would have to be true: Dermal application in cosmetic products, with specific purity requirements and concentration limits (e.g., up to 10% for nano-form in EU).

Sources the engine cites:

L_2016187EN.01000101.xml — europa.eu (2016) · regulator or public body
2 web articles (yanggebiotech.com, numbrrrz.com), linked in the app.

ConsensusTheoryconfidence 90%

The EU Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) concluded that the use of nano-structured carbon black (CI 77266) with a primary particle size of 20 nm or larger, at a concentration up to 10% as a colorant in cosmetic products, is considered safe for application on healthy, intact skin, based on an overall lack of dermal absorption.

Why here: This addresses the safety of nano-form carbon black specifically for dermal leave-on applications, considering potential skin penetration.
What would have to be true: Dermal application on healthy, intact skin, at concentrations up to 10% w/w, with primary particle size ≥ 20 nm. This opinion does not apply to applications that may lead to inhalation exposure.

Sources the engine cites:

L_2016187EN.01000101.xml — europa.eu (2016) · regulator or public body

Not researched here

The engine has no dossier for carbon black (ci 77266) when cooked with heat, in cold food, as a finishing ingredient, in heated food packaging or other uses. The app researches an ingredient for the use it infers from your product, so a scan fills these in; this page only shows what has already been researched and source-verified.

This is research, not medical advice. Detox My Life shows sourced claims sorted by evidence tier. It does not diagnose, treat, or tell you to start or stop anything. Talk to a qualified professional about your health.

Scan your own. The app reads any product label with your camera, works out how you are about to use it, and researches every ingredient for that use with live sources. Every scan adds to a Detox Score for your home, where 50 is a typical home in your region, and a plan of next swaps.

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