DIC's Linablue G1 Natural Blue Colorant Receives Approval under the COSMOS-standard Global Standard for Organic and Natural Cosmetics

Tokyo, Japan–DIC Corporation today announced that on August 21, 2019, Linablue® G1, a DIC Spirulina-derived natural blue colorant supplied through the Company’s global network, has received approval under the COSMOS-standard (COSMetic Organic and Natural Standard),* a unified European standard for organic and natural cosmetics.

Linablue® G1 is extracted from DIC Spirulina, an edible blue-green algae used primarily as a health food, which DIC has long cultivated primarily for food-related applications. As a food colorant, Linablue® G1 has earned certification as conforming with the requirements of Halal food, essential for its use in the Middle East and many parts of Asia.

Recognizing a growing preference for natural raw materials in cosmetics, DIC presented Linablue® G1 as a colorant for this application at the 9th Cosmetic Ingredients & Technology Exhibition Japan (CITE Japan 2019) in May 2019, earning high marks from visitors. In addition to its vivid blue color and solubility in water, Linablue® G1 boasts powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, underscoring its suitability for everything from makeup to skincare products. Accordingly, demand for use in organic cosmetics is expected to increase in the years to come.

Guided by its new medium-term management plan, DIC111, DIC is working to provide both social value, which contributes to sustainability and markets, and economic value, which underpins corporate growth, ensuring it remains a unique global company that is trusted by society. Going forward, the DIC Group will continue striving to help realize a sustainable society by providing products made with renewable and naturally derived raw materials.

* Created to serve as a common global standard for natural and organic cosmetics, the COSMOS-standard was developed by an independent nongovernmental organization established in 2010 by five certifying organizations based in four European countries (France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom). These include French firm ECOCERT Greenlife S.A.S., which is said to have the world’s most stringent assessment standards.