Minerals, pigments and optical ingredients

CI77289 · chromium hydroxide green

A muted cool blue-green pigment powder forms a broad raked fold and shadow valley on pale stone.
About this illustration
CI 77289Chromium Hydroxide Green
The emerald material foldA green colour can have its own prepared material story. CI 77289 identifies chromium hydroxide green, a colourant distinct from a leaf powder and from its neighbouring oxide-green code.

A green shampoo bar may suggest a leafy ingredient, but its shade can have a different source. CI77289 is a prepared inorganic green pigment. Its closest-looking numerical neighbour, CI77288, is a related material with a different identity—one final digit worth keeping.

Name on the ingredient listCI 77289

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A quick answer

CI77289 identifies chromium hydroxide green, also described as hydrated chromium oxide or Pigment Green 18. It is an inorganic colourant used for cosmetic appearance. The hydrated character is part of the material's composition, not a claim that it moisturises the skin. In a solid it joins the formula as a prepared pigment, with other ingredients supplying cleansing, scent, conditioning or structure.

A green colour has its own identity

Chromium hydroxide green is the material behind CI77289. The name describes an inorganic pigment, while the code gives a stable reference across different product descriptions. It is not a shorthand for green tea, chlorophyll or a powdered leaf.

That is useful when a solid's visual language is botanical. A formula can contain plant ingredients and also use a separate colourant to establish or adjust its shade. The colour is then a design choice with its own material story, rather than evidence of how much leafy matter is present.

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An evenly coloured blue-green bar and slice sit beside separate pigment powder and pale base studies.
Illustrative solidCI 77289 · colourantConceptual base
A green bar's hidden listA bar’s colour has a material identity of its own. This conceptual cutaway separates the colourant from the base so their different contributions are easier to see.

Hydrated means something specific here

The official identity describes principally hydrated chromic oxide. Hydrated records water associated with the material's chemical structure. It does not mean the ingredient is a water-based lotion, nor does it turn the pigment into a moisturising claim.

This is a useful distinction because cosmetic language uses water in several ways. Water can be a liquid medium, part of a crystal or a subject of a finished-product claim. Here, it belongs to the pigment identity. Keeping that meaning clear makes the name more informative without needing a detailed chemical diagram.

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One digit separates two related greens

CI77288 identifies chromium oxide green, while CI77289 identifies the hydrated or hydroxide green discussed here. The neighbouring numbers record related but distinct colour materials. They should remain separate when comparing labels or following a brand's explanation.

This is one of the quiet benefits of numerical names. A pair of similarly named green pigments might otherwise be merged in memory. The code preserves the distinction. You do not need to memorise a large colour catalogue; simply retaining the final digit keeps this particular comparison accurate.

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Two pale paper cards carry separate cool teal and warm olive pigment samples.
Chromium Hydroxide GreenCI 77289Chromium Oxide GreenCI 77288
Hydroxide is part of the distinctionKeep the complete name as well as the code. Chromium Hydroxide Green and Chromium Oxide Green are related colour materials with separate identities.
Tall separate ivory panels present cool blue-green and warmer olive-green powder studies.
CI 77289Chromium Hydroxide GreenCI 77288Chromium Oxide Green
Two neighbouring green codesOne final digit keeps these two greens distinct. The full identity is the useful guide; shade alone cannot identify a pigment.

A green pigment in a botanical-looking bar

A current solid shampoo label lists CI77289 alongside ingredients such as plant oils, waxes and conditioning materials. It provides a concrete example of an inorganic pigment joining a solid with a botanical story. Those are compatible choices rather than competing identities.

The pigment contributes to appearance; other components are selected for their own jobs. Reading those roles separately makes the list less confusing. A colour ingredient does not have to wash the hair or supply an herbal aroma to belong in the product. Visual recognition and a consistent shade can be part of the design too.

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The element is not the whole material

Chromium(III) hydroxide is a particular compound. The word chromium alone does not describe its complete composition or make it equivalent to metallic chromium or another chromium-containing substance. Chemical form is part of identity, especially in inorganic pigments.

For everyday understanding, the practical point is to avoid collapsing all names containing an element into one material. CI77289 gives a more precise anchor. The maker then selects a cosmetic preparation suited to the product. This story concerns that colour identity, without turning the element name into a general safety or performance verdict.

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Directional light reveals soft crumbles and fine dust in a cool blue-green pigment mound.
CI 77289 · Chromium Hydroxide Green
The green material at close rangeAt close range, the green is a prepared powder with its own texture. Light reveals the loose material behind the smooth colour a maker may give a solid.

Let appearance be its own contribution

The useful question is what the finished colour helps you recognise or enjoy. A green shade may distinguish a bar from another in the same household or create the visual mood intended by its maker. Those ordinary benefits do not require a hidden treatment claim.

CI77289 is valuable to understand because it separates a green appearance from an assumed green botanical source. Once that distinction is clear, a colour code becomes a small piece of the product's design story—precise, practical and easier to remember than an anonymous list of numbers.

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Matching muted green bars appear on ivory tile and a charcoal towel in a paired view.
Ivory tileDark towelSame illustrative bar
The same bar in different surroundingsSurroundings change how a colour feels to the eye. The same illustrative green bar keeps its identity on ivory tile and against a dark towel.

Questions you might have

Does hydrated pigment hydrate skin or hair?

Hydrated describes part of the pigment's material identity. It is different from a moisturising claim about a finished cosmetic. Here, the listed role is colour. Keeping those meanings separate prevents an ordinary chemical descriptor from acquiring a benefit it was never intended to promise.

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Is CI77289 the same as CI77288?

No. CI77289 identifies chromium hydroxide or hydrated chromium oxide green, while CI77288 identifies chromium oxide green. They are related inorganic colour materials with separate identities. The final digit is therefore meaningful, even if both entries appear simply green in a quick description.

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Does green colour mean a high amount of green tea?

No. A solid can contain a plant ingredient and a separately selected colourant. The current example lists both botanical materials and CI77289. Colour is not a measurement of botanical concentration. The complete ingredient list and the brand's specific explanation tell a more accurate story than the shade alone.

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One useful thought

CI77289 gives a green surface a precise material identity. Its hydrated character, its separate code and its role beside botanical ingredients make the story useful: a colour can be deliberately chosen without being a measure of the plants inside. One final digit helps keep that story accurate.

Sources

References and further reading
  1. CI77289 – IngredientCOSMILE Europe
  2. 21 CFR73.1326: Chromium hydroxide green, identityUS Food and Drug Administration / eCFR
  3. Zielona Herbata 3w1 szampon w kostce: IngredientsMinisterstwo Dobrego Mydła