What does ‘may contain’ mean on a makeup label?
A makeup label can list colorants for a whole shade range, with the words may contain or the symbol +/- in front. The EU cosmetics regulation allows this and asks for CI numbers. The FDA allows may contain for color matching and shade lines. Not every colorant is in the shade you hold.
Lipsticks, blushes and eyeshadow palettes often come in many shades with one printed ingredient list. The list may end with a long run of colorants after the words may contain, or after the symbol +/-. This page explains what those words mean.
What the EU rule says
Article 19 of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 covers the ingredient list on a cosmetic product. It says colorants other than hair colorants may be listed in any order after the other ingredients.
For decorative cosmetic products marketed in several colour shades, it says all colorants used in the range may be listed, “provided that the words ‘may contain’ or the symbol ‘+/-’ are added.” It also says the CI (Colour Index) nomenclature shall be used, where applicable.
So an EU-style list can name every colorant in a range, even though one shade holds only some of them.
What CI numbers are
The EU regulation says the CI (Colour Index) nomenclature shall be used for colorants, where applicable. On a label this appears as the letters CI followed by a number. The FDA page on ingredient names gives CI 19140 as an example, printed in parentheses after the name FD&C Yellow No. 5.
What the FDA says
The FDA’s rule is 21 CFR 701.3. Paragraph (g) says a declaration of ingredients may include an ingredient not in the product if it is identified by the phrase “may contain.” It names two cases.
- The ingredient is a color additive added to some batches of a product for color matching.
- The same declaration is used for similar products, such as shaded products sold under one brand name, and the ingredient is a color additive.
The FDA’s labeling guide adds that color additives common to all shades must be listed before “May contain,” and only those not found in all shade formulations may be listed after it. The text of the regulation that was read for this page uses the phrase “may contain” and does not mention “+/-”.
The FDA’s page on ingredient names says ingredients must be listed by their common or usual names. It says the FDA does not accept CI numbers alone as a substitute. It does not object to a CI number in parentheses after the common name, with FD&C Yellow No. 5 (CI 19140) as its example.
What this means when you read a label
A colorant after may contain or +/- is listed for the range. It may not be in the exact shade you are holding.
In the U.S., the FDA says colorants common to all shades belong before “May contain.” So in a U.S. list, what follows those words is what some shades do not have. The EU text quoted above does not set that split, so an EU-style list may not show it.
The label on the pack comes first. If a colorant matters to you, check the pack, and talk to a doctor or pharmacist about any reaction you have had.
How Poliage shows these lists
Poliage’s label reader handles the words may contain and the symbol +/- as lead-in text, not as an ingredient name. It then reads each colorant printed after them as a separate entry, in the order printed on the label.
A Poliage flag states that an ingredient is listed. For a colorant after may contain, that means it appears on the printed list, which may cover a whole shade range. A flag is not a judgment, and it does not say the colorant is in your shade.
Product data comes from brand sites, Open Beauty Facts, CosIng and user-submitted lists. Labels can be misread, and a maker can change a formula without changing the barcode. The label on the pack comes first.
Where this comes from
The EU statement comes from Article 19 of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, read in the copy published by the European Commission. The FDA statements come from 21 CFR 701.3 and two FDA labeling pages. How Poliage reads these lists comes from its own label reader rules.