Basic Violet 4
AKA “
Ethyl violet, 2390-59-2, C.I. Basic Violet 4, Ethyl Violet AX, Ethyl Violet GGA, Lowacryl Violet 4, Ethyl crystal violet, C.I. 42600, Shikiso Acid Brilliant Blue 6B
”
Ingredient
🦆
❤️
👻
Ingredient Facts
Basic violet 4
AKA: Ethyl violet, 2390-59-2, C.I. Basic Violet 4, Ethyl Violet AX, Ethyl Violet GGA, Lowacryl Violet 4, Ethyl crystal violet, C.I. 42600, Shikiso Acid Brilliant Blue 6B
Ingredient · Hair Dyeing · EWG: 5
WHAT IS IT?
Synthetic
Not Clean
[4-[bis[4-(diethylamino)phenyl]methylene]-2,5-cyclohexadien-1-ylidene]diethylammonium chloride (CI 42600)
Formula
C31H42ClN3
Mol. Weight
492.10
CAS #
2390-59-2
Form
Liquid
State
Liquid
See origin →
WHAT'S IT DO?
Functions
Hair Dyeing
Colors Hair
Traditional Use
A synthetic xanthene dye developed for cosmetic use in the 20th century. Created to achieve consistent purple and violet hues in color cosmetics.
Skin Types
●
all-skin-types
Best For
General
IS IT SAFE?
EWG
5
CIR
Insufficient data
Pregnancy
—
CIR Safety Findings
ewg-5
all-shades-safe
Potential Sensitizer
Regulatory Status
USA
under review
EU
✔ permitted
JAPAN
✔ permitted
CANADA
✔ permitted
Regulatory Agencies
EWG
CIR
FDA
EU COSING
Health Canada
WHAT'S THE PROOF?
Final Report on the Safety Assessment of Basic Violet 1, Basic Violet 3 and Basic Violet 4
Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel
International Journal of Toxicology
→
Final report on the safety assessment of Basic Violet 1, Basic Violet 3, and Basic Violet 4.
Diamante C, Bergfeld WF, Belsito DV, Klaassen CD, Marks JG Jr et al.
International journal of toxicology, 2009
→
Final report on the safety assessment of Basic Violet 1, Basic Violet 3, and Basic Violet 4.
Diamante C, Bergfeld WF, Belsito DV, Klaassen CD, Marks JG Jr et al.
International journal of toxicology, 2009
→
Final report on the safety assessment of Basic Violet 1, Basic Violet 3, and Basic Violet 4.
Diamante C, Bergfeld WF, Belsito DV, Klaassen CD, Marks JG Jr et al.
International journal of toxicology, 2009
→
Basic Violet 4
Environmental Working Group (EWG)
EWG Skin Deep Cosmetics Database
→
Verified Jun 2026
Data: PubChem · CosIng · EWG · CIR