Basic Violet 4
AKA “Ethyl violet, 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”
Synthetic
Ingredient Facts
Basic violet 4
AKA: Ethyl violet, 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
Synthetic · Hair Dyeing · EWG: 5
Synthetic
Colorant
Synthetic
Clean
A vibrant violet colorant that delivers rich, long-lasting purple tones to hair. Creates lustrous depth and dimension in color-treated styles.
Formula
C31H42ClN3
Mol. Weight
492.10
CAS #
2390-59-2
Form
Powder
State
Liquid
See origin →
Functions
Hair Dyeing
Colorant
Gives the product its color. Purely aesthetic — makes the formula look good in the jar but does nothing for your skin.
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
Melanin-Rich Skin
Suitable
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 Feb 2026
Data: PubChem · CosIng · EWG · CIR