Pigment labels often say "mineral", "organic" or "hybrid". These words describe what the colour particles are made of. That affects how bright the colour is, how it heals and how it fades over time.
Mineral (inorganic) pigments
Mineral pigments are mainly based on iron oxides and other inorganic colourants. Artists often choose them for brows because they give soft, natural browns. Things to know:
- Colours are usually more muted and earthy.
- Iron-oxide browns can shift warmer as they fade, so many artists balance them with a cooler or neutral base, depending on the skin.
Organic pigments
Here "organic" is a chemistry term (carbon-based colourants). It doesn't mean "natural" or "bio". Organic pigments give brighter, cleaner colours, which is why they're popular for lips and some eyeliner shades. Things to know:
- Vivid colour and a wide range of tones.
- Very dark organic blacks and blues can shift cool if used on brows, so check the brand's recommendations for each zone.
Hybrid pigments
Hybrid pigments combine mineral and organic colourants. The aim is to get the softness of mineral colours with the brightness and stability of organic ones. Many modern brow and lip ranges are hybrids.
What matters most when choosing
- The zone: brows, lips, eyeliner and areola each need different behaviour. Always use pigments made for that zone.
- EU compliance: since January 2022, tattoo and PMU inks sold in the EU must meet the REACH restrictions (Regulation (EU) 2020/2081). Choose brands that state this clearly.
- The manufacturer's guidance: each brand has its own formulas, so read their colour charts and instructions rather than relying only on the label type.
Browse all pigments by brand and zone, or compare lip pigments and brow pigments.
