by Teryn Darling June 16, 2022
The Facility:
Li Pigments is a State Certified Cosmetic Manufacturer located in the industrial area of Englewood, New Jersey. Their facility is approximately 12,000 square feet, housing for Administration, Production Lab, Stability Quality Control, and Packaging & Warehouse. Their state-of-the-art Production Lab is equipped to handle formulations and pigment production with the most advanced, modern technologies. Li Pigments is currently working on obtaining their FDA credentials.
Product Selection:
Li Pigments purchases only cosmetic grade or medical grade raw materials from trusted suppliers. Li goes one step further and only purchases from colorant suppliers that manufactures a raw colorant in a purified vat within a clean room. This is a measure adopted by Li Pigments to ensure the absolute purity of a colorant.
Verification of Product:
Although all raw colorants and ingredients are ordered from trusted suppliers, they are re-tested by Li Pigments once received. Samples of materials are sequestered away before storage to retain a sample of the raw material for re-testing, for their records and for color matching. This is an extra layer of protection taken by Li to ensure product purity and safety. What I mean by color matching is…all the colors in each formula are the same exact color and tone every single batch. Meaning, if you purchase a bottle of Hazelnut and 3, 6 or 12 months later you purchase another bottle of Hazelnut…it is the same exact color and tone as before and always.
The Sterilization of Water:
Li Pigments does not ordered its water from a water manufacturer but instead is processed and sterilized on site with their own water standardization system. They decided to make this investment to ensure the water they used in their pigments and products always met the level of sterilization they demanded. They use a high purity water system specifically designed for cosmetic and medical products. Water first goes through a filter that removes non-dissolved solids and large articulate matter. The water then passes through a carbon portable exchange tank that removes chlorine and organics as well as anything else that causes odor. Next is the strong base DI tank which removes dissolved solids like minerals and salts as well as other ions. The water then passes under an ultraviolet sterilization light to kill all bacteria and viruses. After sterilization the water passes through a sub-micron filter to remove any dead bacteria and viruses. The last stage occurs as the water passes through a final sub-micron filter to insure all of the water standardization system processing.
Storage of Raw Materials:
Raw materials are stored in and under the proper condition to maintain appropriate purity and color, this includes the correct temperature. If the storage temperature is too cold, this may cause clumping and if the storage temperature is too hot, the heat may denature the material, turning it into something different. Most importantly to raw colorants, products should not be stored in direct sunlight. In the same way that laser beams of light can denature tattoo pigments in the skin (laser tattoo removal), sunlight will also denature colorants overtime making them fade.
Production:
Li’s production lab goes above and beyond the state certification requirements. Our whole production area where the pigments are made is organized as a clean room within a clean room. Personnel in the production area must wear full appropriate clean room attire at all times. This includes hair restraints, gloves, face mask, goggles, foot covering, and a full body covering to protect clothing from the product and the product from clothing.
The air is constantly purified of airborne bacteria and spores as per the criteria of a clean room. The clean room within the clean room, which is where the majority of production occurs, fits the criteria of a facility for manufacturing medical devices. The level of purity and sterility is above and beyond to ensure your pigments are pure and safe at the highest levels.
Sterilization of the End Product:
This is an important step. Although bacteria can easily be eliminated though proper preservation techniques and the use of an appropriate grade of alcohol, many harmful spores can survive despite such attempts. Through gamma ray sterilization, although an expensive process, it can be assured that there are no biological contaminants in the product. Gamma sterilization eliminates spores, bacteria and any other biological matter.
Artists can be assured their pigments are made under the strictest of quality standards; Li pigments are concentrated and consistent in color from batch-to- batch, year-after-year and pigment colorants are formulated and processed specifically with safety as the primary focus.
Lot and Date Coded:
Date and lot codes, batch codes, and expiration dates are all listed on every pigment bottle for identification and tracking purposes.
Safety Data Sheets (SDS):
A Safety Data Sheet (formerly called Material Safety Data Sheet) is a detailed informational document prepared by the manufacturer on the product. It describes the physical and chemical properties of the product, as well as recommended use of the product. Li Pigments has SDS written and available on all pigments and products.
Darlene, Mytia & Blanca
These women have over 55 years combined experience making pigments specifically for PMU and more importantly…for the face. Facial skin presents a whole range of unique complexities and challenges that body skin simply does not. The philosophy of making a PMU pigment “strong enough” as a stand alone strategy in addressing the undertones, complexities and challenges of facial skin does not work. It’s a balance and blend of multiple different components.
Li listens to its customers…they listen to the artist community. They address issues that may arise, they keep with fundamental theory while thinking outside the box and they are consistently developing and applying new formulas and processes to evolve and advance their pigments into the future.
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