What Is Mica Powder & Is Mica In Makeup Safe?

While the answer to our question, “Is mica bad for your skin?” may usually be no, that’s not to say it isn’t bad for the miners responsible for sourcing it.

In the United States, flake mica is abundant in states like Arizona, North Dakota, South Dakota, New Mexico, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. 

Despite its domestic abundance, most of the mica found in cosmetics is imported from overseas, where safety regulations and safety equipment is often lacking—which brings us to several concerns over mica mineral in makeup.

Safety Concerns Of Mica Mining & Manufacturing:

It’s been found that miners and workers in cosmetic manufacturing may be exposed to airborne mica particles, which poses a risk when exposed through inhalation. When breathed in, mica powder can irritate the lungs and potentially cause lung scarring (known as fibrosis).

This leads to coughing, infections, and shortness of breath. 

When contaminated with silicate mineral, mica powder has been shown to cause cancer in animals (human risk is still unclear). 

Child Labor:

Mica is mined in more than 35 countries, but most of our mica in makeup comes from India, Madagascar, China, South Africa, and Brazil.  While India has received most of the attention, China, Brazil, Madagascar, Pakistan, and Sudan have also been associated with another of mica’s non-shimmering sides: child labor. 

India is home to a lot of high-quality mica, making them the first resort for many cosmetics companies.

There are more children in India than anywhere else in the world (more than 430 million) and the vast majority live in “difficult circumstances”.

These factors combine to give rise to mica being mined by children.

In just the so-called Indian “mica belt” (Jharkhand and Bihar) alone, more than 22,000 children are estimated to work in the mica mining industry.

While these children and their families rely on mining incomes, the dangerous working conditions have amassed global attention. 

Always, mica involves an extremely labor-intensive process that requires hammers or ice picks to chip away at the mica for hours on end. Alternatively, explosives are used to crush rocks. 

Because dangerous underground passageways are constructed to access better-quality mica, mine collapses and deaths are frequent.

Estimates indicate between 10 and 20 deaths in mines each month, but local officials have been known to cover up incidents—meaning that actual fatality numbers are likely significantly higher. 

Even when workers escape these collapses alive, seeing children and other laborers with injured hands or arms is common.  

Exploitation Of Labor & Wages:

There has been little incentive to provide living wages to the children, either. According to a recent Refinery29 expose, children as young as five years old reportedly made just 20 to 30 rupees for a long day at the mine. 

That’s the equivalent of 29 to 43 cents per day!

Beyond just child labor, roughly 70% of Indian mica is the result of illegal artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM), the vast majority of which are associated with exploitative work conditions. 

Many mica miners and workers are underpaid and exploited, often receiving meager wages for their labor. They work long hours in arduous conditions for little compensation, perpetuating a cycle of poverty.

Unfortunately, given the economic situation of many mining families, they have no better alternative. Their continued employment in mica mines is the only way to survive—which makes it difficult for companies and consumers to know what to do.

Environmental Impact:

Mica mining can have detrimental environmental effects, including deforestation, soil erosion, and habitat destruction. Unregulated mining practices can harm local ecosystems and water sources, leading to long-term ecological damage.

Lack of Transparency:

The mica supply chain is often complex and lacks transparency. Companies may struggle to trace the origins of mica powder in their products, making it difficult to ensure ethical sourcing and responsible mining practices.

All that said, would we be better off buying mica free makeup?

Boycotting all Indian mica may not be the best solution, so fortunately there are brands who are trying to improve the industry to the extent that they can by offering ethically sourced mica, rather than eliminate mica powder and ignore it.

Like opting for palm oil free products, mica free cosmetics aren’t always the best choice because then the harsh realities of the current mica industry will never change.