Introduction
In this blog we be exploring the differences between natural mica powder and synthetic mica. We will take a look at the problems associated with the production of natural mica powder. We will also be discussing the global mica market, and the which type of mica powder is better from a cosmetic formulation perspective.
What is mica powder
The term mica refers to the 37 phyllosilicate minerals that occur in a layered or plate-like structure. The most commercially important variants of mica are muscovite and phlogopite. Natural mica is mined in more than 35 countries, India and China are the largest exporters of mica powder globally. (Responsible Mica Initiative, 2024). Mica powder is commonly used in cosmetics to provide glitter and colour, it is used extensively when formulating colour cosmetics such as eye shadows and lipsticks.
Synthetic mica powder and how its made
Conversely, synthetic mica is produced by hot melting method according to the chemical compositions and inner structures of natural mica. Synthetic mica forms through heating, melting, cooling and crystallization. The raw materials are blended, including quartz sand, potassium carbonate, aluminum oxide, potassium fluosilicate, fused magnesite and some other minerals. It has advantage of smoother surface, higher whiteness and purity. Synthetic mica is free from heavy metals that are harmful to human body. (Yunze Mineral, 2024)
A synthetic fluorophlogopite mica, in which the (OR) ions that are normally found in normal micas are completely replaced by fluorine. This material has essentially the same physical and electrical properties as natural phlogopite mica, except with somewhat lower flexibility. (Robert Pike, 1952).
Compared to natural mica, synthetic mica offers:
Consistency: Synthetic mica provides consistent quality and performance due to its controlled production process, which ensures uniform particle size and composition. This consistency allows for predictable results in various applications.
Colour Control: Manufacturers can easily control and adjust the colour and shade of synthetic mica powder during production. This flexibility enables customisation to meet specific aesthetic and formulation requirements.
Purity: Synthetic mica is free from impurities commonly found in natural mica, such as heavy metals. This purity makes it suitable for use in cosmetics and personal care products where product safety and regulatory compliance are critical.
Stability: Synthetic mica exhibits better stability compared to natural mica, particularly in terms of heat resistance and chemical inertness. It retains its colour and properties under various processing conditions, including high temperatures and pH extremes.
Versatility: Due to its shimmering and reflective properties, synthetic mica powder is versatile and used in a wide range of applications. It is commonly employed as a pearlescent pigment in cosmetics, coatings, plastics, and other industrial products to enhance visual appeal.
Eco-friendly: Some forms of synthetic mica are manufactured to be biodegradable or environmentally friendly, reducing the environmental impact compared to conventional pigments.
The global mining market
The market consists of two types of mica: natural mica and synthetic mica. According to a commercial market analysis, natural mica accounts for 90 per cent of the total mica market and the remaining 10 per cent is synthetic mica. The market share for synthetic mica is not expected to grow by more than two per cent over the coming ten years, which means that natural mica will not be replaced by synthetic mica in any significant or market-changing way. Currently, almost all synthetic mica production is for the cosmetics industry, and a smaller portion is used for pearlescent pigments in paints. The total market for natural mica is expected to continue to grow due to increasing demand by the main end user industries. (Schipper & Cowan, 2018).
Problems with natural mica powder
The ethical concerns associated with natural mica mining are significant, particularly relating to the exploitation of children. India is the world’s largest source of mica, a mineral that is used in a wide range of industries. It is mined extensively in India’s east states of Bihar and Jharkhand where a variety of factors contribute to poor working conditions including the use of child labour. The region is poor, and families face financial pressure to bring their children with them to collect mica. The mica workforce lives in villages that are largely dependent on mica and offer little access to education, health care and government services. The region and the mica industry, in particular, lacks enforcement of laws and regulations needed to provide enforceable oversight of the industry. There is no mechanism to incentivise the adoption of workplace and labour standards or to prevent illegally mined mica from entering the global mica supply chain. (Responsible Mica Initiative, 2024).
Research also concludes that Madagascar has become increasingly important as an exporter of mica. The country is the fourth-largest mica exporter worldwide, and has been the largest global exporter of sheet mica since 2015. Madagascar’s state is weak, the political context is fragile, and violence and corruption are commonplace. Weak governments with no oversight or authority over illegal mica mines increase the risk that children’s rights will be violated.
The fifth indicator for high-risk countries is having high levels of mica imports from countries where children's rights are negatively affected in the mining process, in particular Madagascar and India. These importing countries are ‘lynchpins’ between mica produced with child labour and the global market. The lynchpin countries identified by the SOMO report are China, South Korea, Taiwan and Russia. Companies sourcing mica, or products containing mica, from these countries risk using mica mined by children in their supply chains. (Schipper & Cowan, 2018)
Environmental impact of mining mica
Mining is an invasive process that damages far more than the mining site itself. The creation of open pits induces soil erosion, the formation of sinkholes, and could potentially contaminate surface water, groundwater, and soil. The mining also leads to deforestation, with trees gradually cleared to develop more land for mining mica. As such, this extends to a loss of biodiversity. For instance, residents in Bangakhla village stated a decreased in spotting elephants, wild boars and rare birds in the village. (The Sustainability Project, 2020).
Recommendation for formulators
Use synthetic mica powder where possible. Not only does synthetic mica provide a better formulating experience in terms of the versatility of colours available, it being synthesised to reduce impurities such as heavy metals found in natural mica, it also has better stability. Furthermore, the social and environmental impacts associated with the production of natural mica powder are too severe to justify using them, irrespective of whether we have natural formulating philosophies or not. There are many alternatives when it comes to colouring our cosmetics including great natural options such as beetroot, turmeric, blue tansy oil, sea buckthorn oil and much more! Where is it necessary for you to use natural mica powder ensure you are vetting the supply chain vigorously, verifying it is free from exploitative unethical practices as discussed above. Please refer to the Responsible Mica Initiative to find out what you can do to contribute positively to production of mica powder.
Conclusion
In this blog we have defined the difference between natural mica powder and synthetic as well as provided explanations on how they are produced. We have also discussed the ethical and environmental concerns regarding the mining of natural mica powder and provided a resource to help you make positive contributions to the mica industry. Additionally we have taken a look at the benefits of using synthetic mica powder from a formulation perspective, overall formulating with synthetic mica powder will produce better results for cosmetic formulations in terms of the versatility of colours available, stability, and the higher and reproducible quality synthetic mica powder is able to achieve with it being created in a lab.
References
Irene Schipper and Roberta Cowan. (2018). Global Mica Mining and The Impacts on Children’s Rights. [Online]. [Date Accessed 20/08/2024]. Available at: https://www.somo.nl/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/NL180313_-GLOBAL-MICA-MINING-EXEC-SUMMARY.pdf
Robert, G. Pike. (1952). Synthesis of Mica. [Online]. [Date Accessed 21/08/2024]. Available at: https://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/jres/048/jresv48n5p360_A1b.pdf
The Responsible Mica Initiative. (2024). Challenges Linked to Mica Sourcing. [Online]. [Date Accessed 21/08/2024]. Available at: https://responsible-mica-initiative.com/about-us-rmi/
The Sustainability Project. (2020). Mining Mica – The True Costs Of Beauty Products. [Online]. [Date Accessed 21/08/2024]. Available at: https://thesustainabilityproject.life/blog/2020/09/27/mining-mica/#:~:text=The%20creation%20of%20open%20pits,more%20land%20for%20mining%20mica.
Yunze Mineral. (2024). Synthetic Mica. [Online]. [Date Accessed 20/08/2024]. Available at: https://www.miningvalleys.com/synthetic-mica/
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