Mica: a boon or curse to society?

Mica, a luxurious mineral known for its lustre and shine, is a common ingredient in makeup. Typically found in products like eyeshadows, blush or highlighters, it’s not rare to spot it at the back of your favourite cosmetics. But it’s just a normal ingredient right? Wrong. Mica has a grim backstory right from its mining. 

Mica mining, although a lucrative business, is extremely dangerous and thrives at the expense of the lives of hundreds of children from impoverished families. Although Mica which is used and found in makeup is considered safe, Mica mining and exposure to Mica has been seen to cause various health issues such as pneumoconiosis due to potential traces of toxins like lead, arsenic and mercury. 

The natural Mica mining has proven to be alarming as states of India like Jharkand and Bihar, home to some of the largest Mica deposits in the world (accounting to around 25% of the world’s Mica produced) resort to child labour for illegal Mica mining. Children as young as five work in these perilous conditions, digging under unstable rocks and risking their lives.

Local NGOs like the Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA) in India continue to work tirelessly to combat child labour, and the grim exploitation of the children it takes advantage of. However, despite strict laws such as the The Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986 – which clearly prohibits children under the age of 18 to be working in hazardous environments, the cycle of mistreatment continues. 

Not only this, but its environmental impact is no less. Mica mining has a negative impact on all aspects of its neighbouring areas: public health, water and land resources, the formation of heaps of dump and waste and air pollution due to dust. 

We all know where our food comes from, only the most organic and green will do. But have you ever wondered what’s in your makeup? Many of us use makeup to express ourselves with bold eyeshadows or glossy lip glosses, but do we really even know what we are applying to our skin? Growing up, I was always told that I should prioritise what I’m putting on my face, and to double check the ingredient list at the back before buying anything. But what can we do when the ingredient list itself is faulty? 

Due to various overly lenient laws when it comes to makeup labelling, many companies are allowed to hide what really goes into their products. Making it increasingly challenging for customers like you and me to source back where ingredients like Mica really came from. It’s easy for brands to trick their customers into buying harmful products under the guise of it being “natural” since Mica is a mineral. More often than not, the Mica mined by the children in India travels through a vast chain of opaque supply chains before making it into your makeup bag. 

This brings up the issue of Mica as an ingredient itself being ethical. To address the risks of toxic minerals and in response to child exploitation, many companies such as Clarins, Estée Lauder and Lush use synthetic Mica (or Mica made artificially). 

Synthetic biology is a field in science which repurposes parts of organisms such as cells to make them more useful or make them have a greater capacity. When we first hear the terms “synthetic biology”, most of us are likely to think of its use in medicine, like the influenza vaccine. However, there is a large use of synthetic biology in cosmetics too. But why? Synthetic biology produces a more reliable, stable and consistent product which is also sometimes a more ethical way to source products.

To make synthetic Mica, many companies started using fluorphlogopite, or synthetic fluorine as a substitute for Mica. Fluorphlogopite is made out of magnesium aluminium silicate sheets, loosely bonded with potassium and manufactured at extremely high temperatures ranging around 1100 °. 

For many cultures, such as the Native American Tribes or Ancient Indian Civilizations, the use of Mica is deeply engrained in their artistic, cosmetic or even spiritual practices. Mica is an ingredient which is valued by not only them, but their ancestors too, however, the sourcing of Mica sparks an issue of morality.

Many major cosmetic brands are starting to recognise the significant ethical challenges being faced by Mica miners all over and have begun raising their voices against it. 

One of the ways this has been accomplished has been by switching to synthetic Mica. In my opinion, although it does have some cons, synthetic mica does put an end to the injustice being faced. It provides a good solution without taking away. However, in the end, it is down to us to pay the real price of beauty – not the monetary one, but the one which was paid by the people who made it possible for you to apply your eyeshadow without a second thought.

Bibliography:

  1. https://www.synbiobeta.com/read/synthetic-biology-in-everyday-life-from-lab-to-the-beauty-counter

  2. https://moonbodysoul.com/blogs/blog/is-mica-safe-why-we-dont-use-it-in-our-products?srsltid=AfmBOor0BMAXy_misxMYK9u1XsrqnOb1Il6BmPF4PKYBxIjVsLb8uSoO

  3. https://www.ethicalconsumer.org/health-beauty/problem-mica

  4. https://hudsonrobotics.com/pros-and-cons-of-synthetic-biology

  5. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8578974/

  6. https://academic.oup.com/bioscience/article/63/2/79/534322

  7. https://www.smh.com.au/national/indias-mica-mines-the-shameful-truth-behind-mineral-makeups-shimmer-20140118-311wk.html

  8. https://www.e3s-conferences.org/articles/e3sconf/pdf/2024/55/e3sconf_geotech2024_02001.pdf

  9. https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/hopewell-culture-mica.htm



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