Muscovite (potassium-aluminium-phyllosilicate) from Norway. Courtesy of the Laboratory for Material Culture Studies, Faculty of Archaeology, Leiden University.
Product made with mica: eyeshadow
Mica is a mineral that is used in cosmetics, because of its lustre, and in electronics because of its insultating properties. It is mined mainly in China, Brazil and India, where mining operations often involve unsafe conditions and child labour, particularly in India, where an estimated 22,000 children work in the mica mining industry. Alternatives for the cosmetics industry include synthetic mica and plant-based extracts. Organisations like ‘Child Labour Free Mica’ are working to reduce child labour in traditional mica mining.
Mica
