Mica Powder: The Colorful Possibilities!

Mica Powders

Ever wonder about just what Mica powder is? We did too!

So, we dug a little deeper and this is what we found!

Mica is created from a natural mineral called muscovite, which is in the same family as the more commonly known quartz. It is a colorless to tan, often sparkling gemstone which has been greatly sought by industry for is shiny luster and used in a wide variety of applications. Historically, it even has its own place as the astronomical zodiac stone for Leos and is said to symbolize self-reflection and introspection.  It is among the most abundant minerals found all over the world! Muscovite is mined in the form of large pearlescent sheets or flakes, which have a naturally shimmering and iridescent quality. These sheets are then ground into a fine powder and treated with natural oxides to produce many vibrant colors!

Mica powders can also be produced from a lab-created version of muscovite, called fluorophlogopite. Skipping the long winded version with chemistry and scientific jargon, essentially this is still a kindred, glittery sheet of mineral very similar to the naturally occurring muscovite, except that it has been formed inside a lab by providing the correct “recipe” of naturally occurring ingredients which are then processed under high temperatures to form the almost identical fluorophlogopite. These sheets can then be ground and treated with oxides, just like the muscovite!

Perhaps the best known use for mica powders is in its application within cosmetics. Here, mica is prized for its ability to add shimmering colors while also being non-irritating, skin-safe, and non-toxic. Most of the micas used in cosmetics and soaps are naturally mined micas. Naturally mined micas are less expensive and considered more “natural” and of the Earth. However lab-made micas, while a bit more costly, can be preferable to some, due to they contain significantly lower levels of impurities when compared to muscovite mined from the ground.

Only high quality raw materials are used to manufacture mica powders. The standard grades of mica flakes are crushed to a range from 60 mesh to 100 mesh. Mica powders considered “Cosmetic Grade,” must conform to specifications set by the FDA which include a strict limitation on impurities as well as the powder must be pulverized to a rated fineness level of 100 mesh.

All of our soaps made at Handy Heidi’s Creations, LLC are made with high quality Cosmetic Grade mica powders which contain pure natural mica and other natural minerals in compliance with the FDA’s guidelines for cosmetic applications. Which means that they are Natural, Non-toxic, Free of heavy metals, and lend a beautiful array of color to my many soap creations! So, I hope that this article helps to explain a bit more about that wonderful shimmery ingredient called mica, that helps me to create my many soap designs!