Home Cosmetic Science Talk Formulating Color and makeup Is all Mica lip, eye, and generally safe?

  • Is all Mica lip, eye, and generally safe?

    Posted by Anonymous on June 3, 2019 at 9:13 pm

    From my understanding mica is considered very safe for use in cosmetics. Coloured mica, however, seems to be normal mica mixed with other colourants like iron oxides, dyes, or ultramarines. Ultramarines are not classified as safe for use on the lips, I believe, but some places that sell coloured mica don’t list the ingredients. Is a mica that is mixed with a nonlip safe ingredient still safe for the lip? If yes, why?

    Sponge replied 5 years, 4 months ago 3 Members · 3 Replies
  • 3 Replies
  • OldPerry

    Member
    June 4, 2019 at 3:33 pm

    Yes, mica is generally approved for use in cosmetics.
    https://www.fda.gov/industry/color-additive-inventories/color-additive-status-list

    No, I don’t think mixing mica with a nonlip safe ingredient is approved. Companies that are doing that are taking a regulatory risk.

  • Bill_Toge

    Member
    June 4, 2019 at 8:03 pm

    from my experience, the pigments in these coloured micas are deposited onto the surface of the mica in thin layers, rather than being mixed with them in the conventional sense; I don’t honestly know how this affects the biochemistry, but major manufacturers (Merck, BASF, Eckart etc.) routinely highlight regulatory restrictions for these pigments in their literature just to be on the safe side

  • Sponge

    Member
    June 15, 2019 at 6:30 am

    Hopefully no one is creating products that utilize colored mica or unknown origin. 

    No, once you add something “not safe” it’s… not safe. ;)

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