MICA: MICA.
Every single makeup brand you are using is using mica as an important ingredient – it reflects light. It’s what they use as a base for powder formulations and creates that shimmery glow we all know and love (highlighters, eyeshadows, pressed powders). Simply put, if you want high-performing color cosmetics, you need mica. You may remember me mentioning this in my last post.
Now, did you know mica is the #1 source of child labor in the world? Kids as young as 4 are mining mica in Madagascar!!! “The only way these children will have a life outside of the mines is if the companies are held accountable”. Mica is also in everything from cell phones to cosmetics, and it comes at a cost to human lives.
In September, @beautycounter published an article about mica, its uses, how it is sourced, and how incredibly important it is to attempt to trace the supply chain all the way to its origin. (https://blog.beautycounter.com/beauty-comes-clean-the-truth-about-mica/) Beautycounter brought this to our attention coincidentally the Today Show broke the story a little while after this article.
Here’s a SUPER COOL FACT: Beautycounter takes this VERY seriously. When they set out to make safer, high-performing color cosmetics, they started down a complex journey of finding responsibly sourced mica and have been learning a lot along the way.
In the past year, Beautycounter has audited 100% of our suppliers via phone- and taking it a step further. We’ve enlisted the help of a well respected third-party auditing firm and personally hopped onto planes, trains, and ferries around the world in order to be the first beauty brand to have implemented a rigorous responsible sourcing standards for the on the ground audits of our mica supply chain.
Regardless of whether you’re into safer brands, please consider switching to Beautycounter for the principle of supporting a brand who is absolutely against employing child labor. Beautycounter has literally sent their team to audit all of the mica suppliers to personally approve of their mining practices. This will ultimately effect the entire beauty industry!
When we know better we can, and have to do better !! This year think twice before you look for deals – not going to mention any names as that’s not something I do – but I think you can think for yourselves in this regard.
Instead, ask this question first :
WHERE do they source their mica?? Do they hold their companies accountable for human rights and sustainable sourcing of raw materials ?! Don’t look for the SALE first, look for the SOURCING, THEN look for the sale.
Thank you for supporting #betterbeauty
Here’s the link to learn more about this incredibly important issue.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/all/army-children-toil-african-mica-mines-n1082916