Coloured Mica

Coloured micas are a very wide category of ingredients. Basically, coloured micas are mica that has been laminated/blended with a variety of pigments and other ingredients that can create iridescence, colour shifting, etc.

Coloured mica is never a single ingredient; your supplier should provide a full INCI that shows exactly what is in each mica they sell.

Mica + a wide variety of other possible ingredients

There’s almost no end to the variation here! Generally speaking they are colourful, sparkly powders.

Up to 100%

Super fine powders to almost glitter-like flakes. The larger the particle size, the more glittery/sparkly a mica will be; the finer the particle size, the more glowy/shimmery it will be.

None

Insoluble, though some of the added pigments may be oil or water soluble.

Micas contribute colour and shimmer to our products. They easily incorporate into products without the need for extensive mixing or grinding (grinding is generally discouraged as it can dull the shine of the mica).

In low amounts the add visible colour and a bit of shimmer that is visible in the product, but does not carry through to the skin.

In higher concentrations they can be used as the primary colourant and shimmer agent in products like eyeshadows and highlighters.

Coloured micas are a very important part of creating makeup; if you don’t want to (or can’t) use them you will be limited in the sorts of cosmetics you can create.

Coloured micas are an easy to work with, shimmery colour option for cosmetics. They produce stunning end products!

Micas are not as strongly pigmented as pure pigments like iron oxides, and they are very shimmery so they aren’t a great option if you want a matte product.

Because coloured micas are such a wide category there is a lot of variation. There are many different shades of every colour you can imagine, which can create problems if you are trying to re-create a colour and a mica is discontinued. You’ll likely be able to find something similar, but there are so many available that you may never find the exact same one again depending on how unique it is.

If you are allergic to mica you should avoid coloured micas.

For colour/pigmentation you can look to pigments like iron oxides, lake dyes, and carmine. You will need a fraction of the amount as pigments are significantly more potent than coloured micas. It is hard to replace the shimmer; glitter can give some sparkle, but it’s not the same.

Generally speaking you’ll want to stir in micas after the grinding part of a formulation.

They usually are not heat sensitive, but make sure you’re checking the INCI of each mica as some pigments (like carmine or FD&C red #7) can be pH sensitive.

If I’m using a mica in an emulsion I usually add it as part of the cool down phase as some of them “curdle” if included in a heated phase of an emulsion.

Stored somewhere cool, dark, and dry, coloured micas should last indefinitely—but you should always double check with your supplier given the wide variety of ingredients that can be used in coloured micas.

If you are vegan or a soap maker be sure to check the pigment lists for non-vegan pigments (carmine) and pH sensitive pigments that might shift during saponification (carmine, ferric ferrocyanide).

10g (0.35oz) or less per colour until you know you love it! The ~6g samplers that TKB Trading offers are fantastic.

 Buy it from an online DIY ingredient supplier or Amazon. TKB Trading has an incredible selection!