Micas are derived from the mineral Muscovite Mica which is purified and ground into a fine, pearly translucent powder. It is then coated with dyes or pigments, or a combination of both.
It is available in a large variety of different colours with most Mica powders having a shimmery glitter effect.
The micas are all cosmetic grade and can be used for a variety of purposes including lipsticks, foundations, eyeshadow, rouge, fiber paint, soaps, colouring paint & resin.
The most stunning results are produced in clear products, such as clear melt and pour soap base, as to get the shimmery effect they need to reflect light. Unlike pigments, micas don’t tend to clump so they are easier to work with. The disadvantage of using micas in soap making is that they have a higher usage rate than both pigments and dyes. The shimmery effects are also lost in CP soap and white & goats milk melt and pour base. As micas can be coated in dyes, some of them are not stable in CP soap and will require testing.
The pop micas are slightly different to normal micas as they are completely dye-free, non-bleeding (in soap) and they are stable in high pH (cp soap) except for strawberry which will morph into orange. |