Everything
we see, eat, drink, buy, use, put on or just consume in general is in one way
or another derived from earth resources. The following is a list of things I
use or consume on an average day:
A)
Food and drink: water, oatmeal, soy milk, cheese, cranberry grape juice,
tamales, orange, apple, quesadilla, rice, potatoes, cereal
B)
Housing and other buildings: wood, drywall, cement, paint
C)
Transportation and roads: asphalt, metal, granite, sand, petroleum, plastic
D)
Clothing: polyester, cotton, nylon, plastic, rubber
E)
School supplies: pens, pencils, erasers, paper, wood, lead, ink, rubber
F)
Personal care products: shampoo, conditioner, bar soap, loofah, cocoa butter,
shea butter, mineral powder, mineral blush, eyeliner, brow pencil, mascara
G)
Other: blow dryer, computer, scanner, permanent marker, hand sanitizer,
printer, register, cell phones, plastic bags, banners, fridge, microwave, sink,
other electronics
One
of the products that I am researching is my mineral makeup. I wanted to know
how it’s made, and how harmful it can be to the environment and, of course,
myself. My specific type of makeup is made by MicaBella or Mica Beauty
Cosmetics; they make mineral cosmetics like powder foundation as well as eyeshadows.
They also make Bella Pierre which are slightly different tones. The item I am
researching is the powder foundation. It is made of Mica, Sericite, black iron
oxide, red iron oxide and yellow iron oxide. According to Merriam-Webster
Dictionary, Sericite is a scaly variety of muscovite having a
silky luster and occurring in various metamorphic rocks. And what does it look
like? that rock in the picture below…
According
to TechCera, the leading supplier
of high-grade sericite
mica
, “Sericite mica is an inert, stable and inorganic technical raw
material. It is commonly utilized as a filler that is prized for its physically
smooth properties in industrial applications and in the case of cosmetic grade
sericite for cosmetic applications, feels silky to touch and provides an
optical shimmer and luster to your product”. Sericite mica has been used as a
base for mineral make up instead of talc so that it doesn’t clog pores. It is
also used as an economic alternative for welding materials such as titanium
dioxide and is used to make welding rods.
The next ingredient in the mineral makeup is black iron
oxide also known as Magnetite.
It is a natural iron oxide magnet. Magnetite is the most magnetic of all the
minerals on Earth.
Red iron oxide which is also known as Hematite is an
important ore of iron and its blood red color (in the powdered form) is used as
a pigment. Crystals of Hematite are considered rare and are sought after by
collectors. Hematite is the most important source of iron ore in the world.
Like red iron oxide, yellow iron oxide is also used as pigment.
I
didn’t find much information on whether or not these minerals are mined but I’m
assuming so and if this is true, mining is very harmful to the environment no
matter how carefully it is done. The effects on the skin seem to be good and
this makeup unlike many others does not clog pores which prevents the formation
of acne which is surprising because I really expected to find something bad in
the composition of it. Makeup in general is not really a “need” but more of a “want”.
I have acne scars so I really like this makeup because it has good coverage and
it doesn’t make me break out which is why so many people buy it. So although
mineral make up may be good for our skin, it may not be so good for the
environment and that includes animals and whole ecosystems. Instead of using
makeup at all I should look into solutions to get rid of my acne which would
make me not need makeup so much and it would help the environment.
http://www.groundmicapowder.com/support/Sericite%20Mica%20Used%20in%20Welding%20Material.pdf
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