Mica
Mica is a widely used ingredient in cosmetics, personal care, and skincare formulations. Depending on its function, it may serve as a moisturizer, preservative, emulsifier, or active ingredient to enhance the overall effectiveness and performance of a product.
Micas (/ˈmaɪkəz/ MY-kəz) are a group of silicate minerals whose outstanding physical characteristic is that individual mica crystals can easily be split into fragile elastic plates. This characteristic is described as perfect basal cleavage. Mica is common in igneous and metamorphic rock and is occasionally found as small flakes in sedimentary rock. It is particularly prominent in many granites, pegmatites, and schists, and "books" (large individual crystals) of mica several feet across have been found in some pegmatites.
| Mica | |
|---|---|
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| General | |
| Category | Phyllosilicates |
| Formula (repeating unit) | AB2–3(X, Si)4O10(O, F, OH)2 |
| IMA symbol | Mca |
| Identification | |
| Color | purple, rosy, silver, gray (lepidolite); dark green, brown, black (biotite); yellowish-brown, green-white (phlogopite); colorless, transparent (muscovite) |
| Cleavage | Almost perfect |
| Fracture | flaky |
| Mohs scale hardness | 2.5–4 (lepidolite); 2.5–3 (biotite); 2.5–3 (phlogopite); 2–2.5 (muscovite) |
| Luster | pearly, vitreous |
| Streak | White, colorless |
| Specific gravity | 2.8–3.0 |
| Diagnostic features | cleavage |
| References | |
Micas are used in products such as drywalls, paints, and fillers, especially in parts for automobiles, roofing, and in electronics. The mineral is used in cosmetics and food to add "shimmer" or "frost".
