Snake Island Mica Blend

Mica is a natural mineral powder known for its beautiful shimmer and sparkle. It's commonly used in cosmetics and soaps, to add colour and a pearlescent finish.

Available in a wide range of shades, mica is loved for its versatility and ability to create eye-catching effects in handmade products.

We have chosen to partner with Mad Micas to ensure world standard ethical practices. Mad Micas states "we are committed to holding ourselves and our suppliers to the highest ethical standards. We have established a strict set of guiding principles that govern our actions and our supply lines that are rigid and non-negotiable".

You can read their ethics statement here.

Most mica used in cosmetics and soap begins with naturally mined mica that is ground to a fine powder. This mica powder is grey-white in colour until it is coated with pigments (iron oxides, ultramarines or dyes).

Coloured micas are therefore pigments on a mica substrate (the underlying substance). Those pigments, however, are not natural. They are lab-created to avoid the unhealthy levels of lead, arsenic and mercury that mined pigments contain.

So there are no coloured micas that are 100% natural. If they contain a pigment (ultramarine, iron oxide or dye), they are not natural.

Special note: some of our micas are made with a synthetic mica substrate called Fluorphlogopite. It is brighter and smoother than natural mica, and makes a fantastic substrate for some applications.

Each mica has its own usage recommendations. Some colours may not be safe for lip products or bath bombs. Check the safety tags and the Product specs panel near the top of this page to see exactly what this colour is approved for.

While mica looks beautiful, we don't suggest using it in candles, as it can clog the wick and affect how well your candle burns. It's perfect for wickless candles and wax melts instead.

Because wax melts don't have a wick, you don't need to worry about clogging or flame interference like you would in candles. Mica adds a beautiful shimmer and swirl when the melt liquifies, especially in clear waxes.

This is a common issue and usually happens when mica isn't properly mixed or pre-dispersed before being added. Mica doesn't dissolve in water, so if added directly it can clump or streak.

Try pre-mixing your mica in a small amount of oil (like sweet almond or fractionated coconut oil) before adding it to your soap base. For melt-and-pour soap, you can also mix mica into a little isopropyl alcohol first. For cold process soap, using a stick blender after adding the mica helps break up any streaks or clumps.

Taking this extra step really improves the final look of your soap and gives you that beautiful, even shimmer.