Wet Ground Mica FAQ

Natural for cost and for a slightly more 'real' lustre; synthetic for purity, whiteness and a cleaner regulatory story.

Wet-ground natural mica carries the natural trace elements of the mineral, which is why it needs a heavy-metal statement and, in some markets, additional documentation. Synthetic fluorphlogopite is produced from a controlled melt, so it is brighter and whiter, has a tighter particle size distribution, and its documentation is simpler. It costs more.

In a high-end eyeshadow or a product going into a strict market, synthetic is usually worth the extra cost. In a mass-market pressed powder, natural mica does the job.

Sericite is a fine-grained muscovite with a smaller platelet and a more matte appearance. It is the grade you use when you want the platy structure of mica without the sparkle.

The difference is optical, not chemical. Coarser mica reflects more and reads as pearlescent; sericite's finer platelets scatter more diffusely and read as soft and matte. That is why sericite appears in mattifying powders and in talc-replacement work, and mica appears in highlighters and eyeshadows.

Our range separates them explicitly: Kingcovite 5901 and 77 are the matte Replace Talc grades, 51 / 5501 / 57 are sericite, 25 is the general mica, and 71 / 75 / 74 / 6710 are synthetic fluorphlogopite.

Coarser platelets give more sparkle and more visible shimmer; finer ones give a softer sheen and more coverage.

On a 6 to 20 µm ladder, 20 µm (Kingcovite 71) gives the most pronounced pearlescent effect and the easiest spreading, but it also shows the individual platelets on the skin at close range. 10 µm (75, 25) is the balance point. 6 µm (74) and 5 µm (5501) give a soft, almost matte sheen with better coverage and better adhesion.

In an eyeshadow, the size choice is really a decision about whether you want visible shimmer or a smooth wash of colour.

It can carry the structure, but not the oil control.

Mica is platy like talc and presses well, and its lower bulk density means you use less by weight for the same volume. What it does not do is absorb oil — it is a surface, not a sponge. A talc-free compact built on mica alone tends to look shiny within a couple of hours.

The workable formula pairs mica with calcined kaolin or a porous silica for the oil absorption, and keeps the mica fraction high enough that the slip and press strength survive.

Because it is grown from a controlled melt rather than mined, so it has none of the iron and other trace colourants that tint a natural mineral.

Natural mica's colour varies by ore body, which is why a natural mica needs a whiteness window and a lot-level check. Synthetic material starts white and stays white, and its platelet size distribution is tighter because it is classified after synthesis rather than ground from an ore.

For a white or pastel shade, that difference is worth paying for. For a deep shade it is invisible.

Yes — Kingcovite 6710 at 10 µm, held to the German BVL heavy-metal limits.

It sits in the synthetic fluorphlogopite group, which is where the strictest market requirements usually land, because the synthetic route makes the heavy-metal profile easier to control in the first place. The optical performance is the same as the standard 10 µm grade.

If a customer questionnaire names BVL, this is the grade to quote.

Eyeshadow 20–50%, face powder 5–25%.

In eyeshadow, mica is often the structural base — it provides the press strength, the pay-off and the pearl, and the pigment sits on top of it. Below 20% the shadow loses its cohesion; above 50% you start to lose colour intensity because the pearl dilutes it.

In a face powder, mica is usually a supporting player: enough to add slip and a soft sheen, not so much that the product looks frosted. Above roughly 25% in a translucent powder, the pearl becomes visible on the skin in daylight.

Because the platelets align during pressing, and the alignment is not uniform.

Platy materials orient parallel to the pressing surface, which is what produces the sheen — but if the fill is uneven or the press is not level, the platelets align at slightly different angles across the pan, and the result reads as streaks. It is a process problem, not a material problem, in most cases.

Two things help: a tighter particle size distribution (synthetic grades are better here) and a slower press cycle with a more even fill. Adding a small amount of a spherical filler also breaks up the alignment and reduces the effect.

25 kg per bag, 500 kg jumbo bags available. MOQ 25 kg for stock grades, 100–200 kg for non-stock.

Lead time is about 7–15 working days; samples are 1 kg and ship with COA and TDS.

Mica is a low-bulk-density material, so a 25 kg bag is physically large — worth knowing when you plan warehouse space. For high-volume use, the jumbo bag is usually the better unit.