Mica has a Natural Origin Index (NOI) of 1.00 (scale 0–1) per ISO 16128. Mica is a naturally occurring silicate mineral, unmodified beyond physical milling. An NOI of 1.00 means 100% of its molecular mass is traceable to a natural, renewable source.

Is Mica natural? NOI 1.00 — Is That Natural?

How we scored it

Natural silicate mineral, mined and processed; explicitly listed as natural-origin mineral = 1.0.

What counts. ISO 16128-2 scores the atoms that remain in the final ingredient. Reagents, solvents, catalysts and protecting groups used during manufacture leave no mass behind and are not counted.

Where it comes from

Mined from mica-bearing rock deposits and mechanically split and ground into flakes or powder. No synthetic route is used commercially.

In plain English

A finely ground natural mineral that gives makeup and skincare products shimmer, smoothness and bulk. Mined from rock deposits and processed into thin sheets or powder.

CosIng definition: Mica is a series of silicate minerals of varying chemical composition but with similar physical properties. Mica may have well-defined cleavage and split into very thin sheets.

Structure

hexaaluminum;dipotassium;hexakis(dioxosilane);nonakis(oxygen(2-));difluoride;hydrate

PubChem CID 131842327 ↗

References

1ISO 16128-1:2016 and ISO 16128-2:2017 — Guidelines on technical definitions and criteria for natural and organic cosmetic ingredients and products. ISO, Geneva.
2Mica. PubChem CID 131842327. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
3MICA. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
4MICA. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=MICA