From eyeshadows to lipstick, almost all makeup products have a common mineral, mica. However, the methods in which this substance is acquired is derived from unethical means, and further influences mining companies to uphold cycles of poverty and child labor. Mica is a naturally occurring silicate, and when used in makeup, it adds a shimmer and glow that many makeup users prefer. This beautiful substance causes children, predominantly in India, to risk injuries and death to mine the mineral that funds western beauty trends.  

        Mica powder, which is often used in eyeshadow, highlighter, and other makeup products, is a natural stone mineral, prevalent in India, that contains over 34 silicate minerals and is ground into a fine powder to produce a glitter that is used in the production of makeup products.  

        India has been known as the one of the largest exporters of mica in the world, with most production and labor being in the two states Jharkhand and Bihar, largely due to the poverty rates in these areas being substantially high, thus influencing children to drop out of school and work in mines to provide food for their families. According to Fairplanet.org, an estimated 22,000 children, as young as four years old, work in mica mines in Jharkhand and Bihar. According to Refinery 29, an upwards of 60% of mica that is used in BB, beauty balm, creams, eyeshadows, and other cosmetic products, is supplied from India, 70% of its supply being extracted using child labor from illegal mines unregulated by the government. 

         Illegal mica mining poses substantial health risks to children, that often lead to death. Since these mines are unregulated, working conditions are harsh, with children being exposed to dust and debris for hours, being exposed to potential infections by digging for mica with their bare hands, and only receiving the equivalent of $.70 for the children’s rigorous work. These conditions clearly demonstrate the human rights violations and dangers associated with child labor in mica mines in India.  

        In order to dismantle the inhumane child labor system that is rampant in India, and other places around the world, people should confirm whether the mica in the products they purchase are ethically sourced, and if not, one should avoid purchasing the product. Many people may argue that it is impossible to avoid products that contain mica; however, this line of thinking is ultimately flawed since not endorsing unjust system has historically been successful in dismantling them, thus, not endorsing child labor in unethically sourced mica will help dismantle the system of child labor. Governments around the world, especially the Indian government, should do everything in its power to shut down illegal, unregulated mica mines that have inhumane working conditions.