Is Your Makeup Being Produced by Child Labor?

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What if you knew the products in your makeup were involved in child labor, corruption, and forced labor? Would you buy them anyways?

No offense, you probably are or have, and I’m pretty sure I have too. Yikes, shnikes. But here’s the thing . . . we don’t know, what we don’t know . . . but now that I know, I’m about to ge

t you in the know (Try saying that 20 times fast.😉)

Mica, a mineral used for the base of many color cosmetics that also creates a shimmer effect in pressed powders, lip glosses, and lipsticks, is a globally sourced mineral that is used in many of our day-to-day products—from automotive paints, to electronics, to beauty products. If you’re making cosmetics, you need mica. The good news is that mica is a clean, safe ingredient. The problem is that the mica industry still relies on child labor and corruption. Children in India, as young as 5-years-old, are mining for mica and the majority of mica used today is produced illegally and sold on the black market.

Beautycounter wants to end this abusive practice.  In 2015, Congress took action to close the loophole in US law allowing imports made with forced labor. Yet, nearly five years later, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) have not fully implemented the law. Join Beautycounter in pushing for next-le
vel transparency in the mica industry by asking CBP to take action. You can text MICA to 52886 to sign a petition online to encourage the Customs and Border Patrol to fully enforce the 2015 law banning imports made with forced child labor.
Safety and performance are two of Beautycounter non-negotiables, which is why I’ve recently become an advocate for this company. For the past 18 months, leaders in the company been traveling around the world to visit every single mine where the mica in Beautycounter products is sourced to make sure they uphold responsible sourcing standards. As a result of these audits, Beautycounter has even dropped some suppliers that didn’t meet their standards. In-person audits are time-consuming, expensive, and sometimes dangerous, but they know this is important, necessary work. Beautycounter is taking a stand for the entire mica industry and leading the way for impactful change. Later this month, they are releasing a short documentary showcasing their massive strides towards responsibly sourced mica.

Mica is used in five of the six products in the Flawless in Five regimen from the base of the Dew Skin to the shimmer in Beautycounter lip glosses. We should feel confident that the products we use daily are safe for us, for the environment, and for the people that bring the products to life. Beautycounter’s products do all of that. 

Want to help spread awareness? Continue to vote with your wallet and support brands like Beautycounter that are committed to responsible sourcing. There is no other brand going to these lengths to ensure responsibly sourced mica. Remember you can also text MICA to 52886 to stop the importation of products that are the result of child labor. And of course, if you want to join this mission, be a voice and an advocate for real change, I would love to provide you with more information about the opportunity. Email info@sarahaley.com with Beautycounter advocate in the subject line.

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