Raw Materials – Eyeshadow Palette

I. Introduction To Eyeshadow Palette Raw Materials

Makeup palettes in the twenty first century are often made of raw
materials sourced from places unknown to the everyday consumer. A
few key ingredients across all eyeshadow palettes are silica, mica, and
talc, and caprylic/capric triglyceride. These ingredients must be
sourced as a raw material or synthesized inorganically in a lab.
Regardless of acquisition methodology, both collection processes end
in environmental damage. Raw material acquisition affects the
manufacturing, re-use ability, recycle-ability, and waste management
of eyeshadow palettes globally. Along with this, the energy, re-
distribution, and transportation of eyeshadow is widely affected by the
global resourcing of eyeshadow palette minerals, which is usually raw
material acquisition via mining and secondhand synthetic processing,
which causes its own slew of waste and energy production.
Throughout this paper I will attempt to address this life cycle of the
main ingredients in the Naked 3 eyeshadow palette: talc, mica, silica,
caprylic/capric triglyceride, and paperboard packaging; from ground
collection to finished product.

II. Collection of Primary Raw Materials

Studying the acquisition of raw materials in eyeshadow palette

production is an important and unknown aspect of the beauty world.
Many makeup companies are extremely focused on life-form
ethicality, from animal testing to labor sourcing, but few have shed

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 light on the unethical practices used to source the materials needed
for beauty brands everywhere. Primary raw materials, or materials
taken directly from the earth, have been collected by cosmetic
companies without foresight on environmental damage for years. With
green chemistry and sustainability showing up on the average
consumer’s radar, we must analyze the damage done by raw material
sourcing. Although I cannot cover all raw materials used in cosmetics,
due to scope, size, and lack of research available, a few very
important key players (mica powder and talc) are well researched.

A. Mica powder is a huge aspect of cosmetic eyeshadow.

Responsible for the shimmers and gleaming colors in makeup, this
component is found nearly everywhere. Mica mining, however, is
extremely detrimental to the environment. In the article Environmental
Effects of Sand and Gravel Mining on Land and Soil…, by Ako et al., in
the Journal of Geosciences and Geomatics, it was concluded that
mica mines caused a reduction of farm and grazing lands, a
destruction of landscape, deforestation, water pollution, and air
pollution. This is as much as I could find on the environmental impacts
of mining mica. Unfortunately, the data to represent this information
has not yet been properly researched and published. This same
narrative can be found in many other naturally mined cosmetics,
spoken about below. Talc, however, is not under-researched at all.

B. Talc is a white, naturally occurring, powdery mineral used in

cosmetics for absorbing moisture, and improving the feel of shadow
products. It is prevalent across nearly all eyeshadows and therefore is
a good material to evaluate. Talc is collected via mining practices all
over the world, but for the sake of research availability, I will be

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 referencing a talc plant in Italy- named Luzenac Val Chisone who have
undergone an ecological balance analysis and published a paper on
their quantified results. According to V. Bandino, G.L. Baldo, et al., who
wrote Ecobalance of Talc Mineral Production, Talc is commonly
collected via “selective blasting and cement filling”. Table 1, under the
figures section, references the minimal materials needed to mine talc.
When looking it over, the most expensive cost to mining 1 ton of talc is
reported to be 4.6 liters of diesel. There are five main off gassed
compounds during the mining process, with the heaviest emission
being 36.8 grams of Carbon Monoxide per 1 ton of exploded mineral
(table 2). In the bigger picture, producing 1 ton of talc has a cost of:
1070 megajoules in energy usage, and over 16,152 grams of CO2
(Table 5). These are significant numbers, as on average in America
alone, 45,000 tons of talc were used in cosmetics (Zazenski R.,
Ashton W.H., et al. 219). This totals out to roughly 726,840,000 grams
of off gassed CO2 from solely America’s Talc consumption (Figure 1).
This same equation can be repeated with the values on table 5 to give
an accurate portrayal of other forms of environmental effects of
refined talc.

All of this may lead one to believe that synthetic material sourcing is a
great alternative to the natural damage caused by raw material
acquisition. This is a fair assumption, and as we move toward total
depletion of natural resources, it may be our only option. Let’s explore
the current synthetic resources used in eyeshadow palettes today.

III. Secondary Raw Materials (Synthesized Materials)

Secondary synthesized materials have their own impact on the

environment in the process of eyeshadow creation. Synthetic Silica

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 and Caprylic/capric triglyceride are specifically well researched and
will be discussed in this paper.

A. Synthetic Silica is a common ingredient in eyeshadow. It can be

produced in a multitude of ways, but “in brief, sodium carbonate
powder is allowed to react with quartz sand at high temperatures to
form sodium silicate, which is then treated with sulfuric acid to
precipitate silica.” (Joglekar S., Kharkar R., et al. 492) This common
method can cause environmental damage due to consumption of
quartz sand, which is a naturally occurring non-renewable resource.
Recently, however, many silica producers have begun to investigate
using rice husk ash (RHA) as an alternative resource for silica
production. RHA is a by-product in rice milling processes and can
cause environmental build-up as a waste product with no use (Kumar
A., Sengupta B., et al. 47). RHA has since developed into a renewed
resource for mineral replacement in cements and steels, and
it

is
now beginning its life as a secondary synthetization source for
amorphous silica. Using various lab synthesizing processes, it is
possible to recover over 90% of the silica contained in RHA (Shelke et
al. 66). This narrative of creating a necessary chemical ingredient out

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 of a waste resource is extremely common as demand continues to
outgrow supply throughout the world. Makeup is no exception to this,
but hopefully as we continue to renew materials, we can find long
term solutions to our ongoing investigation into sustainable life cycles.
When compared to the environmental impacts of naturally obtained
silica though, RHA is an extremely ecofriendly alternative as it renews
a secondary byproduct extremely effectively. The environmental
impact of RHA synthesis is yet to be researched, as it is a new finding
in the scientific community, and can be seen as in its infancy.

B. Caprylic/capric acid is a lauric oil derived from coconut or palm

plants. Both coconut and palm plants have small amounts of caprylic
acid naturally occurring in them, and therefore are greatly consumed
for a small amount of final product. This makes caprylic acid
manufacturing costly in both resources and time (Shilva, 102). On a
greater scale, however, palm oil production has been shown to affect
land, air quality, and animal biodiversity. (Carlson et al.). This makes
Caprylic acid an overall poor material in the environmental sense, for
its effects on earth are directionally inverse to its production value.

IV. Packaging Materials

A. Packaging is a huge aspect of the life cycle and energy cost of

eyeshadow palette. L’Oréal, the parent company behind many
eyeshadow palettes, is known for having high-end packaging made of
plastics and mixed paperboard. When requested for comment on their
packaging materials, they responded with the following statement:
“We’re happy to confirm that our packaging is made of paperboard
cartons made of recyclable materials.” No further information was
given. While not perfect, paperboard packaging has been shown to

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 create a “more environmentally friendly option than the plastic crate
system in all studied impact categories.” according to Koskela et al.,
who compared cardboard and plastic delivery systems to assess their
individual environmental impact throughout their life cycle.
Unfortunately, paperboard is not used by all companies, so the
impacts of plastic must also be considered. The effects of plastic
packaging in the makeup industry was not widely available, as plastic
use effects are generalized outside of the cosmetics bubble. As we all
know, plastics are extremely damaging as a non-degrading material
that can be toxic and dangerous to all ecosystems and life on earth.
Outside the bounds of purely cosmetics, plastics are infamous.
Unfortunately, the scope of plastic damage is so wide that information
on just cosmetics was unavailable.

V. Conclusion

A. Raw material acquisition affects the manufacturing, re-use ability,

recycle-ability, and waste management of eyeshadow palettes
globally. Along with this, the energy, re-distribution, and transportation
of eyeshadow is widely affected by the global resourcing of
eyeshadow palette minerals, which is usually raw material acquisition
via mining and secondhand synthetic processing. In this paper, I have
successfully led an understanding of raw and synthetic material
acquisition effects for eyeshadow palettes through accurate and
detailed analysis of three key ingredients shared by most eyeshadows:
talc, silica, mica, capric acid, and paperboard/plastic packaging. While
much is still unresearched, as consumers we can help this process by
adequately supporting brands who focus on environmental impact-
from start to finish for the entire designs’ life cycle.

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 VI. Closing Notes

A. Unfortunately, although I spent much of my time researching this

topic, many of the sources I found for various components of
eyeshadow were unreliable, under-researched, or simply non-existent.
I found that most of the research done on makeup ingredients has
been in relation to the health and safety of humans and the toxicology
of makeup, instead of the environmental sourcing, manufacturing, or
ecological effects of these raw materials. I have chosen to speak on
the most researched life cycle minerals for accuracy of information
and ability to cite. Some sources in my bibliography were used for
general research and understanding but not directly quoted within this
paper.

VII. Figures

A. Table 2 and Table 5 are sourced from V. Bandino, G.L. Baldo.

Figure 1. CO2 equivalent for 1 ton of refined talc

Raw Materials Bibliography

Common cosmetic ingredient / Useful resources info

Life Analysis of a Portable Cosmetics Package

Jaccarini, P., and P. Refalo. “Life Cycle Analysis of a Portable

Cosmetic Package.” Challenges for Technology Innovation:
An Agenda for the Future, CRC Press, 2017, pp. 269–73.
www.taylorfrancis.com,

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 https://doi.org/10.1201/9781315198101-47.

Chapter 1 - Green Chemistry: Foundations in Cosmetic Sciences

Cannon, Amy S., and John C. Warner. "Green chemistry:

foundations in cosmetic sciences." Global Regulatory Issues
for the Cosmetics Industry. William Andrew Publishing,
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Formulating, packaging, and marketing of natural cosmetic

products

Dayan, Nava, and Lambros Kromidas, eds. Formulating,

packaging, and marketing of natural cosmetic products.
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Sustainability Calculator: A Tool to Assess Sustainability in

Cosmetic Products

Bom, Sara, Helena Margarida Ribeiro, and Joana Marto.

"Sustainability calculator: a tool to assess sustainability in
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A step forward on sustainability in the cosmetics industry: A

review

Bom, S., et al. "A step forward on sustainability in the

cosmetics industry: A review." Journal of Cleaner Production
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 Sahota, Amarjit, ed. Sustainability: how the cosmetics
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Talc Info

Trace metals in cosmetic facial talcum powders marketed in

Nigeria

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powders marketed in Nigeria." Toxicological & Environmental
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Raw Materials Sourcing for Manufacturing in Nigeria. Nigeria,

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· Badino, V., et al. ECOBALANCE OF TALC MINERAL

PRODUCTION. p. 6.

Talc: Occurrence, Characterization, and Consumer Applications

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Consumer Applications.” Regulatory Toxicology and
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Mica Info

Natural resources: Child labour in India's mica mines: The global

beauty industry

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 Bliss, Susan. "Natural resources: Child labour in India's mica
mines: The global beauty industry." Geography Bulletin 49.3
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Environmental Effects of Sand and Gravel Mining on Land and

Soil in Luku, Minna, Niger State, North Central Nigeria

A, Ako T., et al. “Environmental Effects of Sand and Gravel

Mining on Land and Soil in Luku, Minna, Niger State, North
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Environmental impacts of Indian small-scale mining industry - an

overview

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Mining Industry - an Overview.” Minerals & Energy - Raw
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Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology- Mica

Tanner, James T. and Updated by Staff. “Mica.” Kirk-Othmer

Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology, edited by John Wiley
& Sons, Inc., John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2012, p.
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 .pub2.

Silica Info

A Life Cycle Assessment of Silica Sand: Comparing the

Beneficiation Processes

Grbeš, Anamarija. “A Life Cycle Assessment of Silica Sand:

Comparing the Beneficiation Processes.” Sustainability, vol.
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2016, p. 11. www.mdpi.com,
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Process development of silica extraction from RHA: a cradle to

gate environmental impact approach

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Extraction from RHA: A Cradle to Gate Environmental Impact
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A simple method for production of pure silica from rice hull ash

Kalapathy, U. “A Simple Method for Production of Pure Silica

from Rice Hull Ash.” Bioresource Technology, vol. 73, no. 3,
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Recovery of value added products from rice husk ash to explore

an economic way for recycle and reuse of agricultural waste

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 Kumar, Anuj, et al. “Recovery of Value Added Products from
Rice Husk Ash to Explore an Economic Way for Recycle and
Reuse of Agricultural Waste.” Reviews in Environmental
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Mesoporous Silica from Rice Husk Ash

Shelke, V. R., et al. “Mesoporous Silica from Rice Husk Ash.”

BULLETIN OF CHEMICAL REACTION ENGINEERING AND
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Caprylic Acid Info

· Carbon emissions from forest conversion by Kalimantan oil palm

plantations

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Conversion by Kalimantan Oil Palm Plantations.” Nature Climate
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 · Assessing eco-innovations in green chemistry: Life Cycle
Assessment (LCA) of a cosmetic product with a bio-based ingredient

o Secchi, Michela, et al. “Assessing Eco-Innovations in Green

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· Environmental Life Cycle Assessment of Caproic Acid Recovery

from Brewery Waste Streams

o Shrestha - Advancing Chain Elongation Technology for Medium

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Packaging Info

· Reusable Plastic Crate or Recyclable Cardboard Box?

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Comparison of Two Delivery Systems | Elsevier Enhanced Reader.
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Tin/Zinc/Other Metals Info

Toxic metals contained in cosmetics: A status report

Bocca, Beatrice, et al. "Toxic metals contained in cosmetics:

a status report." Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology
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