The Dark Secret Behind Your Makeup

On this episode of Shady, our host, Lexy Lebsack explores the unethically sourced ingredient that's in almost all makeup products. She travels to the mica mines in India to uncover the truth about child labor rings behind this mineral. Watch Shady to see what really goes into making your makeup!

Refinery 29 series ‘Shady’ with host Lexy Lebsack examines the hidden side of popular makeup brands and other common household products. They contain mica mined by children in informal and illegal mines in Jharkand. The dilemma for brands is whether to step away from the problem and simply use synthetic mica, or engage with the communities impacted by mining and ensure that children go to school and adults make a living wage. Child-friendly villages and child parliaments in town government as developed and modeled by the Satyarthi Foundation demonstrate how villages can go about solving this. Consumers and companies also have a part to play.