ImerCare® 6M
A sustainable solution for cohesiveness in powders
ImerCare 6M is a 100% natural mica which is sustainably sourced from our French deposit in Brittany. It confers superior cohesiveness and a transparent and luminous effect to pressed powders.
ImerCare 6M natural mica has been specifically engineered to optimize particle size and lamellarity so as to provide cohesion and a luminous, transparent effect in pressed powders such as eye shadows, blushers and face powders.
Unlike other micas, which can demonstrate cohesion issues at high loadings, ImerCare 6M mica can be incorporated at more than 70% into powder formulations while providing:
- Excellent cohesiveness
- Good sensorial properties and pick-up
- Good compromise between matte finish and luminosity
- Transparency making it suitable for all skin colors
Improving mechanical properties can have a negative impact on sensorial properties such as pick-up and softness. This is not the case with ImerCare 6M mica, which confers both high cohesiveness and good sensorial properties. In drop tests, a formulation containing 76% ImerCare 6M mica was twice as cohesive as a formulation containing 76% standard mica.
For sensorial properties, in independent panel tests a formulation containing 76% ImerCare 6M mica demonstrated equally good sensorial properties as the benchmark product containing 76% standard mica. This result is significant given the high cohesiveness achieved using our mica-based solution.
As it’s sourced in France from our Ploemeur operation in Brittany, where respect for the environment has always been a key commitment, ImerCare 6M mica meets market demand for sustainably sourced, natural mineral-based cosmetics.
Our ISO-certified Ploemeur site has been firmly engaged in various environmental initiatives for several years, and is considered exemplary by UNICEM (the National Union of Quarries and Building Materials Industries) for its progress in corporate social responsibility.
All our cosmetic products are natural, highly pure, chemically inert and offer good skin tolerance. They are not treated with chemicals during processing. These attributes enable them to be used in cosmetic products that comply with cosmetic directive regulation (EC) n°1223/2009.
ImerCare 6M: an Imerys Pioneer product
ImerCare 6M is an effective solution which is ethically sourced from our French deposit in Brittany, hence guaranteeing full EU traceability and meeting demand for responsible ingredient sourcing. For this reason, ImerCare 6M represents the highest social and environmental contribution to the downstream value chain, while demonstrating a low environmental impact in its production phase, compared to its economic value. As such, it has been given the Imerys Pioneer certificate, our highest sustainability rating denoting products and services with an outstanding sustainability performance compared to the reference on the market.
Based on a Life-Cycle Assessment of ImerCare 6M mica, it was also rated a sustainable solution according to Solvay SPM methodology, thanks to a clear alignment with cosmetic market expectations in terms of local and sustainable sourcing, complying with the highest social standard.
ImerCare 6M mica for cosmetics is Cosmos approved – certificates of origin and additional documentation are available upon request. More information about ImerCare 6M can be found in the brochure available from our Download Center.
Key benefits
Imerys Kaolins de Bretagne in southwest Brittany hosted an open day to commemorate its 120th anniversary, bringing together the general public, site employees and their families, customers, representatives of local associations, local elected officials and other important regional stakeholders. The day also marked another significant milestone for the company's future, since it coincides with the renewal in 2023 of the prefectural order authorizing Imerys to continue its mining activities at Kaolin de Bretagne for a further 28 years.
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