When some minerals are ground into powders, they may be used as pigments, solid substances that change the color of the materials they are mixed with. The first pigments, known since prehistoric times, were iron oxides, which make warm, dark reds and browns. Other early pigments were made of lead, carbon (in charcoal form), malachite, and azurite. Today's paints may contain synthetic dyes in addition to natural pigments and fillers such as calcium carbonate, mica, silica, talc, and titanium dioxide. Minerals have been used as ingredients in facial makeup at least since the days of ancient Egypt, when women painted their eyes with kohl, a mixture containing finely ground galena, or lead sulfide. Modern-day cosmetics manufacturers avoid hazardous substances like lead and arsenic, but many of their products contain microscopic particles of minerals and their derivatives such as iron oxide (from goethite and other minerals), titanium dioxide (usually from ilmenite), talc, mica, and kaolinite.
Phyllosilicate Mineral Muscovite
Phyllosilicate Mineral Muscovite