Best Mica Powder for Resin and How to Use It

Many types of pigments can be used to color resin, however, I love using mica powder for luscious colors and gorgeous sparkle. These naturally occurring particles can help turn your resin creation into any color you can think of! Let's delve into the resin world, determining which mica powder is best for it and explaining how it all works.  

Creating resin crafts and art is a lot of fun. So let's get ready to have some fun and create some amazing, fantastical art!

What Exactly is Mica Powder?

Mica is a naturally occurring mineral that is used to make mica epoxy pigment powder. After the mica mineral has been mined, it is dehydrated and combined with other natural substances such as iron and tin oxide. These substances combine to form a very fine powder, which is then used to dye resin in almost any color imaginable!

While you could use epoxy pigment powder to color your resin, it will not produce the same sparkly results as mica powder. Regular resin dye and pigment powder only color the resin without the reflective and sparkly effects that distinguishes mica powder. The end result of regular epoxy pigment powder is a matte finish. 

Mica powder is a popular option for coloring epoxy resin, when you also want to add some sparkle. This is because of the fact that mica naturally adds glittery shine as well as rich, vibrant color. As a result, swirl formations and natural glimmer transform resin crafts and pours in an instant.

The Most Effective Mica Powder for Resin

You've probably seen many mica pigment powders around, whether in a store or while shopping for crafting supplies online. There are numerous companies that manufacture this product, and unfortunately, not all mica powders are created equal. This begs the question, which mica powder is best for resin? 

After testing several mica powders from different brands, I have fallen in love with the Rezin Arte mica powders from Colourarte. This small USA based company provides some of the best-rated mica powder sets for resin in the market today.

Let's take a look at the various Rezin Arte Mica Powders that Colourarte has to offer.

Benefits of Buying and Using Rezin Arte Mica Powders from Colourarte 

Why would you choose Rezin Arte Mica Powders from Colourarte?

• Every ColourArte product is made with a proprietary blend of bright clean color and mica minerals that sets it apart from other mica powders. As a result, color and light are refracted like crystals.

• They do not use toxic stabilizers, chemicals, fillers, dispersants, glycols or wetting agents. Just so the product looks perfect.

• They ONLY USE green based non-toxic or food grade materials to produce their products.

• All of their products are MADE IN USA hand mixed and poured.

• They recycle their production waste.

• They use minimal packaging on all products.

What is the difference between mica powder and resin dye?

We are all aware that these substances are used to add color to resin. Both regular dye color and mica powder are relatively easy to find, both online and at your local craft store. Each product will have a different effect and aesthetic as the end result in your resin projects.

Mica Powder will produce a shiny, glossy finish with shimmering effects whereas resin dye is just plain color that will produce a matte finish.

When using resin dye vs mica powder, you will notice a difference right away. As a result, the resin will have an opaque look and the mixture will have no sparkly or swirly effects. Resin will simply take the dye's color. You can adjust the transparency of the resin by adding only a small amount of resin dye.

How to Mix Mica Powder with Resin

Most epoxy kits include two components: resin and a hardener.

Mix the resin and hardener according to the package directions. Typically, you should mix these ingredients for 5-8 minutes to ensure everything is thoroughly mixed. Then you can add your mica powder.

There are two ways to incorporate mica into resin:

Stirring:

You can manually mix mica into the resin with a mixing stick or use a paint-mixing drill bit (useful for larger projects). Thoroughly combine. Make sure the mica powder is evenly distributed throughout the resin.

Pre-Mixing:

Pre-mixing the mica with a smaller amount of resin or in a tiny bit of alcohol can be beneficial to get the mica powder dissolved really well before adding it to a larger volume of resin. Add a small amount of resin or alcohol into a small cup. Incorporate the mica powder into the resin or alcohol solution until completely dissolved. Then combine this with your main epoxy solution.

Guidelines for how much mica powder to mix into resin

How much to mica powder do I add for smaller resin projects?

As a general guideline, use 1 gram of mica powder per 1-5 ounces of epoxy when doing projects that require small amounts of resin. One gram is roughly one quarter teaspoon. Adding more mica powder to your resin will obviously produce a darker and more opaque color, while less mica powder will produce a more transparent appearance.

To achieve that rich, pearlescent color in your jewelry pieces, you will typically require a higher amount of mica in your resin.

Here's a great Jewelry Beginner's course from Resin Obsession.

How much mica powder do I need for larger projects?

If you are doing larger projects that require large volumes of resin (over half-gallon) use about 1-3% mica powder (by weight) in the total resin mixture. For example, 1 gallon of epoxy weighs approximately 9 pounds; thus, if you want a more opaque color, use about 3-4 ounces of mica powder per gallon of epoxy resin. Use less mica powder if you want a more transparent finish.

Making Custom Colors:

If you wish to make custom colors, just pick two or more mica powders in different colors and add different ratios of these powders into your resin to create unique, custom colors.

Achieve Swirly Colors in Resin:

Here's how to create swirls of different colors in resin.

After combining the resin and hardener, divide the mixture into two smaller containers (or more if you want to swirl 2 or more colors). Combine your mica powders with your resin by stirring thoroughly.

When you're ready to pour, start with the base color. This will be the color with the highest volume. Then add one more color at a time. Before allowing the epoxy to cure, swirl the colors with a toothpick or skewer.

Here's a video that shows an easy to do project with Rezin Arte Mica Powders

People Also Asked: FAQs

What is mica powder used for in resin?

Mica powder is used to add color and make your epoxy resin shimmer.

What's the difference between pigment powder and mica powder?

Pigment powders are natural or synthetic colorants that are used to color resin with a matte finish, but mica powders are mainly used to add a little bit of color to resin along with some sparkling effects. 

How do you use mica powder for resin?

Here are some ideas for how to use mica powder: 

• A small amount can be mixed with clear resin to create a shimmery, pearlescent effect.
• To create dreamy, space-like effects, carefully swirl a small amount into colored resin.
• To make shimmery shades, mix into colored resin.
• Mix two or more powders together to create new colors and designs.
• Simply paint it on to your desired design! It can be painted almost anywhere.
• Paint the inside of your resin molds before adding resin inside. 

Adding mica powder to acrylic paint is another great way to give your artwork depth.

When learning how to use mica powder, keep in mind that a little goes a long way.

Is Mica Powder Harmful?

Although pure mica powder is safe to apply to your skin and other extremities, it should not be inhaled or ingested. Remember that these are not particularly soft particles, and that inhaling or ingesting large amounts of them can cause severe discomfort and/or internal scarring.

What Is the Source of Mica Powder?

Mica powder for epoxy is a natural substance. Mica is indeed mined! While some epoxy pigment powders are artificial or synthetic, true mica powder for epoxy is mined in a few locations around the world. 

Final Thoughts

There are numerous ways to incorporate sparkle into your acrylic artwork. Glitters and mica powders are two great ways for achieving that blinding sparkle in resin artwork, jewelry, furniture, and more.

Resin projects created with beautiful and luscious mica powders can make your artwork inspiring and magical. If you want to give resin art a try, here is a great beginner's course for learning how to do resin jewelry!

Be inspired by your own creation!