Iced Out: Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate

TL;DR. This ingredient is an effect-pigment substrate used to create shimmer, sparkle, and light-reflective dimension in makeup, nail, and body products. It can also add visual opacity and a smoother optical finish when coated with colorants or metal oxides.

What does Iced Out: Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate do in a cosmetic formula?

This ingredient is an effect-pigment substrate used to create shimmer, sparkle, and light-reflective dimension in makeup, nail, and body products. It can also add visual opacity and a smoother optical finish when coated with colorants or metal oxides.

Is Iced Out: Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate clean?

From a clean-beauty perspective, it is generally viewed as an inert mineral-based color additive support with low skin reactivity and little sensitization concern. The main caveat is particle size in loose powders, where inhalation exposure is more relevant than normal skin contact.

Is Iced Out: Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate sustainable?

This material is made from mineral feedstocks through high-temperature glass production, so its footprint is tied more to mining and energy use than agriculture or petrochemicals. It is not biodegradable in the organic sense, but it is an inorganic, non-bioaccumulative material rather than a plastic glitter.

Is Iced Out: Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate COSMOS-approved?

COSMOS alignment is mixed, since this type of synthetic mineral glass may be accepted only when it meets the standard’s mineral-origin and processing requirements and any coating colorants are also permitted. From a Green Chemistry lens, it scores well for inertness and low bioaccumulation, but less well for renewable sourcing and energy-intensive manufacture.

How does Iced Out: Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate work chemically?

The molecule is not a single small molecule, but an amorphous inorganic glass network built from calcium, it, boron, silicon, and oxygen atoms. It is typically used as a solid effect pigment rather than a dissolved active, remains stable across normal cosmetic pH ranges, and is often combined with metal-oxide coatings to tune sparkle, color travel, and opacity.

Last updated 2026-05-15