Each morning, many students do their usual makeup routines, oftentimes without thinking about where it comes from. Beneath the sparkle of that lip gloss and eyeshadow, however, lies a story of child labor and exploitation.
Coppell High School junior Prisha Thakur has taken it upon herself to share that story.
Thakur aims to raise awareness about mica-free makeup and the child labor involved in the mining of mica, a shimmering mineral commonly found in beauty products such as eyeshadows and lipsticks.
This issue resonates with Thakur on a personal level.
“Most of the world’s mica is mined in my dad’s home state in India, Jharkhand,” Thakur said. “Every time I visit India, I think about those kids and I think about all the privileges I have and they don’t.”
Thakur hosts workshops at the South Irving Library for teenagers.
“It’s important to teach them to use the right kinds of makeup from ethically responsible companies at a young age,” Thakur said.
Thakur has distributed fliers outside beauty stores, such as Ulta, so that people can get an idea of the makeup brands they should and should not buy. Additionally, she creates her own mica-free makeup and passes out samples. She also occasionally has a booth at the Coppell Farmers Market.
However, Thakur has faced several challenges in getting her message across.
“At the Farmers Market, not a lot of people wanted to stop and listen,” Thakur said. “Many people don’t realize how this issue impacts them, so they’re just not interested.”
Another challenge Thakur encounters is gaining support from larger beauty brands. These brands’ priorities often conflict with Thakur’s mission.
“Her message isn’t one that the big beauty stores want people to hear, since not all the products they carry are ethically sourced,” Thakur’s Girl Scouts Gold Award liaison Becky Blasingame said.
Thakur is not discouraged by these challenges, though.
“Everytime I kind of start to lose hope or motivation, I think about those kids out there,” Thakur said. “I realized if we’re all thinking the same thing, nothing will change. Even if nobody else wants to help those kids, I need to.”
One of the aspects making Thakur’s project accessible is the simplicity of her homemade makeup recipes. For example, most of the ingredients needed in her lipgloss can be found around the kitchen, such as fractionated coconut oil, olive oil and beetroot powder.
Her products are not only easy to make using all natural ingredients, but also comparable to the quality of store-bought makeup.
“I applied the homemade eyeshadow myself, and you couldn’t really tell the difference between mine and the store-bought version,” Thakur said.
Juniors Samanvi Sadak and Jhanvi Loka have joined Thakur in her mission.
“I’ve known [Thakur] for a long time, so I wasn’t surprised by her incredible mission,” Sadak said. “She has a clear vision of her goals and is always open to my suggestions.”
Not only has this project raised awareness about ethical makeup practices, but also helped Thakur grow as a person. Thakur’s mentor and fellow Gold Award recipient Sanjana Asha has noticed this change.
”I’ve seen [Thakur’s] confidence transform throughout this project,” Asha said. “She was initially nervous about public speaking and leadership, but I quickly witnessed her passion for the work overcome her fears.”
Thakur plans on starting letter campaigns and hosting presentations with the parent-teacher organizations of elementary schools to raise awareness. She also hopes to eventually partner with Save the Children, an organization improving the lives of children around the world.
“Save the Children has its reach globally and I think I can use that to make a larger impact of my mission,” Thakur said
Thakur is determined to continue her work even after receiving her Gold Award. Her goal is not just to raise awareness, but to create lasting change in the beauty industry.
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