Cosmetic Raw Materials

24K gold flakes for cosmetics

Why are there no 24K gold flakes for cosmetics? Gold piles

We often receive inquiries about why GoldCosmetica® offers 24K gold eye pads, lip masks, and facial and body treatments but no 24K gold flakes.

The answer is simple:

We start the production process by beating the cosmetic gold into thin leaves before processing them into eye pads, lip masks, face masks, and body treatments or grinding and sifting them into flakes and powders of different particle sizes. However, due to the absence of additional components in pure 24 karat gold (999), the thin leaves are soft and almost “sticky”. This is called a cohesion – a force of electrical origin, also known as van der Waals forces after Dutch physicist Van der Waals.

While this is not an issue for our eye pads, lip masks, face masks, and body treatments, where each gold leaf is separated from another by a carrier paper to prevent sticking, genuine pure 24K gold leaf flakes tend to clump together, making them unsuitable for use in cosmetic formulations.

But there is a solution

In order to provide our customers in the cosmetics industry with only the best quality products, we have come up with a solution. We offer Gold 985, an optimized flake specifically designed for cosmetic use. This alloy contains 98.5% gold, as well as tiny amounts of copper and silver which make the material slightly harder and improve the cohesive forces. As a result, the cosmetic gold leaf does not stick together and the final gold flakes have an excellent volume and appearance.

With our Gold 985, you can rest assured that you are receiving high quality and visually flawless gold flakes for your cosmetic formulations.

Particle size recommendation

If you aim to provide your cosmetic product with a distinct golden shine, our powder No. 7 is a recommended option. But if you prefer the gold to be more prominent in your formulation, our flake No. 5 is likely to be the ideal choice.

You can find a complete list of all available Gold Cosmetica particle sizes and cosmetic alloys here. For personalized guidance and assistance, please fill out our contact form, and we will be happy to answer your questions and provide tailored recommendations.