“It looks like
my skin only better.”
My answer to the question “Why Mineral Makeup?” is “Why would you
wear anything else?” The look and
benefits far surpass traditional makeup. And the category gets bigger and bigger and
more inventive every day with choices from low-end to high-end and everything
in between.
It does, however, get more important to examine thoroughly the
ingredient list. I had one mass brand
explain to me that they put talc in their mineral makeup because it’s a
mineral. Yes, but then it’s not mineral
makeup; it is traditional makeup relabeled.
Be careful of those marketing people – they’re clever!
What minerals should you see in mineral makeup? The quality, quantity, particle size and type
differ from brand to brand, but you should see a combination of any of these
ingredients: Titanium Dioxide, Zinc
Oxide, Iron Oxides, Mica, Bismuth Oxychloride or Boron Nitride. The minerals should appear at the top of the
ingredient list and not at the bottom.
(Ingredients are listed in descending order with the largest amount
listed first.)
Why is it important not to dilute minerals with fillers such as talc? The high percentage of minerals is what
provides such versatile coverage, sun protection and benefits for the
skin. This concentrated pigment also
gives the mineral powder such adherence that it rarely transfers or needs touching-up. Traditional
color cosmetics contain 70 – 90% talc and are often colored with petroleum-derived
dyes (FD&C or D&C).
I should add that minerals have no relationship to mineral oil which is a liquid petrolatum, a
by-product of petroleum.
I am often asked if minerals are organic. All substances can be divided into two
categories:
a) Organic –
that which contains organs to support life and will eventually rot (humans and
plants, for example)
b) Inorganic
– without
the organs necessary for life (rocks, for example).
I think what people really mean when they ask me if minerals are organic
is: “Are they natural?” That’s a hard
question to answer because there isn’t a satisfactory definition of “natural”
in our industry. Perhaps a better
question would be: “Do they occur naturally?” The answer to that would be “yes and no.” There is a misconception that minerals used
in mineral powders come directly from the earth. Even if the FDA allowed that, you wouldn’t
want these minerals on your skin because they would be contaminated with heavy
metals and other toxins. All minerals are manipulated extensively
in a laboratory and many are made there.
This doesn’t make them bad. They
are still minerals but they are manufactured under strict laboratory guidelines
that ensure their purity.
Perhaps “clean” rather than “natural” is a better word to describe
products that are attempting to eliminate toxins and questionable ingredients. Clean has been the mineral makeup pioneers’
quest from the start. Because the
category is so much more extensive than it once was, it has opened the door for
compromises. Now, you will see mineral powders
with talc, parabens, synthetic dyes and other ingredients. However, there are still a few purist brands
around. The choice is yours.
Let’s look at what minerals are used and why.
- Titanium dioxide (TiO2) – approved as a physical sunscreen – is a manufactured oxide of titanium. Titanium is most commonly found in the mineral rutile (beach sand). TiO2 is seldom used raw but is coated to eliminate oxidation and to increase its ability to refract UV rays. Dimethicone is commonly used as a coating to increase the light scattering properties of TiO2.
- Zinc oxide (ZnO) is manufactured from the mineral zincite. ZnO is also approved as a physical sunscreen. This pure white mineral is known for its anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties. It remains white when exposed to UV light.
- Mica occurs naturally but in cosmetics is a manufactured mineral which gives slip and glide to the finished product. It can be used in a larger particle size to provide shimmer or it can be used in a much smaller particle size to render it matte and absorbent. Mica is often used as a colorant.
- Bismuth oxychloride is a synthetically prepared iridescent white or nearly white powder. Its metallic sheen has led it to being called synthetic pearl. It adds color, coverage and adhesion to the finished product.
- Boron nitride (BN) is a manufactured white, silky powder that gives smoothness, coverage, slip and sheen. It is also known as the “soft focus” mineral because of its light refraction qualities.
- Iron oxides (Fe203), commonly
known as rust, are primarily used as colorants. All
iron oxides used in cosmetics are synthesized under strict laboratory
processes. Iron ore cannot be used
from nature because it contains heavy
metals.
At the beginning of this article, I made the rather bold
statement that the look and benefits of mineral makeup are far superior to
traditional makeup. How can I back this
up? Well, to begin with, in the fourteen
years that I’ve been intimately involved with mineral makeup, I have never known
a woman return to traditional makeup once she’s found a mineral brand she likes.
I’ve seen women and men with skin
challenges turn their lives around because of the benefits and coverage from
mineral makeup. Celebrities become
fanatical about it. It has grown from a
few pots in a plastic surgeon’s office to a world-wide phenomenon. It is now the fastest growing segment of the
cosmetic industry.
Let’s look at some specific benefits. Authentic mineral powders are a foundation,
concealer and powder all in one. If the
label indicates an SPF, they are also a sunscreen.
Coverage
It
is the way mineral makeup interacts with light that creates its celebrated
coverage. It can cover almost any
distraction without looking heavy and cakey. Minerals interact with light in complicated
ways:
- They allow light to pass through the particles so it bounces off the skin reflecting back some of the skin’s hue – literally taking on the color of the skin
- They reflect, refract and diffuse light creating a soft focus effect
- They create a luminous look to the skin – a healthy, youthful glow
This
interaction with light makes color-matching the skin tone easier than with
traditional makeup. In fact, you will
rarely see where minerals end and the skin begins. It is important to try minerals on the skin
to test for color. Often, the color in
the jar looks quite different when it is applied.
Allows the skin to breathe
Minerals
allow the skin to breathe and function normally – a boon to all skin types but
especially for those with acne and rosacea.
Sun Protection
There
is no question that sun protection is one of the most important things we can
do for the health of the skin. The
elegance of minerals is that they make this protection easy, effective and beautiful. However, do not assume that because you have
a mineral makeup in your hand that it has sun protection. Assume the reverse unless it has an SPF rating on its label. Mineral sun protection satisfies everything
that we want a sunscreen to be. It is
part of the makeup not a separate layer.
It is non-occlusive, There is no
wait for chemicals to absorb before protection begins. It stays where you put it – no running into
the eyes. And it is so easy to add more
if you need it.
A quick word about SPF protection. SPF only refers to protection against the UVB
ray – the shorter ray that goes into the epidermis and creates a burn. The FDA is actually considering changing SPF
to SBF (sunburn protection). Why? Because the ray that is now considered more
dangerous that UVB is UVA, the longer
ray that enters the dermis and injures the collagen and elastin layers. It also lowers the immune system. (UVA creates the tan which is the body’s
response to injury. This is the ray that
tanning booths use.) Until now there has
been no method approved in the US UK , Australia and Japan
Feel and Look
If
minerals are applied properly, they should feel weightless on the skin. Some wearers even report that for the first
time in many years they can actually feel air on their faces. If minerals feel or look heavy, it is
probably an application problem and not the minerals themselves.
Minerals
are so versatile that practically any look is attainable. But I think a phrase that I’ve heard more
than any other to describe the finished effect is: “It looks like my skin only better.” Perhaps in the end this is what attracts
women and men to mineral makeup. It fits
perfectly with today’s lifestyle. It’s
fast, easy and effective. It’s
multi-functional. It allows us to feel
natural and look flawless at the same time.
And for those of us who are interested in eliminating as many toxins as
possible from our lives, it does that too.
Why
mineral makeup? Why would you wear
anything else?
Irish Mineral Makeup - Chris Krenzer Mineral Cosmetics
www.BeautyBrands.ie
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