Experts say you can sleep with it, sweat with it, and it offers benefits to the skin.
It is lightweight and won’t clog pores–great for summer!–and, if applied properly, won’t exaggerate lines and wrinkles. Mineral makeup also provides sun protection with zinc oxide to protect from UVA and titanium dioxide to shield from UVA and UVB.
Because is it nonreactive, mineral makeup is a good choice for women with sensitive and blemish-prone skin. Anti-inflammatory, it soothes rosacea-prone skin, evens out skin tone, and conceals irritation. And it is certainly popular, with sales of prestige brands accounting for over $195 million in sales in the United States last year, according to the research group nPd.
But Is Mineral Makeup Skincare?
“If the definition of skin care is products that care for the skin, then an authentic mineral makeup definitely does that,” says Jane Iredale, founder of Jane Iredale Mineral Makeup. “If one defines skin care these days as something that is really a cosmeceutical with ingredients targeting the dermis then I don’t think it falls under this definition. However, we’re releasing a mineral BB Cream this summer that is definitely skin care with color,” says Iredale.
Does It Come from the Earth?
Classic mineral makeup is a loose powder. But if you think it is made from ground up rocks poured into pretty little jars, that is surely not the case. If core minerals like iron oxide, mica and boron nitride did come directly from the earth, they would be contaminated with heavy metals, which could lead to heavy-metal poisoning.
Mineral makeup contains many of the same minerals as traditional cosmetics, but it is a healthier choice because of what you will not find in most quality brands: FD&C dyes, oils and waxes, preservatives, fragrance and other potentially irritating ingredients found in traditional makeup. For shimmer, look for mineral makeup that does not contain bismuth oxychloride, a potentially irritating ingredient.
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Expert Tips and Techniques
Organic Spa Magazine asked Natural Beauty Expert and Makeup Artist Jessa Blades to share her expert tips on Mineral Makeup:
Q: What Do You Like About Mineral Makeup?
A: Mineral makeup looks so natural on the skin, yet does the job when it comes to coverage, color payoff and setting your makeup. I especially love mineral eyeshadow colors. They are so much fun to play with on the lids, and also to use wet, as a liner.
Q: What Should Women Look For?
A: Women should look for products without parabens and if it is a loose powder, avoid talc.
Q: What Is the Best Way To Apply It?
A: For foundation, choose a large, full, buffer brush. And for shadow, choose a shorter, firm shadow brush. When using any powders, especially mineral colors, after dipping your brush in the color be sure to dust off any excess before bringing the brush to your face.
Q: Special Tips?
A: When choosing a color, consider matching the color in the center part of the-face but also the neck and forehead. Another fun way to use mineral foundation is to mix a bit of the loose powder in with your moisturizer, and voila! You have a tinted moisturizer.
[box]What To Try: Jane Iredale Cosmetics, Alima Pure, W3LL, Honeybee Gardens [/box]
[typography font=”Cantarell” size=”9″ size_format=”px”] Photo by Robin Jolin [/typography]