Mineral makeup is good for skin

Mineral makeup is good for my skin

Friday, 14 December 2007

I’ve been using mineral makeup for 6 months now and I’m mighty pleased with the results. Not only does it give me a more natural look, the foundation is better for my skin and doesn’t clog up my pores at all.

Before using mineral makeup, I was using 2-way cake foundation from brands like La Colline, Estee Lauder and Stila. I didn’t really noticed that my pores were clogged but I did have occasional mild breakouts. It was when I started using Zia Fresh Papaya Enzyme Mask that I started having more frequent breakouts. Every week after using the mask! I stopped using, thinking the mask was giving me problems. I brought up the problem to the guy who was selling me the mask and that was when I realized the breakouts were due to my clogged pores.

I resumed using the mask again, on advice that it could help ”purge out the dirt”, and that was also the time when I had already switched to using mineral makeup for a month or so. Amazingly, I had no more breakouts. So I’m now a firm believer that mineral makeup do not clog up pores.

Allow skin to breathe and natural UV blocker

I’ve covered before that mineral makeup is made from very fine micronized minerals and inorganic pigments that exist in nature and contains no chemical preservatives like mineral oil, dyes or fragrances found in traditional cosmetics. Mineral makeup consists of overlapping crystals that form a filter that allows the skin to breathe and naturally protects it from air-borne pollutants. The minerals are non organic, which further prevents them feeding bacteria. This is why such makeup has been said to be less likely to promote allergic reactions, and is typically good for people with sensitive skin.

I also love the fact that mineral makeup comes with zinc oxide and titanium dioxide which are natural full spectrum UV sun blockers that provides coverage from the damaging rays of the sun. In addition, titanium dioxide is the second most reflective mineral in the world, next only to diamonds and their reflective quality gives our face a radiant glow.

Thus, besides making the skin look better by evening out the tone, redness and shine, mineral makeup actually benefits our skin by healing, protecting from the sun, and reducing inflammation. In addition, because their ingredients reflect light, this also reduces the appearances of lines and wrinkles.

However, it has to be pointed out that different brands of mineral makeup contain different ingredients; some of which may cause allergy. For example, some cosmetic companies using bismuth oxychloride in their mineral makeup products to impart a shine to the skin. However, this ingredient is very heavy and can cause not only clogged pores, but irritated skin. So if you experience discomfort, it is quite possible you have developed an allergy to mineral makeup due to this ingredient.

Stumble This |

Get Email |

Subscribe to RSS
Posted in Makeup, VivaPicks | 9 Comments »

previous post: Alternatives to synthetic fragrance
next post: Under $10 great beauty buys

9 Comments to “Mineral makeup is good for my skin”

sara Says:
December 15th, 2007 at 10:07 am
so true… i love my bare minerals!

sara: That’s great. I must try bare minerals soon.
ParisB Says:
December 15th, 2007 at 11:10 am
I’m glad to know this! I have been using my Lumiere mineral foundation and am loving it. I’m not sure if its been especially beneficial for my skin but its not making it worse!

ParisB: That’s good to hear especially since I remember you mentioned that your first experience with mineral foundation wasn’t that great.
Theresa Says:
December 19th, 2007 at 3:37 am
I’m been using Mineral makeup myself for over a year. I love its coverage and natural air-brush feel. I also found that my skin getting better. I have tried Alima, Luminere and now I’ve settled to Everyday Mineral, the overall winner (price and quality). I check your site constantly and enjoy reading it.

Theresa: That’s great! I like Everyday Mineral’s concealer. Haven’t had success with finding a shade to suit me yet.
Tracy Says:
January 12th, 2008 at 4:44 pm
i also tried mineral makeup and loved it and again my unfortunately sensitive skin breaks out! this is the most unusual reaction because mineral make up is supposed to be hypoallergenic and non-comodogenic (if i got the spelling right).

but i still have to say that i love the effect of the foundations when i put them on. most natural and gives me a glow too! just wish i could keep using them!

Tracy: There could be some ingredients that causes the breakout. Mica and bismuth oxychloride are two known culprits. Check if your mineral foundation has this.
Ferro Cosmetics Fab 4 Mineral Makeup | Viva Woman Says:
February 19th, 2008 at 6:57 pm
[...] Like Vera Wang, I’m obsessed with my skin, but unlike her, makeup don’t make me look twenty years younger! *boo hoo* But I have to concede that mineral makeup does help to take some years off my looks because the end result is a very natural looking complexion. Plus I love the fact that mineral makeup is good for my skin. [...]
Kaori Says:
March 31st, 2008 at 9:57 am
“I also love the fact that mineral makeup comes with zinc oxide and titanium dioxide which are natural full spectrum UV sun blockers that provides coverage from the damaging rays of the sun. “

..does that mean that, if i apply mineral makeup, there is no need to apply sunscreen underneath..?

I’m new to your website, but gosh your website is so awesome..! Have been reading through the archive and all.. kudos to you!

Kaori: Yes, wearing mineral makeup is good becos of the additional sun protection ingredients but I would still advice you to wear sunscreen beneath because mineral makeup itself won’t give you the sufficient SPF. You’ll need to layer a lot of it which isn’t feasible. Just be careful to avoid layering non-micronized mineral makeup with an avobenzone containing chemical sunscreen. If you want to find out more, read my entry here.

Thanks for your positive comments as well. Hope you come back often.
chenyze Says:
April 11th, 2008 at 2:12 am
hey Lucy, may i know what kind of brands of mineral make up you’d recommend, preferably something i can get in singapore? thanks!

chenyze: I currently use Erth Mineral, Everyday Minerals and Ferro Cosmetics. You can read up my reviews on these at the Mineral category. These are all available online, and there are hardly you can get in Singapore except Alima which you can obtain from Skinstory at @Central but the price is more compared to ordering online.

Oh to add on, I just found that Youngblood Mineral Makeup is available here too. I’ve not tried but read fantastic reviews about their stuff. Check them out at 12-03 Camden medical centre,1 Orchard Boulevard.

Sesame
Compact, mineral or loose foundation powder? | Viva Woman Says:
June 26th, 2008 at 10:56 am
[...] natural and non-irritating to most people. Well, it all depends on the product formulation. Mineral makeup is good for my skin but mineral makeup has caused my face to itch too. As a matter of fact, I never had a breakout [...]
lemon Says:
March 24th, 2009 at 6:34 pm
Hi,

I have bought YSL Touche Blusher, have you or anyone tried it?

I found that the sponge is not as user-friendly as it should be and most of the time, I have to dap it on my palm to make the powder move to the sponge.

Since this blusher is in loose powder form, I wonder if I can apply it using a brush, but the some of the powder maybe wasted.
Tks!
lemon