Mineral makeup is causing my face to itch
Monday, 26 May 2008
I never imagined I would suffer from a breakout from using skincare or makeup but yes, it had to happened. I am suffering from a bout of bad itchy rash on my forehead and under my eye area which is refusing to subside quickly. After examining my skincare routine and makeup, I believe the culprit to be a matt mineral veil from Ferro Cosmetics that I was using for half a day yesterday. This is the second time I’ve used the product. The first time I wore it for a short duration when I was testing the line of makeup and I recalled my forehead being itchy too.
Mineral makeup are not created equal
The reason why I’m so certain it’s that is because I’ve used the radiance foundation under the same brand without any problems so far. However, their matte mineral veil contains different ingredients not found in their foundation and after narrowing down the list, I’m suspecting it could be either the Boron Nitride or the Magnesium Stearate or even both.
I read up and found from this report that Boron Nitride could cause an itchy rash with repeated or prolonged contact although the amount cited in the report could be more concentrated than what is actually used in mineral makeup formulations. Magnesium Stearate is also said to cause irritation for those with sensitive skin. My skin isn’t sensitive at all, but it could be a combination of those ingredients reacting to the heat, my perspiration and possibly my skincare products as well.
Compilation of ingredients that might cause irritation for some
Anyway, I decided to write this because I realized that while mineral makeup is said to be good for our skin, not all formulations are created equal. In addition, I’ve not done much reading on the ingredients used in mineral makeup. Apparently, apart from Bismuth Oxychloride which is widely known to be a skin irritant, there are others as well like these that I came across.
| Ingredients | Description & Irritant Level |
| Bismuth Oxychloride | A by-product of lead refining used to achieve a satin radiance to the skin. Widely known to be a skin irritant, causing many to suffer from burning and breakouts. |
| Boron Nitride | A mineral known for its high adhesion quality and a light texture. Can cause an itchy rash with prolonged usage. |
| Carmine | A dark red pigment made of the crushed shells of cochineal beetles. Known to cause severe allergic reactions in many. |
| Chromiums | Artificial pigment and the most popular is Chromium Oxide Green in mineral makeup. Known irritant not be used on the lips. |
| Dimethicone | Unmodified silicones which are considered a good protectant but may cause irritation to sensitive skin due to its occlusion nature. |
| Mica | A transparent mineral which is mined from the earth in thin sheets to give powder sparkle and shine. Supposedly low irritation but may aggravate acne and rosacea conditions for some. |
| Magnesium Stearate | This mineral is known for its matte finish appearance and high adhesion quality but has been associated with irritation in some with sensitive skin. |
| Silica | A mineral used to add a silky feel to the product and provide oil control. Not usually listed as an irritant, but has caused breakouts for some. |
| Talc | A non-natural cheap filler used which is overly drying and can cause pores to clog and breakouts for certain skin types. |
| Ultramarines | Pigments from either natural or artificial sources and artificial Ultramarine Blue is commonly used. Known irritant not be used on the lips. |
| Zea Mays | Technical name for corn starch. Very translucent with good absorbency & silky texture used in mineral veil. Has a shelf life and some have experienced irritation using this ingredient. |
Skin condition and product formulation make a difference
However, while these ingredients are reported to cause some amount of irritation, how your skin reacts to them really depend on your skin condition and the product formulation. For example, many ladies have no problems with Bismuth Oxychloride at all. It should also be noted that mineral makeup companies do not use the same product formulation and even with an ingredient like Mica, the quality used could differ for different brands.
Choose mineral makeup with a smaller ingredient list
Although I’m certain it’s the matt mineral veil that has caused my itchy rash, I can only suspect the two ingredients to be the cause. It could possibly be others.
But as a thumb of rule, I discovered that it’ll be better that we pick mineral makeup with fewer ingredients. I guess less is really more in this case too.
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May 26th, 2008 at 10:06 am
Finding the right makeup is a must. Unfortunately you have to try it out to find out if you are allergic to it or not. Even if it is for sensitive skin it doesn’t mean that one of the ingredients won’t bother your skin.
Thanks for the info. Barbara
SoHo Accessories
May 26th, 2008 at 10:21 am
Oh dear, I’m sorry to hear about the breakout. I do agree with you, better to use a brand with less ingredients. Too many cooks spoil the soup, and this time, the culprit “cook” is the ingredients!
May 27th, 2008 at 3:23 am
Lumiere itch me out too!
luckily i have good luck with Everyday Minerals 
I agree on “the fewer ingredients the better” but well as you and the rest have said, it all boils down to individual skin, i definitely avoid zea mays as that is a known irritant for sensitive/acne skin. hey, hope your skin will be back to normal in no time, take care!
May 27th, 2008 at 4:32 am
Oh, that’s a shame that you had a bad reaction. I find that I’m allergic to certain lipsticks. I think it’s the dye. I’ve been using Everyday Minerals, too, and it’s been great so far.
May 27th, 2008 at 7:54 am
Thanks Ladies! My face has cleared up, just a bit of redness at some spots. It came as a shock that mineral makeup can break me up as my skin is normally resistant!
Lia & Asianmommy: Glad that EM worked for both of you. It’s okay for me too!
Lia: I’ve used zea mays which is in my mineral veil for about a year now without problems actually. But now that I know that it is an irritant, I want to steer clear of that where possible.
May 30th, 2008 at 12:08 pm
BE Mineral Veil had long been suspected to cause itchiness. I was in MMU in 1999 and BE is the first brand I’ve tried. I personally like Monave the ingredients are simple, however, I had gone off the MMU bandwagon. Just sharing my 2 cents worth.
printenna: Hi, yes, I’ve read about a lot of breakouts associated with BE. At the same time, some ladies also said they swear by it. So at the end of the day, it really depends on skin type of the individual. I haven’t tried BE myself so I don’t know if it’ll work for me.
June 2nd, 2008 at 12:04 pm
[...] Viva Woman takes a close look at ingredients in mineral makeup that can cause irritation to your face. [...]
June 2nd, 2008 at 8:57 pm
[...] Viva Woman takes a close look at ingredients in mineral makeup that can cause irritation to your face. [...]
June 3rd, 2008 at 12:52 am
[...] Viva Woman takes a close look at ingredients in mineral makeup that can cause irritation to your face. [...]
June 15th, 2008 at 2:55 pm
[...] Viva Woman takes a close look at ingredients in mineral makeup that can cause irritation to your face. [...]
July 11th, 2008 at 11:53 pm
[...] 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 from using compact powder foundation before. [...]
August 23rd, 2008 at 3:13 pm
Hello Ladies!
I am a BareEscentuals representative and I, too, am doing some research on Mineral Makeup. Just an FYI for everyone, BE took the cornstarch (zea mays) out of their Mineral Veil because they were aware for the drying effects that caused discomfort. Less ingredients, is definitely more and BE only has 5 minerals of the highest quality comparable to diamonds! It’s the only mineral make up recommended by dermatologists and is the only makeup that has the seal of approval from the Skin Cancer Association. Not all our products are “pure” but you can bet the mineral powder is.
I, for one, love BareEscentuals and even after my career moves on with or without them I’ll always wear their foundation. It’s cleared up my complexion and feels so light I forget I’m wearing it. It’s got enough coverage that I feel confident wearing it anywhere. I woere it in 117 degree weather in Vegas and took FABULOUS outdoor pictures without beads of sweat all over my face.
I recommend EVERYONE try this product at least ONCE. It’s worth a try, and you really have nothing to lose!
- Elexis
Elexis: Thanks for sharing. I don’t mind giving BE a try although I’ve heard some quite a number of comments about allergy towards bismuth oxychloride.
September 24th, 2008 at 9:18 pm
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