Best Mineral Makeup

Tips for Choosing a Safe Mineral
Foundation Makeup

What is the best mineral makeup for sensitive skin? We've put together this guide to help you choose the most effective and least irritating mineral foundation makeup for YOUR sensitive skin care.

Mineral foundation makeup and other makeup products containing loose minerals have swept women ( AND men ) off of their feet with the promise of delivering healthy-looking and beautiful skin with a minimum of harmful chemicals.

Yes, men use mineral makeup too, as it provides a natural sun protection and enhancement of your appearance without a "fake" look!

With a bit of research, however, you'll quickly discover that all mineral foundations, powders, concealers, and blushes are not created equally.

If you have sensitive skin you might have learned the hard way when you tried some loose mineral products and found yourself with a bad rash, pimples, or other skin irritation! :(

So, how do you choose the BEST mineral makeup for sensitive skin? One of the things that will be helpful for you to know is that some ingredients in some product lines of mineral makeup are not healthy for your skin. In fact, the following ingredients could actually cause you skin irritation or other health effects in the long run.

Why Does My Mineral Makeup Contain Irritating Ingredients?

Now, why would a mineral makeup company that claims to offer the best mineral makeup, choose to put irritating ingredients into their products?

Well, there are several reasons. One is that the cosmetics industry in many countries (such as the US where I live) is not yet regulated and so manufacturers can put into their products pretty much anything they want, regardless of the potential health effects.

Some of the companies simply don't know about the health effects of some of their favorite ingredients such as paraben preservatives which are used in most personal care products, however there is growing pressure to find safer alternatives now, as more consumers are researching and becoming concerned at the potential effects of these ingredients.

Another reason these kinds of more irritating ingredients are used is that they are often less expensive than safer alternatives.

Finally, these kinds of ingredients are often used because they enhance the performance of the product, thus providing a more beneficial result to the person using the product.

The same is true with mineral makeup, as some of the ingredients which can cause skin irritation are there in order to improve the performance of the product.

Best Mineral Makeup - Ingredients to Avoid

Many of the most popular brands of mineral makeup contain the following ingredients, which can cause irritation to sensitive skin and especially to people with certain skin conditions like rosacea.

• Parabens, also called propylparaben, butylparaben and methylparaben are known to disrupt proper endocrine function in the body. Parabens are also thought to possibly cause a higher risk of cancer, and are considered high hazard ingredients by the Environmental Working Group.
  
  There is so much concern about parabens that more and more manufacturers are now creating paraben free products. I personally choose to avoid parabens whenever possible.
  
  My philosophy is that life is stressful enough these days with so much environmental pollution and rapid social change.
  
  Why add MORE stress to our bodies when we can use safer ingredients? The best mineral makeup for sensitive skin is one that does not make more skin problems!
  
  The safe skin care products that I use and recommend are all free of parabens.
• Bismuth Oxychloride is a pigment that is used to create an iridescent appearance in mineral makeup, and to help it adhere better to the skin. It has been used in many cosmetics formulations without incidence, however it is present in higher concentrations in mineral makeup, which may be why people with sensitive skin are having difficulty with it.
  
  Although the Environmental Working Group rates it as relatively safe, the Materials Data Sheet on Bismuth Oxychloride indicates that it is a skin, eye and lung irritating irritant.
  
  The main evidence that this ingredient is not good for sensitive skin is the large numbers of complaints from women who have used mineral makeup with Bismuth Oxychloride who experienced skin irritation, burning and itching after using it.
  
  Even worse, some find that their symptoms don't go away even after they are no longer using the mineral makeup with this ingredient.
  
  Women and men with sensitive skin should absolutely avoid any product with this ingredient. It can irritate the skin and possibly exacerbate skin issues like rosacea and acne, causing acne flare ups and even producing cystic acne.
• Fragrances - often synthetically manufactured, fragrances can be problematic for women with sensitive skin and could possibly interfere with the proper functioning of the body's immune system. Fragrances are some of the top allergy producing substances in cosmetics. Even if you don't have fragrance allergies, I recommend you avoid all mineral makeup with added fragrances.
• Nanoparticles are not only NOT good for you or your skin, they are harmful to the environment. These are very tiny versions of skin care product ingredients which are so small that they are inhaled or absorbed by the cells of the body, where they begin to accumulate in the body and cause health effects.
  
  They also are harmful if swallowed and so this is a danger for our children.
  
  Studies done on animals show that these can have a devastating effect on health, however they have not yet been tested on humans. I personally would not want to wait around until science has figured this out! There are plenty of excellent brands of mineral makeup that are made by educated manufacturers that are free from nanoparticles.
  
  If the ingredients list of your mineral makeup or skin care product says "micronized" or "nano-" or "micronized" then it may contain nanoparticles.
  
  Any particle size that is less than 2.5 microns can be absorbed by the lungs and cause health effects.
  
  One of the BIG problems with this issue is that nanoparticles may still be in your products, even if the ingredients are not labeled as such. For this reason it is extremely important to trust the company that manufactures your mineral makeup!
• Alumina is an anti-caking agent and that research has shown has demonstrated strong evidence of toxicity to the nervous system, and that has the potential to be absorbed from the skin into the bloodstream. There is some evidence that this ingredient may cause cancer, and Canada considers Alumina to be toxic. It is suspected to be an environmental toxin as well.
• BHT is a preservative that is a known skin, eye and lung irritant and may also be toxic to the immune system.

Best Mineral Makeup - Less Irritating But May Still Irritate Some Hyper Sensitive Skin

There are some ingredients which do not show a lot of toxicity but may still have irritating effects on sensitive skin. Generally, the longer the ingredients list of a product, the more likely that there may be something in there that could cause skin irritation.

Carmine - is a relatively low hazard pigment but is made from insects and is therefore an animal product. Not only is it cruel to the insects, but honestly, do you want this on your face?

Carmine is also used as a food dye and can cause allergic reactions to some people. Carmine is also used in medical tests that require injections of dye, can cause skin irritation and nausea.

A Discussion of the Safety of Best Mineral Makeup for Sensitive Skin

One of the challenges of having sensitive skin is that there aren't really easy or perfect solutions. Even the mineral makeup ingredients considered safest pose some risk for skin irritation, or may have health effects.

The only way you can know for sure is to try a brand and see how your skin responds. I personally prefer to use mineral makeup from companies I trust, so that I am confident they are not adding nanoparticles or other ingredients without listing the ingredients on the label.

Here some of the ingredients that are contained in even the safest and best mineral makeup products which may cause irritation to your sensitive skin

Mica is used in MOST mineral makeup products, even the very safe ones, to provide natural shimmer. It is a natural mineral and even when it is very finely ground, can cause skin irritation.

A finer form of Mica is known as Sericite, and because these are finely ground minerals, the edges of the particles can cause microscopic abrasion if they are "buffed" or rubbed into the skin.

The best way to avoid a reaction to mica is to avoid mineral makeups which use mica as the first ingredients. You will likely see it in all mineral makeups, but look for it towards the end of the ingredients list rather than the beginning.

You can also limit any irritation caused by mica simply by lightly brushing the minerals onto your face without buffing them into the skin.

If you find you are sensitive to mica even in smaller doses, you may find relief simply by reducing the amount of exfoliation you are doing. In many cases harsh acne treatments and other strong exfoliants seem to overly sensitize the skin.

Titanium Dioxide is in MOST mineral makeups as the main ingredient. There are only a few brands I am aware of that do not use Titanium dioxide.

Titanium dioxide is relatively safe except when used in an aerosol form that can be absorbed into the lungs. That is why you should avoid micronized titanium dioxide, as particles under 2.5 microns may be absorbed into the lungs.

There is some evidence that titanium dioxide can be irritating to skin in moderate doses. Many brands of mineral makeup will blend the titanium dioxide with other ingredients that can be used as gentle fillers such as rice and oat powder, kaolin clay, and boron nitride.

If you find that you are allergic to titanium dioxide, use a mineral makeup that uses zinc oxide instead.

Zinc Oxide is used in MOST mineral makeup formulations, and is also used as a rosacea treatment. This ingredient can also be irritating to some with sensitive skin, so you will need to do a skin test before using this ingredient on your skin.

Like titanium dioxide, this ingredient can cause health effects when inhaled, so be sure to use non-micronized forms of zinc oxide.

Best Mineral Makeup - Who Can Wear Mineral Cosmetics?

Well, if you have sensitive skin, you may have given up on using makeup, however you may find that you can tolerate some forms of non-toxic mineral makeup.

Anyone can try mineral cosmetic products, but the best mineral makeup for one may not be the best for another. No matter how light or how dark your skin, there is a shade of mineral makeup that will match your skin tone.

Many brands of mineral makeup provide just a few shades to try, and the best approach is to purchase two different shades that are closest to your skin tone, and then mix and match them to find just the right shade.

Once you find just the right color match, and you've figured out how much or how little to apply, you will be excited to find yourself looking and feeling more beautiful with your mineral foundation makeup!

The coverage of mineral cosmetics is unmatched in the industry and is one of the reasons they are so very popular with women (and men!) of all ages and ethnic groups.

With the right application, the best mineral makeup will go on smooth, not caked on like some foundations and powders. The term "flawless" has been used more than once to describe the way mineral makeup goes onto the skin. You'll look natural, glowing, and gorgeous.

Women and men suffering from acne, rosacea, or other skin irritations are especially pleased with the way minerals look on their skin. Even if you have blemishes, the right mineral makeup can provide you with a smooth and beautiful skin tone.

Best Mineral Makeup - Is It Affordable?

Honestly, it's not that much more to purchase mineral makeup than it is to buy a top quality "regular" makeup product. In some cases, it can be less expensive than other choices. You'll pay as little as $10 or you may pay up to $50 for a product.

You'll find that some of the best mineral makeup also lasts the longest. The lower quality products tend to need to be reapplied more often, and so some of the bargain brands may actually be more expensive to use.

Some people feel that mineral makeup is truly a value even at a higher price point because of the way it covers and practically blots out blemishes and makes uneven skin appear as if it's glowing. Either way, if you choose the best mineral makeup for your skin, you may love the results so much you won't mind the price!

Best Mineral Makeup - Are All Mineral Makeups Safe?

The short answer is a resounding "no!" When mineral cosmetics first hit the market, the consumer could pretty much be guaranteed an all-natural product manufactured from only the best ingredients. But, as we all know, once one company comes out with an amazing product, every other cosmetic company wants to join in with their own version of the original.

Unfortunately, as a result, some companies have resorted to adding fillers, chemicals, and preservatives to their products. These lines might be more affordable, but women with sensitive skin pay the price long after they leave the checkout line. Some of those synthetic ingredients can cause itchiness, redness, and unsightly inflammation. Stay away from products that contain unhealthy ingredients!

Instead, choose safer and more natural brands of mineral cosmetics which are the best mineral makeup for sensitive skin.

Best Mineral Makeup - My Recommendations

I first need to confess my "newbie" status in relation to mineral makeup. I haven't worn makeup since I was a teenager, and now my skin is, well ... mature! :-)

As you know, mineral makeup can settle into wrinkles and actually make you look older!!

I am still in the process of learned to use mineral makeup, and I am trying out several different brands.

One thing I've learned is that you need to find the right shade for your skin tone, or even mix several shades together, in order to get a natural look.

The other thing I've learned is that you need very little to get a good result, and that using more may actually create a more pasty look.

My top pick so far for LEAST irritating and SAFEST mineral makeup is the Cleure Loose Minerals .

First, they did not irritate my sensitive skin, which is quite miraculous and most skin care products do!

That alone is the best mineral makeup choice for me, as it takes SO much time and energy to find sensitive skin care products that work!

Secondly, they are free from irritants such as bismuth oxychloride, talc, parabens, BHT, artificial fragrances and other unhealthy chemicals.

Third, they have a SHORT list of ingredients, so there are fewer ingredients for you to have a reaction to.

Fourth, these minerals are salicylate free which means they are free of plant allergens.

Mica, which is used in most mineral makeups, and can be somewhat irritating, is used very sparingly in these formulas.

Last, but definitely not least, they work really well and once applied, will last all day long, unlike so many loose minerals which come off by early afternoon.

A little goes a long way and like many of this company's products, you get a large and generous sized container, so they are affordable. 

These hypoallergenic loose minerals are some of the best mineral makeup for sensitive skin I've found so far.

Please note that some of this company's older, non-mineral cosmetics are still being updated and some still have parabens (which are clearly marked).

I have listed all of their safe hypoallergenic cosmetic choices.