Mineral-Based Makeup

by Valerie Gladstone — May 18, 2007

I couldn’t believe it when I stopped in Sephora a couple of weeks ago. So many women were walking out of the store with shopping bags full of mineral-based makeup. And this is not lip gloss – it’s expensive! Maybe I don’t watch television enough to know what a craze this has become. On QVC, the cable-shopping network, more than 12.5 million units of Bare Escentuals, a major brand, have been ordered since 1998. Since 2002, sales on QVC have increased 217 percent!

What’s up with this stuff?

Mineral makeup is made from naturally occurring minerals, including zinc oxide; ultramarine, which is derived from lapis lazuli; and titanium dioxide. They are mined from the earth and ground into fine powder. Normally only foundation is made from pure minerals (some eye shadows and lipsticks sold by mineral makeup companies contain dyes or blends). Since companies rely on naturally occurring minerals, not every shade or color is available, meaning some manufacturers don’t cater to women with darker skin.

The best mineral makeup does not contain fragrances, dyes, mineral oil, or preservatives, all common causes of allergies. This makes them good for both plastic surgery patients and women with sensitive skin.

Advantages

Mineral-based makeup has heavy camouflaging properties. Because it contains natural pigments rather than dyes, colors tend to be deeper, richer, and longer lasting. So women with acne scars, rosacea, and broken capillaries tend to favor it, as do wedding makeup artists, since it can be used with little fear of allergic reactions.

Disadvantages

The makeup can look heavy and cakey, and some women complain that the powder emphasizes fine lines, wrinkles, and pores.

The loose powder can also be messy and difficult for traveling. Urban Decay tried to solve this problem by creating a pot with a built-in applicator puff ($28) and ColoreScience’s loose powder foundations are packaged in a retractable makeup brush ($40-$55).

This is a lot to pay for foundation, even though prices are comparable to luxury brands like Dior or Chanel, whose foundations cost between $38 and $60. Drugstore brands like Neutrogena are much cheaper: its Mineral Sheers Foundation is $11.99, and Physicians’ Formula Mineral Face Powder sells for $12.95.

My Point of View

As far as I know, no one was having problems with traditional makeup. It’s not as if hundreds of women regularly reported allergic reactions to regular foundations; they weren’t. So why the need for mineral makeup? Except as a gimmick?

I find all the brands (except those from the drugstore) incredibly messy – no matter how they are packaged.

They are also difficult to open and impossible to carry in a handbag, without fear of spilling powder all over everything.

The foundations and powders look far too thick on the skin.

The big pink box from Bare Escentuals not only comes with a How-To Pamphlet but also with a 60-minute DVD explaining how to apply the makeup. All I can say is that when I have to watch a DVD to find out how to use what is essentially powdered makeup, it’s time to get a life!

From a Sephora saleswoman, who did not know she would be quoted: “I just don’t get mineral-based makeup. It’s messy and doesn’t cover half as nicely as regular foundations and tinted moisturizer.”