Bare mineral makeup shook the cosmetic world when it first broke onto the modern beauty scene. Not only did it address the health and hypersensitivity concerns that makeup users often worry about, it also offered a delightful versatility that won over the world. Mineral cosmetics have truly taken the new millennium by storm!
Contrary to what is commonly perceived, natural makeup has been used for ages. Various civilizations have used an assortment of earth-based compounds to paint their bodies. However, “mineral cosmetics ” as they are known today were first developed in the mid-1970s. The goal was to eliminate superfluous ingredients that irritated the skin. These included synthetic dyes, fragrances, binders, and preservatives.
Bare mineral makeup contains pure compounds of the earth, which typically include titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, kaolin clay, and serecite mica. Variously, these mineral ingredients provide sunscreen properties, draw impurities from skin without over-drying, refine pores, and are anti-inflammatory. Added to that splendid list of favorable results is that mineral products can stay on the skin throughout the day without fading, smearing or smudging.
Nevertheless, there should be one ingredient that mineral makeup users need to watch out for. An ingredient known as bismuth oxychloride is a pearlizing agent responsible for giving that “radiant glow” to the skin. While it is indeed a mineral, bismuth oxychloride is not naturally occurring – that is, it does not come from the earth itself. In fact, it is an irritant that sometimes causes itching and rashes in women with very sensitive skin. In large amounts, bismuth can eventually lead to cystic acne.
The most popular item amongst the various mineral cosmetics lines today is mineral foundation. It is the typification of natural makeup for its demonstrable versatility and skin-enhancing qualities. Mineral foundation makeup is perhaps the most impacting of mineral products since it affects a greater area of the face that often fall prey to skin problems. One such problem is redness -medically termed as rosacea -and its accompanying acne blemishes that affect the delicate facial skin. A significant number of women suffer from rosacea at some point in their lives. Mineral make-up extends its benefits to rosacea sufferers with its ability to provide better coverage. Mineral foundation users swear by the improvements they have experienced. After continued use, their skin reportedly looked healthier, and some even claim their rosacea and acne completely cleared up.
Rosacea-alleviating or not, natural foundation is indeed a gem. The coverage it provides is superb while managing to look invisible at the same time. As well, it is relatively weightless. It may take a while to master application, but many will attest that once they experienced the benefits of mineral make-up foundation, they never went back to “ordinary” foundation again. In the issue of sun protection, bare mineral foundation may fare better against other makeup coverage products. While not as effective as sunscreen itself, they can go together, with sunscreen applied first as a base.
While indeed one of the more beneficial types of cosmetics out there, the bare mineral makeup family is not without its pitfalls. Like with any other cosmetic product, caution and awareness should be practiced – even with products that are of the earth.
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