Mineral makeup is the thing to wear this summer if you’re looking for an all natural makeup with safe and effective sunscreen. The fact is that two of the main ingredients in mineral makeup are natural sunscreens that not only reflect light but protect your skin from harmful and cancer causing UV rays.

The ingredients, Titanium dioxide and Zinc oxide, both natural and very safe minerals are found in almost every sunscreen on the market. Titanium dioxide is so effective because of it’s ability to reflect light. It has one of the highest refractive indexes in the world at (n=2.4). In fact this refractive index is surpassed by only one other mineral in the world-diamond.

Titanium dioxide is also inorganic so it keeps the skin from gathering moisture that could feed bacteria and cause or worsen acne. This is great news for acne sufferers looking for an effective makeup and sunscreen product that won’t worsen their condition.

The second natural sunscreen mineral in mineral makeup is zinc oxide. Zinc oxide was not chosen as an ingredient because of it’s sunscreen qualities however, it was chosen for it’s vast array of colors and indeed is elemental in providing a large array of colors for makeup artists to work with when formulating different foundations, blushes, and eye shadows.

Zinc oxide is a natural UV blocker just as titanium dioxide is. It also has the same very water resistant quality of titanium dioxide and wards of bacteria. Zinc oxide is as widely used in sunscreen lotions as titanium dioxide. These two elements together give most brands of mineral makeup an spf of 15.

Sure, almost any sunscreen touting makeup you buy has these minerals in it, so what’s the big deal? For acne and rosescea sufferers, believe me it’s a big deal. Mineral makeup is known world wide as the skin care makeup because no matter what skin care conditions you may suffer from it is a makeup that is totally safe for your skin. Recommended around the world by dermatologists and plastic surgeons it is actually so pure that you can sleep in it without worrying about acne flair ups or any adverse reaction.

Talc based makeups, although they may contain these two natural sunscreen minerals also have other additives such as dies, chemicals and oils. Talc itself is organic and can help feed bacteria which worsens acne and rosascea. Almost all makeup on the market is talc based. Another drastic difference is the way mineral makeup is processed and worn.

Minerals used in the makeup are finely milled until they are too fine to clog pores. Talc is not milled this fine and it can clog pores worsening or causing skin problems. If you’re looking for a sunscreen makeup that is natural and safe mineral makeup is definitely the way to go.

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Mineral make-up has been labeled the ‘new craze in town’, the ‘ latest revelation in make-up’ and the ‘ trend of the year’. In actual fact, mineral make-up has been around for about three-thousand years, dating back to the Egyptian Pharaohs.

It was worn by men, women and children, with eye color being thought of as the most important application. They usually used vibrant green and blue colored eye shadow with Kohl eye liner, believing that it protected them and kept them safe.

The materials were ground into a powder, which was then mixed with an oil to produce the eye color. Using small sticks they would apply the product on a daily basis. Red ocher clay was finely ground and mixed with water to produce lipstick and blusher for the cheeks. Henna was applied to the nails, giving the nails an orange / yellow color. Everything was natural, no harsh chemicals were added, resulting in a non irritating, breathable, natural product.

Nowadays, women (and men) from all over the world are throwing away their clumpy old fluid foundations and opting for what has proven to work better in the past. As a race, we are foolish to think that we have invented the wonder of mineral make-up.

We are simply learning by our mistakes and going back to basics, mirroring the actions of our ancestors. With no talc, perfumes, alcohol, dyes, mineral oil or preservatives its no wonder dermatologists, beauty therapists and individuals from all over are please with and happy to recommend mineral make-up to clients, friends and family.

Even the most sensitive skin types can wear mineral make-up, feeling no irritation on their skin.

We are constantly reminded what is omitted from mineral make-up, but what exactly is in it? Realistically, you can make your own mineral make-up foundation at home, it’s that basic. You will need;

1/3 tsp. Titanium Dioxide 1/3 tsp. Zinc Oxide 1/3 tsp. Boron Nitride 1/3 tsp. Facial Silk 1/2 tsp. Chamomile Matte Mica 1/8 tsp. Chestnut Brown Mica 1/16 tsp. Red Oxide #150 1/32 tsp. Brown Oxide 3 tsp. White Matte Mica Mortar and Pestle
Slowly add the ingredients one by one and blend thoroughly with the pestle and morter. You may have to adjust the recipe slightly to suit your skin tone. Blend the ingredients together for at least three minutes, allowing the particles of each ingredient to disperse evenly.

As I mentioned before, you will have to adjust the recipe to match your skin tone. This may take a lot of mixing and wasting of time and money. For this reason, it is far better, far easier and almost the same price overall to simply purchase a product from your local salon, store or online store.

Each and every brand carry a variety of shades, offering the correct shade for all skin tones. Even though we choose to purchase mineral make-up as opposed to creating it ourselves, we are still guaranteed that it consists only of  basic, natural, earthy ingredients.

History give us direction, advice and leads us the way. We learn and are guided by our ancestors and their actions. This too is demonstrated in the beauty industry.

Opting to omit harsh chemicals and use only natural, basic ingredients is not something which we can take credit for, but we can by all means enjoy the feeling of barely there make-up, with the same amount of coverage. Mineral make-up has always been here, but now its here to stay.

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Although mineral makeup may be the new rage, it is actually not new. Women and men have been adorning their bodies with “earth colors” since ancient times. Recently, conventional methods have led to the development cosmetics that are less than natural and chock-full of chemicals and sometimes even carcinogenic, ingredients.

Mineral makeup is an attempt to get back to basics, using naturally occurring minerals which are ground to a fine powder, as the base for the makeup.

Many different companies have developed their own lines, including Sephora, Jane Iredale, BareMinerals, SheerCover, PurMinerals, and more. Each one has formulated its own bases, although most are similar in their composition. Prices, however do vary, frequently increasing depending on the name on the label.

While the same base minerals make up the bulk of the product, other minerals, pigments, and dyes are added that make the products different. With more and people becoming aware of the negative outcomes of using chemicals on their skin, natural mineral cosmetics are the newest craze in the cosmetic market. These cosmetics offer a chemical-free option in the area of make-up and thus are appropriate for anyone regardless of any skin conditions the person may have.

As beauty legend has it, it was the mid-1970s, in the aftermath of the frenzied Haight-Ashbury love-ins of San Francisco, that a quiet, little cosmetic revolution was born. It was called “mineral makeup” – products made of all natural, finely ground minerals from the earth, without any of the chemicals, dyes, and preservatives found in traditional makeup.

Fast-forward some 30 years: Mineral makeup is virtually exploding the beauty market. “This is an extremely popular style of makeup – and it’s something that a lot of my patients use and love, and I use it myself. It’s also the product most patients ask about,” says Kathryn Frew, MD, a dermatologist at Juva Skin and Laser Center and MediSpa in New York City.

And while mineral makeup comes in a variety of forms – and at prices ranging from less than $10 to more than $50 per product – undoubtedly the most popular in all price ranges are the loose powder foundations and blushes. These are light, finely ground loose minerals that are buffed into the skin using a wide, fluffy brush. But does “natural,” “mineral,” and “from the earth” really equal better? WebMD discovered the answer has a lot of qualifying factors – and some vastly differing opinions.

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