In a massive movement to live better and “greener,” health savvy fashionistas started to look for something better than their bottles of liquid foundation containing ingredients that range from unpronounceable to unbelievable. Whether it was due to a trend sparked by a movement, or an uncanny coincidence, mineral makeup has hit the shelves with a force not seen in the makeup industry in years. Women can’t get enough of these earthen face wares and there is plenty of reason for the demand.

As science continues to hone in on products and chemicals that can increase your risk of cancer, blemishes, skin damage, and other health issues, women are looking for friendlier makeup. Unfortunately, it’s not always easy to find something that fits into that category and works well. This is where mineral makeup comes into play. Made from the minerals found naturally in the earth, this makeup is is chemical, dye, and preservative free. Women with sensitive or acne prone skin may be even more intrigued by this makeup because of it’s lack of chemicals and other elements that tend to irritate skin. This alone makes mineral makeup a great alternative to what filled out makeup bags in the past.

The benefits of mineral makeup don’t stop there. Many dermatologist agree that by nature this specific type of makeup can do the following for skin:

Certain ingredients, like zinc oxide can help calm your skin which is great for those with problems like rosacea or acne. Due to it’s makeup it will not clog pores or cause acne conditions to flare up or become work. The presence of zinc and titanium oxide in mineral makeup, many companies boast of the natural sun protection characteristics.

On the other side of the coin, some argue that mineral makeup is no better for your skin than regular makeup that women have been using for years. Just because it is from the ground doesn’t necessarily means it’s best for you. Some women who have tried mineral makeup have claimed that it not only isn’t worth the hype but that it actually dries out and causes more skin irritation. Another complaint that has been associated with mineral makeup is it’s lack of performance for ethnic skin The nature of the makeup isn’t always conducive to those who have drier or aging skin and some even believe it may bring out wrinkles and age more so than other types of makeup.

Like any new trend in the market there are always believers and skeptics and mineral makeup is not free from these critics. If mineral makeup sounds like something you may be interested in, be sure to practice caution and read the labels. Always test the makeup on a small part of your skin. While it is believed to be better for skin, each person is made differently and while it may work for one person that doesn’t necessarily mean it will work for you. Ultimately, the only way to find out if it does work is to put it to the test for your self.

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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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