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Healthier Makeup Choices Part 1: Mineral & Plant Derived Cosmetics

natural beautyThe makeup industry is booming and shows little sign of slowing down.  Research indicates that even in times of financial hardship, women will purchase makeup items as a special treat.

 

 

So how do you know which brand’s are right for you?

Before you consider the brand, I’d like to suggest you should be asking “What type of makeup will I choose?”. By type I mean, choosing between conventional makeup or mineral and plant-derived makeup.

The key difference between conventional and mineral/plant-derived cosmetics is in the ingredients. Conventional cosmetics may contain some mineral ingredients to gain their colour or sunscreen protection factor, but they are primarily made of synthetically sourced substances (man-made chemicals) that might help their staying power, pearlessence, make them glide on easily and extend their shelf life.

Mineral and plant-derived cosmetics do not contain synthetic ingredients; they primarily contain, if not exclusively contain, mineral and plant-derived ingredients.  That is, ingredients obtained from nature whether they be things like Mica Crystal for luminosity, other minerals for colour pigment, or plant oils such as Vitamin E or Jojoba oil for moisturizing and smooth application of the makeup.

Just as many of us take care in what we put into our bodies, we should apply the same care to what we put on our bodies Whatever we place on our skin will be absorbed through our pores, to varying degrees, and eventually, make its way into our bloodstream. This can have large health implications, so there is little wonder that there is a growing trend towards plant and mineral derived cosmetics.

 

mica crystal

mineral makeup

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How do plant and mineral cosmetics compare with conventional cosmetics?

 

  • There are no carcinogens (cancer-causing ingredients) or hormone-disrupting chemicals in plant and mineral based cosmetics, so making yourself look and feel great will not come at a greater cost in the long run.
  • Mineral based cosmetics give you a great result with little time spent in comparison to conventional cosmetics. Your skin can look flawless with a simple buffing in of a mineral powder or fresh with a dash of an illuminating mineral eyeshadow!
  • Most cosmetic brands that are thinking about the health of humans are also conscious of creating a product that doesn’t cause harm to other living things and the environment. This means no animal testing, no animal ingredients, and no destruction of forests/land/sea. So it is a win, win, win situation! You can look great knowing it is not at the disrespect of your own body, animals and the environment. You have to wonder why conventional cosmetics manufacturers even need to test on animals if their ingredients were safe in the first place.

mineral cosmetic product

  • Minerals have a natural spf, so you are applying your make up at the same time as your sunscreen. Mineral cosmetics usually contain zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, ranging from spf4 to spf20. Conventional cosmetics contain sunscreens that are comprised of chemicals that are harmful for us to use.  Some of these ingredients have been known to disrupt hormone levels, have potential links with cancer, release free radicals into the body, increasing skin sensitivity, and decreasing the skins natural protection system, which accelerates the aging process.
  • Mineral make up feels and looks comfortable on your skin; you can wear mineral makeup all day without it feeling heavy, irritated or making your skin feel or look tired. Mineral cosmetics are less likely to clog the pores of your skin. My personal experience and feedback from my clients is that when they make the switch from conventional to mineral is that skin health improves.  The feeling of wearing mineral makeup is so liberating and natural that they can’t understand how they ever survived wearing conventional!

 

There are a few things that you do need to get used to with mineral makeup if you haven’t used it before. For example most mineral make up is in a loose powder form, so it is a little bit messier than pressed formulas. However mineral makeup is growing in popularity so quickly that innovations in production techniques mean that pressed powders and liquids are arriving onto the market.

 

Application techniques are also slightly different, so when you are using a loose foundation powder you apply a small amount of product to your brush and buff it into your skin until you have even coverage. It is best applied thinly with each layer built up until you gain the level of coverage you are after. Doing it this way will eliminate seeing any large pores, or any pores at all really. It is the same principle with eyeshadow and blush, a little bit at first, build up as you require, then buff the product into your skin, making your skin look flawless and keeping your make up in place for hours.

mineral makeup product

Also, because mineral makeup can be worked into the skin, it is really important to prep your skin properly to avoid any dry patches and to get a good result. So following a good skincare routine that includes cleansing, exfoliating, toning, moisturizing and priming will deliver superior results.  Flawless finishes are so much easier on skin that is clean and exfoliated. Many mineral makeup ranges have developed their own skincare and makeup primer to be used with their make up.

 

Stay tuned for Part Two of this article in which we explore some of the harmful effects of conventional makeup…