The Mineral Makeup Revolution: A Movement Toward Natural

Mineral makeup started making commercial debuts in the 1970’s and was one of the first to advertise the natural-look in the makeup industry. Cosmetic chemist Jim Hammer says that the mineral-movement is actually “...a return to technologies that have been in use since ancient times...many ancient cultures used ground-up natural minerals as a means of applying color to the skin for decoration, camouflage, war paints, etc. But the history of mineral makeup no doubt goes back much farther, even to early cave-dwellers.”
So now that mineral makeup is back again and bigger than ever, the important question to ask now is-- are all mineral cosmetics only made from natural, pulverized pebbles? No. Many cosmetic companies will get their green-loving customers to buy products that are “mineral-enriched”, which may be true, but of course does not exclude the possibility of additives not advertised. To ensure the quality of the mineral makeup--read the label! Some of what you will not see in pure mineral makeups are fillers, binders, waterproof polymers, preservatives, fragrances, and other “stick-to-your-skin” smoothing agents that many mousse and liquid foundations contain. However, this does not discount the antioxidant vitamins, moisturizers, and other healthy ingredients skin can use in these non-mineral foundations. Weigh the benefits with your skin needs and find what’s best for you! If you’re one of the thousands that have jumped on the mineral bandwagon, see what’s in your mineral products at http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/.

Cited Source:

“What’s Up With Mineral Makeup?” Ricapito, Maria. WebMD the Magazine- Feature. July 8th, 2010. www.webmd.com/healthy-beauty/features/whats-up-with-mineral-makeup