Mineral make-up is currently all the rage. Only one small company made it a few years ago, and now some of the major skin care manufacturers have jumped on the bandwagon. Much of its appeal comes from it being advertised as natural and non-toxic. Natural skin care is always best, but it’s wise to do a little research into any product before you take the plunge.

There are several reasons why mineral make-up is popular. The colors are deeper and richer than dyes, it stays on longer than other cosmetics, it’s water-resistant, and some of the ingredients are even natural sunscreens. However, natural skin care implies that the product is also safe, and that may not be the case with mineral make-up.
Here’s the rundown on a few of the most common ingredients.

Titanium Dioxide - you’ll find it on the label under that name, or, perhaps as TI02. Although many studies have been done, the jury is still out on it and it is considered a possible cancer hazard. Despite it not having been assessed for safety by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review board, the FDA has approved it for use as a color additive in cosmetics. Titanium dioxide is common even in the natural skin care products sold in health food stores.
Bismuth Oxychloride – another color additive, it may be listed as bismuth. The Cosmetics Industry Review board has not tested it, but it has also been approved by the FDA for use in cosmetics.

Mica – also known as sericite, or ‘mica shimmer particle natural earth pigment’, it is bioaccumulative and difficult to eliminate. Classified as toxic to the liver and the gastrointestinal and respiratory systems, it has not been assessed for safety by the Cosmetic Industry Review board, and it has been approved by the FDA. It, too, is very common in natural skin care products – often as a little touch of glitter.

Ultramarine - comes from lapis lazuli and is sometimes known as ultramarine blue/violet, ultramarine blue, or ultramarine pink. Again, it has not been tested by the Cosmetics Industry Review board, and, again, it has been approved as a color additive in cosmetics by the FDA.

Iron Oxide - seen on the label as yellow iron oxide, iron oxide pearl powder, black iron oxide, or brown iron oxide, it is also bioaccumlative and there is little data known about its safety. It has not been assessed for safety, and it has been approved by the FDA as a color additive in cosmetics.

As bad as these may sound, the truth is they are probably nowhere near as harmful as the usual ingredients in cosmetics – many of which are known to be highly toxic. Also, several mineral make-up products contain far less of the other harmful ingredients. They are frequently sold without dyes, fragrances, preservatives or mineral oil, and reported allergic reactions are rare.

The only real drawback is that they tend to be a little heavy and cakey, so it’s best to apply a shielding lotion beforehand. The shielding lotion will make them a little lighter, and help them blend better on the face.

If you’re going to try mineral make-up, make sure you get products that don’t contain other harmful ingredients, and always apply a shielding lotion first. Then, unless you want to revert to pinching your cheeks to put more color in them, you’ll probably have as close to a natural skin care product as you can get.