Mineral Make-up – what exactly is this?
Mineral Make-up is what it sounds like – make-up that is based on natural minerals which are used after they have been ground into various forms of fine powder. They do not contain any petroleum-based products, preservatives, artificial coloring, scent or alcohol.
The trend towards ‘mineral’ make-up is bringing in its wake a large following of disciples, since the word “mineral” is equated to these products possessing an aura of health and nature; but is everything called “mineral” really that? In fact, many products that are called ‘mineral’ contain just as many chemical and synthetic components as they do mineral ones, and for this reason they are almost identical in their ingredients as the ‘regular’ products.
In this article, you will learn the truth behind the mineral cosmetics industry. Facts that support mineral make-up products, as well as facts that reveal aspects that the cosmetics companies do not really wish you to know about. The objective of this article is to provide you with an objective point of view, as much as possible, so that you can judge for yourself and can reach your decisions regarding the use of these products based on factual information.
The main argument in support of mineral make-up products asserts that minerals, since they are natural and pure ingredients, do not harm the facial skin as chemical products do (bearing in mind that these chemicals often result in endangering the skin of the user).
An additional assertion is that mineral make-up contains natural sun screens, such as ‘titanium dioxide’ (which is used as a sun screen in quite a lot of other cosmetic products which are not referred to as “mineral”). These do not irritate the facial skin as many of the synthetic sun screens do. They do not clog the pores, do not aggravate the appearance of spots and pimples and, in certain instances, even contribute to the improved appearance of the facial skin.
Cosmetic products based on minerals, are established on the basic assertion that these are unique rare and natural products and, above all, are beneficial to the facial skin.
As we have said, these are the things that are claimed by the manufacturers of mineral cosmetics.
Apparently, all of this would be good and well if mineral cosmetics were composed only of minerals and did not also contain other ingredients. The problem is that many products that are called “mineral” are not absolutely mineral, and contain only a certain percentage of minerals together with chemical and synthetic materials, thus turning them into products that are almost identical in their composition as ‘ordinary’ products.
The companies which sell or manufacture make-up and minerals talk a lot about talc, which their products do not contain – and they often hint that in the ‘other’ products there is talc, which is asserted to have negative attributes, and are even carcinogenic.
These claims are incorrect and have never been supported by any research-based validation. In fact, talc is also a natural mineral and serves as one of the main components in millions of cosmetic products manufactured by a variety of cosmetic and beauty companies, starting with the inexpensive companies through to the most prestigious firms.
They also like to tell us that the ‘ordinary’ products contain perfume, coloring agents that are chemical based and other harmful things. All of the companies which produce mineral cosmetics want us to believe that their products are the best, the healthiest, the most medical, the most natural and the most organic.
However, the truth is somewhat different: these make-up products have hardly any distinctions from most ‘regular’ make-up, be it powder or liquid, and if we study the facts closely we will discover that there are very few realistic claims, and many more excessive assertions, misleading information and exaggerations.
With regard to the mineral products being healthier – there is no medical research indicating this fact. Cosmetic products that are adorned with the title “mineral” are not more healthy (also, not less so) than similar products which do not carry the definition “mineral”.
They do not have attributes that are of any particular benefit for the facial skin – as with all cosmetic products, there are opinions for and against regarding the quality of the products, as should certainly be the case when discussing cosmetic products.
It is important to be aware of the fact that there is no scientific research that proves any of the claims for or against mineral products, certainly not with regard to the wonderful characteristics that are ascribed to them such as curing acne, hydrating the skin and regenerating skin cells.
Thus the question that is asked: are the manufacturers of ‘mineral’ cosmetics taking advantage of us?
Not really. All that we really need to do is to read between the lines, and understand that the manufacturers are taking advantage of certain loopholes. And beyond that, it’s all just a question of semantics.
Pay attention to the facts:
- There is no standard, legislation or patent registration for the words “mineral cosmetics”. This should tell us, in fact, that any manufacturer can manufacture regular and standard make-up and attach to it a label with a bombastic name and the word “mineral”. With the right type of advertising hype we would have no difficulty believing the manufacturers when they tell us that the products are, to all intents and purposes, ‘very healthy’.
- If you will carefully read the small print that is clearly advertised by the manufacturers of mineral cosmetics, you will discover things like: “the product is based on minerals”, “the product contains minerals”, and so on and so forth.
Make-up manufacturers rely on the fact that the customers are not going to investigate in depth, and will be satisfied with these phrases in order to assume that they are purchasing products that are completely natural and healthy.
Pay attention to the fact that there are hardly any manufacturers assuring you that their products contain ‘100% minerals’. All of them “are based on”, or “contain” mineral products (in addition to other ingredients which are incorporated into the product itself, and which are very definitely not mineral!).
So, in no way is anyone ‘being taken advantage of’; but we are certainly victims of marketing tricks relating to reading comprehension. We swallow the bait and simply don’t internalize everything that we read. Worse still, we often choose to accept the misleading message that the manufacturers want us to accept.
In conclusion, on a positive note: it is normal to recommend mineral make-up for women who suffer from sensitive skin, redness and skin rashes. The reason is clear and justified: these foundations provide coverage to the level of concealment and total camouflage, and additionally do not contain any preservatives and scents which are likely to cause unnecessary sensitivity.
Many women like to use make-up products with a powdery texture, including foundations with this texture. Mineral make-up (especially those containing sun screens) which offers make-up in powder form, can fulfill three functions in one products: foundation, and powder, and sun screen. In this way they save the user money and time, while making it convenient to use.
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