cosmetic surgeries. Fans of chemical skin care complain that mineral makeup is complicated to apply,
drying, not portable, and accentuates wrinkles.
Green Tip
If you are going to buy just one green makeup product, make it a mineral foundation.
Makeup sensitivity is often the result of synthetic dyes, fragrances, and preservatives. While
mineral makeup is made of generally the same color ingredients that have been used in synthetic
makeup for ages, it’s the absence of classic irritants like fragrances, silicone binders, penetration
enhancers, synthetic dyes, and preservatives that give mineral makeup its special health and beauty
properties.
Another big advantage of mineral makeup is its built-in sun protection. With an average SPF rating
of fifteen, Bare Minerals has the Skin Cancer Foundation seal of approval as a sunscreen. Jane
Iredale claims similar protective effects due to high contents of the physical sunscreens titanium
dioxide and zinc oxide. But keep in mind that mineral makeup alone will not give you all the sun
protection you need. You aren’t likely to cover your ears and neck with mineral foundation, and even
on the face the layer can be too sheer to provide reliable protection. Prime your skin before applying
mineral foundation with moisturizer or sunscreen cream with an SPF of fifteen or higher.
What Makes a Good Mineral Foundation?
As always, don’t be fooled by the “all natural” or “all-mineral formula” on the label. Mineral
makeup can still contain paraben preservatives and other fillers. Since there is no set regulation for
what constitutes a “mineral” makeup, any product containing some minerals as a primary ingredient
can be marketed as such—even if it contains a whole lot of synthetic ingredients. It’s the same thing
with “organic”: any cosmetic product can be labeled organic if it contains just a pinch of organic aloe
vera.
Here are some greener mineral brands that do not use synthetic additives, preservatives, or
colorants in their products: Purely Cosmetics, Jane Iredale, Sheer Cover, Laura Mercier,
Youngblood, and BeLeeVe. Bare Minerals has excellent additive-free mineral foundations, but some
of their mineral powders still contain paraben preservatives. If you prefer to use a mineral foundation
without bismuth oxychloride, here are some brands you may find useful: Kathleen Meow Cosmetics,
Perfect Earth Mineral Foundations, and Sheer Cover. All these brands are available online only.
When chosen wisely, foundation is virtually revolutionary in its benefits to your skin. Gone are the
days when natural foundations came in ghastly color palettes that were often too pink or too orange to
match real people’s skin tones. Green foundations today are actually good for your skin, formulated
with ingredients that make your skin healthier.
Choosing the Right Green Foundation
Of all the makeup products, foundation is the hardest to buy. You want your color to be sheer, but
you want the coverage to be good enough to cover imperfections. You want your texture silky, with a
slight dewy glow, but not shiny. You want your foundation to diffuse little wrinkles, but you don’t
want it to be heavy and greasy. So many demands... and luckily, more than enough choices.
With mineral foundations, your only concern should be the ideal match for your skin tone. You can
adjust the coverage and the texture later, using the right primers and mists.