"MIneral Makeup" is the hot trend in cosmetics - but do these products really deliver? And are they worth the money?
If you ever stay up late at night watching television, you've probably clicked onto a program promoting mineral makeup. Or, passing an end cap in your local drugstore or department store, you may have seen similar products fiercely promoted. The demonstrations can be compelling, but are they worth the price? Infomercial varieties end up costing about $400 a year if you don't cancel the "convenient automatic shipments".
Pros and Cons of Mineral Makeups
- Pro: The mineral makeup concealers offer good coverage for blemishes.
- Pro: Most systems include special brushes, which by themselves improve the application of makeup - which is why professional makeup artists always use them. They are also fun to use and mildly stimulating to the skin itself.
- Pro: Most varieties have fewer chemical ingredients and preservatives than standard foundations.
- Pro: Tiny bits of mica, a reflective stone, are included in most mineral makeups and are said to reflect light in such a way that the skin tone looks even and glowing.
- Pro: Most varieties of mineral makeup act as a physical barrier to skin damage from the sun. Many of them also include herbs and other ingredients designed to improve or protect the skin.
- Pro: Most mineral makeups hold up even in water.
- Con: Just because it's a mineral, it doesn't mean it won't be irritating to your particular skin type. Minerals can be just as toxic as any other substance.
- Con: Overall, these products are pricy compared to traditional makeup.
- Con: Most mineral makeups come in a fairly limited range of colors. While the promoters insist that you can easily combine shades to match your skin perfectly, in practice this can be tricky. And if your base skin tone changes, by gaining or losing a summertime tan, you may find that you need an entirely different color selection, at a brand-new cost.
- Con: If your skin is already dry or sun-damaged, the powdery minerals may make flaking skin more noticeable.
- Con: The mineral powders are easy to spill and can get everywhere in a way that a liquid foundation or pressed powder will not.
- Although they promote many other products, the range of eyeshadows and lipsticks is very limited. You'll still need to buy these products elsewhere unless one of the colors just happens to suit you for daily wear.
Be sure to read the labels to determine if any ingredient is a problem for your skin. Dr. Joseph Mercola cautions against products containing talc and any heavy metal, which can be present in minerals. Cheaper drugstore "mineral makeups" may be less pure and potentially more irritating than the mass-market infomercial brands.
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