Natural Mineral Makeup Does Not Exist the Way We Think It Should Exist

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What is REAL Natural Mineral Makeup?

As our environment and its effect on us becomes more and more of an issue we naturally begin to pay more attention to what we put onto our bodies.

Some makeup companies are starting to make adjustments in their products that take our concerns into account.

You've probably noticed many new skincare products calling themselves All Natural.

When we are exposed to makeup advertising, it is important that we educate ourselves about what it all really means.

Understanding what goes into mineral makeup, we can then make informed decisions about whether we would like to proceed with the use of these makeup products or not.

There are so many mineral makeup suggestions out there that even informed people can get a little confused.

The first steps of demystification

As there is no clear definition in the makeup industry of Natural Mineral Makeup, let's go through the words one by one and work it out for ourselves.

What does Natural mean?

According to an on-line dictionary, Natural means the following:

1. existing in or formed by nature. (opposed to artificial)
2. based on the state of things in nature; constituted by nature.
3. of or pertaining to nature or the universe.

(www.dictionary.com)

On its own, the word means all of the above and I think we agree with that.

What does Mineral mean?

Again, with the help of our online dictionary, we have the following interpretations:

1. any (of a class of) substance(s) occurring in nature, usually comprising inorganic substances, as quartz or feldspar, of definite chemical composition and usually of definite crystal structure, but sometimes also including rocks formed by these substances as well as certain natural products of organic origin, as asphalt or coal.
2. a substance obtained by mining, as ore.
3. (loosely) any substance that is neither animal nor vegetable.
4. nutrition - any of the inorganic elements, as calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, or sodium, that are essential to the functioning of the human body and are obtained from foods.

(www.dictionary.com)

Demystifying "Natural" Cosmetics

From the perspective of makeup, a mineral is :

• non animal and non vegetable which means that it is inorganic by composition.
• organic by location, for example, let's say that you live in London and Zinc Oxide is mined in Oxford, a manufacturer can have a sales slogan that says “Organic Zinc Oxide for Sale”.

However, it is very important to note that the mineral is organic by location (from where it comes from) but inorganic by composition (its chemical composition is neither animal nor vegetable)

This brings us to the Natural part of Natural Mineral Makeup. We will continue to use Zinc Oxide for this example as it is one of the key ingredients in Natural Mineral Makeup.

Natural means, existing or formed by nature, based on the state of things in nature – as opposed to artificial. Zinc Oxide is a mineral that is mined – this part is Natural. However, it is not mined in such a pure form that it can then be immediately ground down and put into jars.

It first has to go through an extensive refinement process to remove impurities and/or chemical washes / bleaching and/or removal of toxic minerals and so on. Often, these minerals also have to go through a synthetic process to make it safe for our skin.

Which of these words means Natural – refining, washing, bleaching, removal, synthesising?

None of them.

Look out for manipulative marketing

As the word mineral can both mean organic and inorganic, depending on the context that it is used in, Natural, is categorised in the same way.

In cosmetics, Natural refers to the location but it does not refer to its composition because pure Zinc Oxide that is immediately ready for our skins, does not exist.

Again, by way of example, a makeup sales company can have a sales slogan that says “Natural Oil for Your Skin”. This oil can be an oil that is derived from the petrochemical industry.

Why? Here is the short and very simplified answer.

Over thousands of years, our landscape and weather change. Forests die and get covered by water or earth. These forests decay and generate gas or turn into coal or turn into oil – this is an entirely natural process.

A company mines or drills for this oil/gas/coal and turns it onto petrol for our cars, gas for our cookers and petroleum jelly for our chapped lips.

In the sense that Natural means, existing or formed by nature, based on the state of things in nature – as opposed to artificial, the sales man selling “Natural Oil for Your Skin” is technically correct.

This is where we need to be very clear

Natural Mineral Makeup from the earth is not the same as Natural Mineral Water from the earth. In some instances, you can immediately drink the water as it comes out of the earth.

This is not the same as Natural Mineral Makeup, and the reason why this is mentioned is because many of us think that it is.

Because of this perception, many makeup manufacturers will take advantage of our ignorance in their media campaigns.

This is called "greenwashing".

However, the reason we are reading this website is because we are looking for makeup that is closest to the fresh cool Natural Mineral Water that is safe for us, good for us and kind to our world.

The summary to get the best

To get the Best Mineral Makeup for your skin, try to remember the following 4 points :

• natural "origin" - like the spring water from a mountain
• natural "composition" – like fresh fruit just picked from a tree
• natural "usage" – like the sun warming our bodies on a cold day
• natural "benefits" – our skin, synchronised with the gifts from the earth

Remember these 4 words ... "origin", "composition", "usage" and "benefits". This is Natural Mineral Makeup as it should be.

What types of natural mineral makeup is used in the market?

Depending on who the vendor is, there are typically 5 blends that cater for most skin types.

• Dry Skin
• Dark Skin
• Oily Skin
• Mature Skin
• Glowing Skin (more for an effect than a skin type)

Mineral Foundation for Dry Skin

Finding a mineral foundation for dry skin may be difficult using standard mineral foundation powders. Often, foundation powders are suited for people with normal to oily skin.

The result of using regular mineral foundations is that it can accentuate fine lines and make the skin look even drier.

However, situations can change in real-time. In certain climates, low temperatures and low humidity of winter weather can cause anyone to have dry skin, regardless of their normal skin type.

A natural mineral foundation designed for dry skin has been specifically formulated to help maintain moisture balance and prevent dryness while giving a translucent, luxurious and soft focus effect.

It is important to note that using a good moisturiser before applying the natural mineral makeup powder is an important part of the process too.

These are some colour examples :

Mineral Foundation for Dark Skin

Choosing the mineral foundation colour can be tough for women with darker skin tones.

These formulations usually include Warm, Neutral, Beige, Cool and Golden shades that blend beautifully with ethnic and darker skin tones.

An important consideration is to always use a good moisturiser underneath your foundation. A dry complexion can make dark skin and ethnic skin look ashy.

These are some colour examples :

Mineral Foundation for Oily Skin

This formula will generally offer a silky, versatile and long lasting effect. The characteristics of the powder allow the skin to breath while absorbing excess oil without your skin looking "shiny".

The non reflective matte effect keeps the skin looking and feeling light and silky.

Mineral foundations, regardless of your skin type, are always easy to apply, light weight and provide superior coverage.

These are some colour examples :

Mineral Foundation for Mature Skin

A good formulation for mature skin will not accentuate fine lines and make the skin look older.

This blend softens skin imperfections and provides a consistent and uniform colour tone to the skin.

Importantly, it will also help to maintain moisture balance in the skin and prevent dryness while giving a translucent, luxurious and soft-focus effect.

And, of course, using a good moisturiser before applying the makeup powder is always a must.

These are some colour examples :

Mineral Foundation for Glowing and Young Skin

This blend is specially formulated for younger teenage skin or people that prefer a "glow effect" mineral foundation makeup.

These glow mineral foundations produce a very light coverage with a semi-translucent effect.

The result of this foundation powder is a slight sheen that creates a fresh look.

These are some colour examples :

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