Discover Mineral Makeup for a More Natural Look!

Mineral makeup has gained much popularity in the past few years. Brands such as "Bare Minerals" and "Jane Iredale" have really helped to carry this product mainstream. Advertised as the "purest makeup you can put on your face", mineral makeup has been warmly embraced by natural beauty fanatics. But what is really behind this wonder product? What do you need to look for when shopping? Let this article help!

Mineral Powder Ingredients

Most mineral powders are made up of the same few ingredients. Here's what you need to know about these ingredients in a nutshell:

• Mica - mica is used in mineral powders as a pigment. It helps to add shine and glow to a product's finish. Mica comes in many different colors and it is often the main ingredient in mineral eyeshadows and blushes.

  Since mica is an illuminator, it will highlight oily and wrinkled areas. You may want to take this into consideration when shopping for mineral foundations. Those with high mica contents may not be your best option.

• Titanium dioxide and zinc oxide - titanium and zinc are very popular ingredients in mineral makeup due to their sun blocking properties. However you must make sure that they are listed as active ingredients if you're looking to use mineral powder for sun protection. There must be enough of these minerals in the formula to adequately provide protection against the sun. Look for products with an SPF rating of at least 15.

  Titanium dioxide and zinc oxide provide more coverage than their talc-based counterparts. They also provide a matte finish - ideal for those with oily skin. However it has been found that these ingredients can clog pores. If you find yourself breaking out after using a powder with a high concentration of titanium and zinc, these ingredients could be to blame. Many women find however that their breakouts stop when they switch over to mineral foundations. You might have to experiment and find what works best for you!

• Bismuth oxychloride - bismuth oxychloride is not often found in nature and is usually produced synthetically. The binding properties of this ingredient are what give mineral makeups their texture.

  Bismuth oxychloride can cause slight skin irritation. Because of this, several mineral makeup companies refuse to use it in their products. Other companies state that the benefits bismuth oxychloride gives to a formula far outweigh the chance that it might irritate some of their customer's skin.

• Iron Oxides, Ultramarines and other colors - these ingredients are usually used to give mineral powders unique colors. They are generally safe and are used in very small amounts in a formula.

Buying Mineral Powders

You need to decide what's best for you when looking for a mineral foundation. Since powder foundations can be noticeable on dry skin, you probably want to go with a formula that works best for you. Despite the fact that many mineral foundations contain some debatable ingredients, it is generally regarded that these products are much safer than their mainstream counterparts.

With that said, there are some companies that use known toxic ingredients in their formulas. Bare Minerals for example uses parabens in a few of their products. It is important to read labels and decide what is best for you.

A brand I enjoy and have had good success with is Everyday Minerals. This company uses only the basic ingredients in their products. Their powder are very reasonable priced and they give very generous sample sizes.

Here is an overall list of mineral companies. I've put a star by my favorites:

• Aromaleigh*
• Bare Escentuals (or Bare Minerals)
• Baresense
• Colorflo
• Colorscience
• Emani
• Everyday Minerals*
• Glominerals
• Jane Iredale
• Larenim*
• L'Oreal
• Monave*
• Neutrogena
• Pur Minerals
• Sheer Cover by Leeza Gibbons
• Skin Alison Raffaele
• Youngblood

An excellent site for more information on mineral makeup is mineral makeup reviews.com.

Click here to learn how to apply mineral makeup!