Mineral vs. Traditional Makeup: Choosing the Best Cosmetic

Benefits of Mineral & Traditional Makeup

Mineral makeup is generally much healthier for your skin than traditional makeup. The base for most mineral makeup is a combination of mica and titanium dioxide, which are both minerals that are incredibly safe and non-irritating to the skin. Mica is used in place of chemical dyes to give mineral makeup its color,

and titanium dioxide is a natural sunscreen to which the mica is added. Neither mica nor titanium dioxide is known to cause any allergic reactions or health problems, and mica colors are non-bleeding and weather resistant so you know that your makeup won’t fade or disappear a few hours after application.

There are some ingredients that certain mineral makeup brands use that can be irritating or harmful to your skin however, namely talc and bismuth oxychloride. Talc is a mineral from which talcum powder and other powders are made, and is used as the base for some mineral foundations. Talc can clog pores and dry the skin, and is dangerous when inhaled. Bismuth oxychloride is used by some mineral makeup brands to add a pearlescent sheen to their makeup, but this compound can cause breakouts, itching, and redness. It is especially irritating to people who suffer from rosacea or acne.

Traditional makeup formulas also regularly use bismuth oxychloride and talc, as well as other ingredients that can clog pores or irritate the skin. Traditional makeup is also colored with FD & C dyes rather than mica, and these dyes have been known to routinely cause allergic reactions and even severe health problems like asthma attacks.

Traditional makeup formulas are also more likely than mineral makeup formulas to need to be reapplied throughout the day, as many FD & C dyes do not wear as well as colorants used in mineral makeup.

Really, the main benefits of traditional makeup formulas over mineral makeup formulas are the choices of formulations, i.e. availability of liquids, creams, etc, and the fact that many traditional makeup brands are cheaper than mineral makeup brands. Yes, good quality mineral makeup might cost more than traditional makeup, but the cost is justified when you consider the facts that mineral makeup is far less likely to irritate your skin, won’t cause breakouts, lasts longer once applied, and is just overall a healthier option. As far as the difference in formulations, again, giving up the creamy feel of a liquid foundation is a small sacrifice when you instead get to enjoy the silky, light as air feel of a soft mineral powder. When you consider the health and beauty benefits of mineral makeup versus traditional makeup mineral makeup is the clear winner.

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