Should I use mineral makeup?

Mineral makeup is certainly the latest trend in makeup. It's a lovely product, fairly fast and gives a nice finish. It's another tool that increases our choice in an array of products. Your skin type, age, facial markings, texture and wearability are all important aspects to consider though.

Tip: If you need extra coverage you can lightly use mineral makeup over top of a liquid or cream. If, however, you have flawless or youthful skin, then just mineral powder will certainly do the job and works the same as a dual finish powder.

Many think that it's good for oily skin, but a number of the professional artists I collaborate and work with agree that you can look quite shiny with this product (as you can with others) depending on your skin type, and we prefer it more for a normal to dry skin that has been moisturized.

Touchups or the use of blot papers will be needed with this product.

Because we treat many acne patients in our practice, this question is very relevant from our perspective. Although mineral make-up is promoted as being oil-free - we have concerns as to whether it can be classified as "non-comedogenic." Non-comedogenic refers to whether or not an ingredient/product may cause or contribute to the clogging of pores. We stumbled upon this topic when we observed our lasers interacting with the minerals in this type of make-up even after we had washed our patients' faces several times before their treatments. Although the make-up was no longer visible on the patient's skin - the minerals were still down deep in the pores as evidenced by the lasers interaction. I have been in contact with a few of the bigger names of the mineral make-up industry to request supporting evidence that their product is non-comedogenic. To date, I have not received a reply. We instruct our acne patients to consider a two week trial period wherein they do not use mineral make-up to see if there is a connection between this and their current skin condition. In our experience, most of our patients that took our suggestion did progress.

Mineral makeup is taking the cosmetic industry by storm. Lately many of the top cosmetic lines are climbing on board if they have not already. It took me awhile to hop on board because I had a hard time imaging that a powder could give me the coverage that I wanted, be 100% natural and create a soft glow. I must admit today that is all I wear on a daily basis is my mineral pressed powder. It is portable, simple to apply and good for my skin.

When deciding on a mineral foundation just make sure the cosemtic company really states what the natural ingredients are. It is very important to have the right tool to apply the mineral foundation with. A regular powder brush will not cut it and you will look like a piece of chalk, not kidding!

You need a kabuki brush to apply the mineral foundation with so that the minerals can break down onto the skin creating that natural glow. A kabuki brush is a fuller shorter denser brush verses a powder brush. There is a time and place for mineral makeup. For everyday use it is perfect, but when photography work is involved it may not be the best choice due to the reflection from the various lighting the photographer may use - in that case stick to a flatter, matte foundation.

If you are extremely oily, which a small percentage of the population is, mineral may not be the best choice because there is nothing in mineral makeup to control or absorb the oil. If you are a normal to oily skin, I recommend a mineral pressed powder verses a loose; it is a little less reflective so you will get less of a glow. If you have not hopped on board, what are you waiting for? Don't miss this ship!

Mineral makeup is wonderful - just try to not create a huge dust storm when applying it.  I always avoid breathing in any powders.

Blend in a circular motion with a big fluffy brush, or use a day sponge applicator.

Mineral makeup is currently a very hot trend in makeup, but it isn’t as foolproof or as natural-looking as the commercials make it seem.

• First of all, it is tricky to apply. It needs to be applied in very sheer layers, and can be built on for more coverage, but it is hard to control the product to get these sheer layers
• It is messy, and if applied incorrectly it can look heavy and cakey
• If applied correctly, though, it can be a good option, but no better or worse than any other foundation, and it can be used whenever you would normally use a foundation