Last year I was sitting with a friend of mine, who has gorgeous skin, when she pulled out a little jar of Bare Minerals makeup. I had been using creamy Maybeline makeup, which wasn’t helping clear up the skin problems I was covering. The mineral powder was lightweight and luminous on my skin, so I decided to buy my own Bare Minerals starter kit.

I’ve been using mineral makeup for almost a year, and I can tell that my skin likes this natural powder much better than other foundations and powders I’ve tried. While I still feel that clear skin is tied to diet and hormone levels, switching  to non-comedogenic (doesn’t clog pores) makeup has the potential to improve skin while still providing coverage. Here I check with the folks at WebMD to see whether mineral makeup  is significantly better for skin than standard makeup.

Here are some helpful tips regarding mineral makeup:

• Check the ingredients- not all mineral makeup is free of paraben preservatives and other fillers
• Don’t sleep in mineral makeup: skin needs time to breath
• Wear sunscreen under mineral makeup, even if it has SPF
• Invest in nice makeup brushes for your mineral makeup, and be sure to clean them regularly (see How to Clean Makeup Brushes)

The Lowdown on Mineral Makeup

Mineral makeup is more than just a new beauty trend – it claims health benefits for skin as well. But is it really help – or hype?

By Colette Bouchez
WebMD Feature
Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

It’s called “mineral makeup” – products made of all natural, finely ground minerals from the earth, without any of the chemicals, dyes, and preservatives found in traditional makeup.

But does “natural,” “mineral,” and “from the earth” really equal better?  WebMD discovered the answer has a lot of qualifying factors — and some vastly differing opinions.

Mineral Makeup and Skin Health

Like most cosmetic products, mineral makeup has its fans and its critics. Those who love it rave about the light, natural, long-lasting glow that simply can’t be duplicated by other types of makeup. Others, however, complain it’s drying, irritating, and accentuates wrinkles and adds years to your appearance. Some say the colors have an ashy undertone that is a particular problem for ethnic skin types.

But looks aside, many consumers also say they are initially drawn to try mineral makeup because of skin health claims – more specifically, that it’s pure formulations are safer and better for sensitive, even acne- or rosacea-prone skin.

But is it?

Many dermatologists report that because mineral makeup frequently eliminates classic “irritants” – like fragrances, binders, synthetic dyes, and preservatives — it is considered “purer” and can be kinder to the skin.

“Makeup sensitivity is often the result of synthetic dyes, fragrances, and preservatives, so any makeup that eliminates these is going to eliminate some of the related problems,” says Frew.

Moreover, she adds that because titanium dioxide [and zinc oxide] have anti-inflammatory properties, certain mineral makeups can also have a calming effect on the skin, particularly important if you suffer from inflammatory problems such as rosacea or acne.

Dermatologist Francesca Fusco, MD, agrees. “It’s non-comedongenic, so it won’t clog pores, and it’s not going to aggravate an acne condition or cause a flare-up as easily as some traditional makeups can,” says Fusco, an assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Mt. Sinai Medical Center in New York City.

So pure you can sleep in it?

But what about the claims made by some companies that mineral makeup is so pure “you can sleep in it”?  Experts draw the line here.

“I would never tell a patient to sleep in any kind of makeup. It’s not a good idea for the skin to be covered at night, no matter how pure a makeup might be,” says Fusco.

Mineral Makeup and Sun Protection

Another big draw to mineral makeup are the claims of sun protection. With an average SPF rating of 15, at least one company, Bare Minerals, has the Skin Cancer Foundation seal of approval as a sunscreen.  Jane Iredale, AfterGlow, and other mineral makeups claim similar protective effects, due mostly to the high content of titanium dioxide and zinc oxide — two ingredients commonly found in traditional sunscreen.

But does mineral makeup give you all the sun protection you need?   Experts say no.

“It’s better than using nothing, but I always tell my patients to use a regular cream sunscreen under their makeup and then use the mineral foundations as an extra boost,” says Frew.

Mineral Makeup: Not All Alike

Extra ingredients aside, it may seem as if all mineral makeup should be pretty much the same. But WebMD discovered that’s far from the truth.

Since there is no set regulation for what constitutes a “mineral” makeup, any product containing minerals as a primary ingredient can be marketed as such — even if it contains a whole lot of other “less natural” ingredients.

Kristen Adams, president of AfterGlow Cosmetics, says the battle lines between brands are drawn this way: “Mineral makeup formulas generally fall into two large camps – those that take care not to use synthetics (like paraben preservatives and other fillers) and stay true to the original intent of pure mineral makeup, and those that do add the fillers, colors, binders, preservatives, and other chemicals to their formulas,” says Adams.

Although you can weed out at least some of these brands by reading the ingredient label, Adams cautions not to let the term “all natural” or “all mineral formula” fool you.