Mineral vs. Traditional Makeup: Choosing the Best Cosmetic
It seems like you can’t go to a department store cosmetic counter or even a drugstore beauty aisle nowadays without hearing or reading something about ‘mineral makeup’. In this article we’ll discuss what mineral makeup is, how it differs from traditional makeup, and the benefits of both mineral and traditional makeup.
Written by Vanessa Davids
What is Mineral Makeup?
Mineral makeup is exactly what its name implies-makeup that is made from minerals. Rather than traditional makeup which is composed mainly of water and synthetic dyes and other chemicals, mineral makeup is composed of elements that can be found in and derived from the earth.
Why is Mineral Makeup Always a Powder?
Mineral makeup is different than traditional makeup because almost all mineral makeup products are loose powders. Regardless of which company produces them, mineral products such as foundations, blushes, and eyeshadows are generally all loose powders because in order to make mineral makeup the minerals must be finely milled and are best applied as powders. Because of this, most mineral makeup packaging and application is the same as well: the mineral makeup comes loose in containers and you tap a little into the lid of the container and then apply the loose product with a brush.
Traditional makeup comes in many forms ( liquids, creams, gels, or powders) and the form varies based on what the product is used for and the brand, for example most foundations now are liquids and many companies offer both powder and cream blush formulas. Since traditional makeup is composed mainly of synthetic ingredients it is easier to create different formula types than in mineral makeup.
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