Mineral makeup is the hottest trend in makeup today. It’s the newest phenomenon and more and more women are requesting it. Of course it helps that it has been popularized by television infomercials showcasing mineral makeup products such as foundations, blush, translucent powders, and eye shadows.

However, the mineral makeup recipe is anything but new. The Egyptians knew the advantages of finely ground stones and quartz and applied them to their skin specifically for beauty. The cosmetic industry is just “rediscovering” this ancient wisdom and is now promoting it as the latest “magic powder”.

Mineral makeup has been around for awhile in the US. Jane Iredale released a make-up series based on titanium oxide and zinc oxide more than 10 years ago. Jane Iredale began her career as a casting agent in Hollywood and she knows the concerns and needs of people who tax their skin daily with cosmetics. Her line of mineral makeup is healthy for the skin and is well tolerated, this is one reason Fantasia is now carrying the full line of Jane Iredale makeup.

Mineral based cosmetics are not only good because they are easily tolerated. They also work to inhibit inflammation, soothe the skin and at the same time guarantee a natural protection from UV sunlight because their small particles reflect the rays.

Also, the makeup made from minerals doesn’t clog the pores, as is often the case with ordinary makeup because it doesn’t soak into the skin so it can’t breathe. In addition, mineral-based makeup is fortified with vitamins and antioxidants. We’ve talked about the importance of this in another post. This mixture protects the skin from environmental effects and also precludes aging of the skin.

Makers of mineral based cremes and powders say it fuses optimally with the skin, covering it evenly and concealing redness and impurities. The result is an even complexion where the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles are reduced.

Of course there are critics of the mineral makeup enthusiasm. Some just don’t believe in the 100 percent effectiveness of the “magic powder” and argue that ordinary cosmetics are put through such extensive testing that there is hardly a risk of allergy. As we already talked about in another post, while that may be true in some countries it is not necessarily so in the United States.

Some even see mineral based makeups as a short-lived trend as opposed to the cosmetic of the future. As with other things, only time will tell.