Natural Makeup 101

If you use department store or drugstore makeup every day, you could be absorbing 5 pounds of chemicals into your body each year. While the risks of many of the chemical ingredients in makeup are still unknown, parabens, synthetic dyes, petrochemicals, and heavy metals have been linked to conditions ranging from minor skin irritations to cancer. It’s time to make
the switch to natural makeup.

Mineral makeup’s main ingredients are colored minerals and pigments that exist in nature, such as titanium dioxide, zinc and iron oxides, mica, and ultramarine pigments. Because it does not support bacteria, it needs no preservatives. An added benefit is the minerals provide broad-spectrum sun protection, though additional sunscreen is necessary for prolonged sun exposure.

Mineral pigments offer natural-looking coverage. Learning application techniques will give you the best possible results. Apply powder foundation with a round-tipped brush. For light applications, use light brush strokes in circular movements. For heavier applications, apply more pressure and pass over the same area multiple times to cover up breakouts, pigments spots, or rosacea. To set the powder, spray with a toner or a hydrating mist. To remove mineral powders, use a gel, milk, or cream cleanser, as they will not come off with water alone.

To provide contours or an overall glow, apply a powder or cream blush or bronzer, concentrating on the areas that naturally show color first-the cheeks and forehead. You can also use blush or bronzer on the eyelid for a natural-looking eye shadow. Brush on a coat or two of mineral-based
mascara to enhance your eyes, and finish your flawless look with a mineral-based creamy lipstick or shiny lip gloss.

Go Shopping!

Hold on to your summer glow with Dr. Hauschka’s Summer Impressions Bronzing Fluid, a light, shimmering bronzer that provides translucent coverage with silica-rich mica and extracts of anthyllis and carrot that protect the skin. Antioxidant pomegranate extract, nourishing coconut and macadamia oils, and shea butter moisturize skin.

Get smooth, even coverage that’s good for your skin with MyChelle Mineral Cream Foundation in a solid stick applicator. Packed with antioxidant grape seed oil, wrinkle-deterring camellia oil, and conditioning castor seed oil, this makeup replenishes skin while providing light-to-medium coverage.

Add lasting volume and length to your lashes with Lavera Volume Mascara. Nourishing extracts of jojoba and wild rose oils hydrate for flake-free volume throughout the whole day. The paraben-free and heavy-metal-free formula rinses off with a mild cleanser and is ideal for sensitive eyes and contact lens wearers.

For a fresh, natural-looking face, Aubrey Organics Silken Earth Blush Powder adds color to cheeks while reducing shine and nourishing the skin. Natural food ingredients, such as raisins, radishes, and beets, combine with silk powder and tapioca starch to create the colors.