Bismuth Oxychloride in Mineral Makeup

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Does this scenario sound familiar? You've worn traditional makeup for years with little to no irritation. Upon hearing about the benefits of mineral makeup, you decide to give it a try. After all, it claims to be better for your skin and healthier overall, so what have you got to lose? And if you've never been able to wear traditional makeup without irritation, mineral makeup sounds like the answer you've been looking for. You buy your first jar and begin wearing it immediately.

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Except... you're having a reaction you've never had before to makeup. Your skin may be red, irritated, itching, having small bumps or pustules, burning or looking swollen. What is this? How can mineral makeup cause such an extreme reaction?

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That reaction is likely caused by the ingredient bismuth oxychloride. While bismuth oxychloride is a common ingredient in traditional makeup, as well as mineral makeup, it is used in much higher concentrations in mineral makeup. There are no fillers in mineral makeup like there are in traditional cosmetics (talc, mineral oil, aluminum powder, alcohols and parabens), so the few ingredients left, including bismuth oxychloride, make up more of the recipe.

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Why Is Bismuth Oxychloride Used In Makeup?

Is it used in makeup because it gives the makeup a silky feel, good slip (this means it applies well to the skin and doesn't drag or grab on the skin) and good adhesion, which helps it stay on your skin. It feels smooth and silky when rubbed between the fingers. It is often described as a lustrous crystalline powder.

It is not the most expensive ingredient, nor is it the least expensive. It is, however, an industry standard and very common. It also gives a visible sheen to the makeup, so it's good at refracting light and that helps draw attention away from, and camouflage, fine lines, wrinkles and minor discolorations. That's a great selling point for makeup.

What Is Bismuth Oxychloride?

Bismuth oxychloride is an inorganic white pigment, and usually comes in two forms: diamond and pearl finishes. The diamond is shimmery and the pearl is more matte. It's formula is BiOCl.

If you look on the periodic table of elements, you'll notice plain old bismuth at atomic number 83, with the symbol Bi. It is the least toxic of it's periodic table neighbors like lead, tin, antimony and polonium. Bismuth in itself is not safe for use in cosmetics, and must be refined and combined with other elements to produce bismuth oxychloride.

Bismuth occurs naturally, but in very small amounts. Most of the bismuth produced in the USA is as a by-product from refining lead, tin, copper, silver and gold ores.

Once the bismuth has been harvested, it is further refined through several processes to remove dangerous elements like lead. Then it is chlorinated, which gives us bismuth chloride (BiCl3). It still poses a severe risk at this point, smelling of hydrochloric acid. When bismuth chloride is combined with water, it starts to decompose and part of the chlorine is replaced by oxygen from the water. This process is called hydrolysis. The remaining compound is bismuth, chlorine and oxygen; Bismuth oxychloride.

Is It Safe To Use?

Bismuth oxychloride is a product that is FDA approved for use in products for the face, eyes, lips and nails. It is a very common and popular ingredient in both traditional and mineral makeup.

However, skin irritation from bismuth oxychloride is not unusual. According the MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) for bismuth oxychloride, there is a risk of it being a potential irritant to humans when it comes in contact with the skin or eyes.

It is also imperative that bismuth oxychloride be free from toxins when it hits the market. The FDA does have standards outlining this, and in their Electronic Code of Federal Regulations they dictate the composition must be free of impurities except lead, arsenic, volatile matter and mercury in specific amounts and must be 98% bismuth oxychloride.

Buying bismuth oxychloride from countries with less stringent laws may result in increased health risks, so it is wise for companies to buy from highly regulated countries, like the US and Canada.

Should I Use It?

This is a very personal question to answer. Are you are happy with your current makeup and are suffering no ill effects? Would you feel more comfortable using makeup without it? Do you find that you have to buff minerals with bismuth oxychloride into your pores or they are more obvious, and this is irritating your skin? Have you found using mineral makeup without it causes your skin relief and the reaction clears up?

These are all questions to ask yourself when deciding to purchase a brand with bismuth oxychloride as an ingredient. There are many good products available, offering the same benefits as products with bismuth oxychloride, but without the ingredient itself.

Bismuth Oxychloride in Mineral Makeup

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Mineral Makeup- Natural Beauty

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As we become more aware of our environment and more aware of the products that we are putting into and onto our bodies, natural and homeopathic products are taking the cosmetic industry by storm.

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It's likely you've noticed new skincare and cosmetic companies popping up with "all natural" and "organic" products. Of course, just because they say they are, doesn't necessarily make it true. That is where consumer education comes in, and why it is so important.

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The title of this article is "Mineral Makeup". After learning what mineral makeup is, what products go into it, and what its benefits are, you can decide if this is the right choice for you.

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What Is Mineral Makeup?

Mineral makeup is designed from all naturally occurring products. It is often recommended by dermatologists to women with sensitive skin, rosacea, post operative, laser and other procedures because of its intrinsic skin soothing and anti-inflammatory properties. It is a powder makeup of finely milled minerals. It can provide very sheer or very opaque coverage, depending on the formulation and application. However, it still allows natural skin radiance to show through, so you don't get the dreaded "mask" look. It is typically free of fragrance and preservatives. Minerals cannot feed bacteria, so there is no danger of spoilage, thus it needs no preservatives. It does not go bad. It is very good for oily skin because it has several oil- absorbing components.

It is usually applied with a brush, and is typically shown to be "buffed" into the skin. This technique forces the makeup into your pores, which is never a good thing. A technique that works with better quality mineral makeup (which we'll discuss later) is to "dust" the makeup on, instead of "buffing" it. If a brush irritates your skin, you can also use a non-latex or flocked sponge. Application can be done either wet or dry.

What Are The Ingredients?

This is the most important part. Learning what is in your makeup will give you the ability to choose what will meet your needs best. These are the ingredients you will most likely come across.

· Titanium Dioxide- A white natural sunscreen and anti-inflammatory agent. It is highly reflect, with only a diamond being higher, and thus minimizes fine lines and some skin discolorations.

· Zinc Oxide- A natural sunscreen providing broad spectrum UVA/UVB protection.

· Sericite- A colorless mica that can be used to cut the opacity of Titanium Dioxide and also works as an oil absorber.

· Cornstarch/ Rice Powder- Cosmetic grade- An oil humectant (draws oil out of the pores). Can make acne worse as it is a source of food for bacteria.

· Kaolin Clay- Natural oil-absorption.

· Mica- Natural "glitter". Provides shimmer and sparkle.

· Iron Oxides- Natural pigment- very opaque. Used for tinting cosmetics.

Ingredients To Avoid

These ingredients are also common, but can cause problems so are best to avoid.

· Talc/ Various Powders- Common fillers- can cause respiratory problems.

· FD&C Dyes- Derived from coal tar.

· Bismuth Oxychloride- Known skin irritant- causes itching, rashes and breakouts. Especially prevalent when the wearer sweats.

· Ferric Ferrocyanide- Controversial because of its suspected toxicity.

· Carmine- Crushed beetles.

What Brand Should I Buy?

Well, if you're familiar with mineral makeup, it's likely you've seen the infomercials. After further research you'll find these companies use controversial ingredients, and charge quite a bit for their products.

There are several good mineral makeup companies out there that provide a much better product at a more affordable price, as well as a superior customer experience. They also offer samples, which the larger companies do not. You'll get to try the makeup (unlike in the drugstore!) for a fraction of the cost before you buy it. They don't have expensive advertising and packaging to pay for, so the savings are often passed on to you.

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Mineral Makeup for Acne - How to choose the best for you

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Mineral makeup is all the rage for acne prone skin, skin diseases and for people with rosacea and others. This is in addition to those from normal skin who want a natural look. With so many companies with so-called "mineral makeup", as you can choose what works best for you?

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First, we know that companies call their product is a mineral makeup, although there are synthetic ingredients in it. Sinceno set rules, and if a product says it contains pure minerals, but may also include elements such as bismuth oxychloride (irritating to the skin are known), parabens or other binders. However, if an ingredient is the last place the label in small quantities so as not to irritate the skin can be absorbed. Depends on the sensitivity of your skin is dependent. Make no purchase of a brand just because it is known or reasonably well. Read labels carefully. Usually, thefewer ingredients a product has the potential to one that has not aggravate your acne.

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If you go to buy mineral makeup, use the following guidelines to help you evaluate the different product lines:

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Before natural sunscreen (titanium dioxide and / or zinc oxide)

No bismuth oxychloride 2 (many brands of pharmaceutical products containing this article and can irritate the skin and cystic acne)

No third fragrance

4 Pure Minerals (exceptBismuth)

Many 5 colors mineral makeup options to match your skin

Control options sixth oil (for example, as a mineral veil finishing powder)

Options moisturizer 7 (just make sure they are not comedogenic)

Mineral Concealer 8

9 Options Blush, Bronzer and other mineral makeup to complete your look

10 well, natural bristles and synthetic brushes (shapes and sizes for different applications)

Some mineralsMake-up lines do not contain any irritating ingredients with unique, even if their school is safe. For example, a veil of light can contain mica, which can be captured in the pores and irritate the skin of some people. I also have mineral makeup lines in which all products are available with the exception of one or two found alive. You can not be complacent and trust that each component of a product line is safe for you. Read all labels.

While everyone's skin is different and reacts differentlyfor each brand, I found Bare Escentuals BareMinerals line with the best combination of quality and value. If you do not know, is often referred to as essential minerals, or bare. The quality is excellent in application processing, and ingredients. The price is reasonable compared to other brands of high quality. They also have a full range of colors, finishes, powder, eye shadow eye shadow, bronzer, lipstick, eyeliner, eyebrow color, skin care, and much more. If you have never used mineral makeup, start with a kit to start. Even if you do not have all the elements of the kit is excellent value compared to purchasing individual items. If you are very oily and sensitive to their new mattress BareMinerals Foundation to go with the kit. There is still a great value.

If you are acne-prone skin and makeup are struggling to find that will give good coverage without irritating the skin, mineral> Make-up try. If something is so popular, it is usually because it works.

Mineral Makeup for Acne - How to choose the best for you

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