Mineral
Veil, HD Microfinish Powder, Light Reflecting Setting Powder. I see these a lot among my clients’ makeup
arsenals, chiefly because my clientele all have breakout issues. Summer can really be gross. There’s very little that’s worse than a
greasy mess over layers of makeup. These
powders are not just setting powders, they do serve a great purpose for oily
skin; they absorb oil like no one’s business and the white ones don’t clog
pores or irritate inflamed skin.
Thing is,
considering they run anywhere from $20-50, and considering most are made with
just one ingredient, the white ones in particular, do we really need this? In my opinion, this is really one of the
things we can indeed save money on. Like
I said, these powders are great. But
they’re not all there is.
The main
ingredient in most of these powders, and the only one in several of them, is
something called Silica. Silica is
indeed related to Silicon and Silicone, but not in any way that is relevant to
us in terms of skincare or makeup.
Silica, also known as Silicon Dioxide, is basically extremely finely
ground Quartz. Yes, the rock. In many parts
of the world, silica is the major constituent of sand. It’s used in the production of glass, soil
for planting, “flow” agents in foods, in gel form as those little moisture-absorbing
pillows in bottles of supplements and boxes of shoes, and in toothpaste to
create the polishing grit that makes our teeth white.
The cool
thing is that when it’s ground down (and processed, but that’s too much get
into here), the resulting powder granules are actually spherical in shape, so
the powder goes on super smooth and super fine.
However, since quartz is a crystal, the spheres can be more like teeny
disco balls. When just a teeny bit is
dusted over the face, oil and moisture are absorbed and none of the white
powder is seen at all. However, if just
a little too much is used, the flash of a camera can light it up making the
person look like their white eye shadow just exploded on them before leaving
the house. In my mind, while the
advantage is oil and moisture absorption and being pretty much completely
invisible, the oil absorbing ability doesn’t last long enough. So, considering the price, having to reapply
all day long, I dunno…
Another
great oil absorber is clay, which is in the better mineral foundation powders
designed for acne skin. Unfortunately,
there are pitifully few mineral makeup lines that cater specifically to oily
skin. Most instead opt for light
refracting Mica and Bismuth Oxychloride, which can aggravate inflamed acne and
make oily skin look terrible, and several contain pore clogging fats added for
adherence and spread-ability. Not.
Good. Just be aware that much of the
time clay in a mineral powder might limit skin color matching because all
varieties are so opaque. For oil
absorption, clay is much better as a once or twice weekly mask, which I highly encourage for regular oil
control.
So. What is a good alternative to these expensive
silica powders with a long lasting matting effect and no irritation or
clogging? Cornstarch! Yes, the stuff from your kitchen you use to
make stir fry with. Cornstarch.
Cornstarch
has tons and tons of uses. When it was
discovered in 1840, it was primarily used in spray starch for shirts. Since about the 1850s it’s been used for
thickening sauces, as a substitute for talc in surgical gloves, an anti-stick
agent on condoms and diaphragms (seriously), an anti-caking agent in powdered
sugar, in baby powder, and one of my favorites, mixed with baking soda and
water and cooked on the stove it makes an amazing, pure white modeling clay
(the pot has to be spotless, though lol).
The
reason cornstarch is great for all these things, is because it absorbs oil and
moisture without getting immediately lumpy.
It’s not nearly as fine as silica, nor is it at all “light refracting”, but this is actually why cornstarch is
better. It doesn’t clog pores cuz the
molecules are too big, it lasts much longer, absorbs moisture better so it
actually cools you off as well, truly mattes you out without trying to fuzz you
out, and it’s CHEAP! You just have to make
sure it’s dusted onto your skin thinly and evenly or it will show up. But that’s ok, all you have to do is simply
take a dry washcloth or towel and lightly wipe the excess off. The best tool is a large, soft makeup
brush. When I’m not wearing makeup, and
I want to include my hairline a little, and I’m also hot as hell, I actually
apply it with my hands on my face, neck, chest and a bit in my hair. I then wipe off the excess with a towel,
brush my hair, and I’m good to go. The
photo way up at the top shows you what I mean.
Because
of this fab trick, I’ve included for years already a retractable blush brush
and shaker jar in my web store just so you can carry cornstarch with you in
your purse.
You can even take some of
your loose mineral foundation, fill the shaker jar some of the way, and then
add a little bit of cornstarch to make your foundation matte without altering
the color in any way. Cool, huh ?
Need
another idea for staying cool and grease-free in the summer? Check out this video on AcneWhisperer
TV!
Know someone who could benefit from this post ?
Please share !
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