Mineral Makeup Reviews

Which are the Best Mineral Makeups
for Sensitive Skin?

Mineral makeup reviews are meant to shed some light on specific brands of mineral cosmetics. These are reviews of the top five brands of mineral makeup, along with reviews that our visitors have shared!

There are several popular brands of mineral makeup from which to choose and sometimes that can seem a bit daunting to someone who has yet to try mineral makeup.

We're hoping to give you some helpful facts on several of the more popular brands of mineral makeup. We'll cover the following in our mineral makeup reviews:

• Potentially unsafe ingredients
• Available shades
• Customer comments
• Cost of products

Perhaps the information contained in these mineral makeup reviews will be helpful to you when you're choosing a mineral makeup!

Mineral Makeup Reviews - Potentially Irritating Ingredients in MOST Mineral Makeup

All mineral makeup contains some of the following ingredients, which are generally safe but in some cases can cause irritation.

Titanium Dioxide - is used in most all mineral makeups and is generally considered safe as long as you don't use the micronized versions which can be potentially dangerous when inhaled. This can be mildly irritating to some sensitive skin.

Zinc Oxide - can be potentially irritating when consistently inhaled over a period of time. Use a non-micronized version to be safe.

Mica - this can be irritating to some sensitive skin if it is used in larger amounts. Some people find Mica irritating if it is the main ingredient in the mineral makeup, so choose brands that use Mica as one of the last ingredients in the list.

Mineral Makeup Reviews - Bare Escentuals or
Bare Essentials

Bare Escentuals is the official name of the company who manufactures this product line, but many people hear the name spoken by a friend or family member and enter the search term as Bare Essentials. It is now also known as Bare Minerals.

As a result, you'll find information under both search terms, which is good to know when you're beginning to search for specific mineral makeup reviews.

Potentially Irritating Ingredients in Bare Escentuals Mineral Makeup

Many mineral makeup reviews noted that it is difficult to find the Bare Escentuals ingredient list, but from our research it contains only five ingredients, although other sources suggested that some of their products may contain parabens.

Unfortunately one of their can be very irritating for some sensitive skin.

Bismuth Oxychloride is used to create an iridescent quality, and can cause itchiness, inflamed skin, and pustules for women with sensitive skin.

Parabens may be included in some Bare Minerals products, which can potentially cause skin irritations, contact dermatitis and other more serious health effects.

Depending on the product, may contain Lauroyl Lysine, Silica, Calcium Silicate, Soil Minerals, Iron Oxides and other ingredients.

Available Shades of Bare Minerals

There are many colors available to match your skin tone. I counted over 22, in various shades of Fair, Light, Medium, Tan, Dark, Deep

Their site will help you find the best shade of Bare Escentuals makeup for your individual skin tone.

Customer Comments About Bare Minerals

I've read a lot of reviews, and they fall into two camps. Some people love it, and others find that it causes itching, breakouts, acne and skin irritation. Here are some of the comments, which you can see vary quite a bit depending on the user..

• Skin appears more youthful and feels terrific
• Glowing naturally
• Easy and quick to apply
• No one knows you're wearing foundation, it looks that natural
• Results look cakey
• Caused skin to become oily and break out
• Oily skin does well with the matte finish - just make sure to moisturize properly or else it will dry out your skin too much
• Blemishes disappear without much effort
• Good coverage
• Contains SPF, which I like because I'm in the sun all summer long
• Accentuates lines on the face even when used with mineral veil
• Some found that it causes itching
• Smaller amount of product, but higher price point - this can be disappointing

Cost of Bare Escentuals or Bare Essentials

The starter kit is priced between $55 and $60, which contains samples of each product. Individual products are priced from $13.00 to $28.00 each.

Mineral Makeup Reviews - Jane Iredale Mineral Makeup

Jane Iredale mineral makeup products are sold in top-notch spas and salons in every country of the world. Dermatologists love this product line and recommend it often to their patients. Also known as The Skin Care Makeup, it's a mineral makeup that is touted as safe for all skin types.

Potentially Irritating Ingredients in Jane Iredale Mineral Makeup

Jane Iredale products are paraben free, pthalate free and I believe also free of Bismuth Oxychloride. Many people with sensitive skin have been able to use the products.

Zinc Stearate - moderate concern for toxicity and for some, slight chance of allergic reactions

Dimethicone - there is conflicting research on this ingredient and it is considered a low to moderate hazard by the Cosmetics Database.

Stearic Acid - although considered a low hazard ingredient, may have some allergic effects, and has been linked to cancer in some studies.

Available Shades of Jane Iredale Mineral Makeup

The colors available within this product line are nearly limitless, so no matter what skin shade you have, you'll be able to find one that will match perfectly.

Customer Comments About Jane Iredale Mineral Makeup

Most customers who have used this brand of mineral makeup have a positive experience, even those who have sensitive skin. One difficulty some people had was finding the right color, as they go onto your skin looking different than the colors on the website.

• Feels like you're wearing no makeup at all
• Goes on smoothly and nearly disappears, so it looks natural
• Conceals blemishes nicely and doesn't cake around pimples
• Some say it does not provide enough coverage
• Women with rosacea report nice coverage of red skin
• Makes pores invisible though some report that by the end of the day the makeup can pool into pores
• So lightweight, it feels like you're not wearing makeup at all
• Doesn't look good over wrinkles
• Products are expensive but quality is good
• Excellent product, but some say that customer service is poor

Cost of Jane Iredale: Lipstick can be as inexpensive as $19, but the other products cost roughly $33-$47 each. Jane Iredale Mineral Makeup

Mineral Makeup Reviews - Colorscience
Mineral Makeup

Created by the same person who brought you Bare Escentuals, Colorscience mineral makeup is a bit different in that it is formulated to actually improve the health and appearance of skin. They're marketed as anti-inflammatory products that actually protect the skin and improve the overall condition of the skin.

Potential Irritants Ingredients in Colorscience Products

Bismuth Oxychloride - this is an ingredient that women with sensitive skin should absolutely avoid or else you could experience extreme redness, itchiness, and possibly pustules on the surface of the skin. This is the second ingredient in Colorscience products, and so is present in high concentrations.

Some people have no problem with bismuth oxychloride, and it is generally considered a low hazard ingredient, however it is the higher concentrations of this ingredient in mineral makeups that cause some women to break out when using it.

Parabens are preservatives that can cause skin irritation and other potential health risks, and these are present in the Colorscience liquid foundations. Please see our paraben free products page for more information on the dangers of parabens.

Chromium Oxide - this ingredient is a skin, eye and lung irritant and may actually increase the skin's ability to absorb surface substances.

Unfortunately, that also means it may open the pores of the skin to potential health problems because the skin is more susceptible to harmful free radicals and anything put on the surface of the skin. It could also cause cancer.

Cyclopentasiloxane - this emollient is present in their primer liquid foundation, is rated at a mild to moderately hazardous ingredients by the Environmental working group, and may cause skin, eye or lung irritation

Available Shades of Colorscience Mineral Makeup

Very light, light, medium, medium-dark, dark - there are 11 shades in all available with this product line.

Customer Comments About Colorscience

Colorscience received the most negative mineral makeup reviews of the major brands we looked at.

The customer experiences of Colorscience were mixed, and most complaints were about the company's customer service rather than the makeup itself.

• Excellent coverage for rosacea and doesn't irritate skin - no breakouts
• Other users said exactly the opposite and developed itching and skin irritation after repeated use ... this is due to the Bismuth Oxychloride
• Love that it contains SPF
• Loose minerals are in a very easy to use refillable container with brush
• Brush can get clogged
• Feels light and doesn't cake around blemishes
• Good coverage and looks moist and silky, not dry
• Lovely glow but does not photograph well
• Primer does a good job of filling in wrinkles and covering blemishes
• Not always easy to find a good color match for your skin.

Cost of Colorscience Mineral Makeup: $15 to $50

Mineral Makeup Reviews - Sheer Cover

Potentially Irritating Ingredients in Sheer Cover Products

Bismuth Oxychloride - this ingredient can cause itching, cystic acne and breakouts for people with rosacea and sensitive skin.

Sheer Cover mineral makeup also contains two other ingredients: Green Rooibos Tea and Aspalathus Linearis Leaf Extract. Both of these ingredients are deemed as safe ingredients.

Available Shades - Light, Medium, Tan, Dark

Customer Comments About Sheer Cover Mineral Makeup

• Some say product is great for coverage and lasts all day
• Others say it does not provide enough coverage and creates a cakey look after a few hours
• Customer service can be a bit tricky - many customers complained about this and were sometimes charged more than the cost of product
• Great for covering redness and blotchy areas
• Caused itching and skin breakouts for people with sensitive skin
• Auto ship option convenient but very difficult to cancel
• Dark circles under eyes much less noticeable
• Makeup caked into wrinkles and creases on the skin
• Refreshing and clean feeling
• Drying to some skin and will cause flaking, be sure to use moisturizer

Cost of Sheer Cover: $18 to $40 for individual products or up to $75 for a kit

Mineral Makeup Reviews - Safest Choices for
Sensitive Skin?

If you have sensitive skin, I highly recommend that you choose bismuth free mineral makeup, which does not contain Bismuth Oxychloride.

Bismuth Oxychloride is a chemical has caused itching, breakouts and acne for some people with sensitive skin. A lot of the more popular and well known brands of mineral makeup contain this ingredient, and so you may need to do a little searching to find other options.

Some of the safer mineral makeups we've found include:

Cleure Loose Minerals - This company makes products that contain no botanicals or plant allergens, so they are exceptionally non-irritating. They also ship almost anywhere in the world which is a benefit for all of us with sensitive skin, no matter where we live!

Their new cosmetics are excellent, safe and free from parabens and other irritants. Their cosmetics line is in transition and so their older cosmetics DO contain parabens which are clearly marked on the site.

You can see the paraben free newer cosmetics listed here at safe skin care products - cosmetics. 

Jane Iredale Mineral Makeup - This is a popular and well known brand of mineral makeup that does not use bismuth, and receives mostly positive mineral makeup reviews from customers.

These products do contain more botanical ingredients so would not work if you need salicylate free products but are otherwise relatively non-irritating, free from parabens and other irritants. Jane Iredale is available in the US and in many countries worldwide. 

MyChelle Cosmetics - these are only available in the U.S. and on a limited basis in Ireland but are safe, well made and do not contain bismuth, parabens, nanoparticles or other unhealthy ingredients. 

Suki Cosmetics - these are well reviewed, popular mineral cosmetics, as far as I can tell these are available in the U.S. and have received excellent mineral makeup reviews from customers.