Mineral makeup has been gaining in popularity over the past couple of years. First manufactured by independent cosmetic companies, now even major skin care lines are getting in on the action.
Mineral makeup is also popular because it has high usability: the colors are rich and deep, it tends to last longer than other (standard) cosmetics, it may contain natural sunscreens, and it is usually water resistant. It’s also appealing because it’s been advertised as being all natural and non-toxic.
Sure that sounds great- why not choose natural skin care whenever you can?
But just because it’s natural, does it mean it’s good for your face?
Mineral makeup contains ingredients which might cause negative skin reactions.
Most commonly, mineral makeup contains:
Mica. This is also known as sericite or “mica shimmer”. This tends to accumulate in the body and can be difficult to get rid of. Mica has been classified as toxic to the the respiratory, and gastrointestinal systems, and has toxicant effects on the liver as well. Although mica-containing cosmetics are popular, and have been approved by the FDA, it doesn’t mean that a whole lot of mica is good for you. Many mineral (and other types) of cosmetics use mica to add shine and shimmer.
Ultramarine. This comes from the stone lapis lazuli. It has long been prized as having special qualities. It was used as a cure for melancholy in the medieval times.
Titanium Dioxide. This has some sunscreen properties and is used as a color additive in cosmetics. I’ve used concealer with titanium dioxide and it worked great on my face, but irritated the skin around my eyes when I dabbed it there. I think some minerals may be too strong for thin skin.
There are other common minerals in mineral makeup, but these are the most frequently used.
Mineral makeup may be a better choice than other cosmetics; after all, mineral makeup is more natural, generally speaking. However, your best bet, always, is to apply any new cosmetics sparingly, and to monitor your skin for any adverse or negative reactions. Remember, your skin absorbs whatever you put directly on it.
Mineral makeup may be great for skin, but it may not always be great for YOUR skin. Try it out and adjust accordingly.
Filed under General Skin Care Information by 
You know how sometimes you look at your skin and you see little “plugs” of black in your pores? Yes, you guessed it, these are blackheads.
Blackheads fill the pores of your skin’s top layer, the epidermis. The occur when oil production kicks into overdrive and there is too much oil produced by the skin. The clinical term for this oil is sebum.
When sebum begins to harden in the pore, it forms a bump. The top part of this bump, when exposed to air, oxidizes and then turns black. This black top is pushed to the surface by the continually hardening sebum under it. Once it reaches the surface of your skin, you can see a blackhead.
No one really knows why the oil glands start to overproduce. It may be related to hormones, which may be why so many teenagers experience blackheads- but this doesn’t hold completely true for all people who continue to have blackheads and whiteheads throughout their adult years.
In case you were wondering, whiteheads are formed the exact same way as blackheads, except that whiteheads are within a pore that is closed, so the top part does not reach the air- no oxidation occurs, and, therefore, it does not turn black.
Preventing and removing blackheads can help control skin conditions like acne.
The best ways to remove blackheads at home?
There are three keys: cleanliness, exfoliation, and heat.
If you are troubled by blackheads, the most important first step is to keep your skin as clean as possible. Stay away from any very harsh chemicals or soaps which may strip the skin. This can make the oil production even worse.
Use a gentle exfoliant to aid your skin’s cell turnover. This can keep your pores open and keep them from getting clogged with cells, dirt, or oil.
A warm, damp cloth applied to the blackhead may help the pore open up. You can also try gently pulling the pore open by applying gentle pressure to your face and pulling away (again, GENTLY) away from the blackhead on both sides. This may help the plug move closer to the surface.
Do not scrape, squeeze, or push the blackhead. This may lead to scarring.
You might also try one of the commercially advertised “blackhead” strips- these are pieces of a sticky tape-like substance which you place on your skin, allow to dry, and then pull off. These “glue” to the blackheads on your skin and pull them out when you pull the tape off. (I’ve used these with great success, especially for the sides and top of my nose).
If you are troubled by blackheads, try these steps to get rid of them.
If you don’t want to remove your blackheads yourself, you can schedule a facial with extraction to get these taken out. This might be a good option if you have a lot of them and can afford to have them professionally removed. Just be careful though, as extraction can hurt.
Your face is likely to be red for a day or so afterward and it will feel tender. Don’t have an extraction procedure done less than a week (two is better) before any kind of important event.
Filed under General Skin Care Information by
The current issue of the American Journal of Clinical Dermatology reports that researchers have found an interesting link between the presence of Malassezia, the family of scalp fungi responsible for dandruff and other scalp disorders.
Malassezia is the group, or family, of yeast bacteria which inhabit the scalp. One of the subtypes of Malassezia is P. ovale, which is directly responsible for excessive flaking of the skin of the scalp; what we commonly term dandruff.
Researchers found that people with a higher concentration of the Malassezia yeast present on their scalp were more likely to have hair shedding. Too much hair shedding can ultimately lead to patchiness and areas of hair loss.
This means that the presence of the Malassezia fungi may decrease the strength or health of the hair shaft, leading to faster turnover.
If you are troubled by dandruff, be sure to treat it as soon as possible with over the counter shampoos and, if serious, advice from your doctor. Although the results of this study do need to be repeated in a larger group, it doesn’t seem like much of a stretch to think that a clean scalp might decrease hair shedding.
Filed under General Skin Care Information by
