Trina’s Toxic Talk:

Did you know Big Cosmo deceivingly uses the term “Mineral Makeup” as a marketing term to grab your attention and gain your trust? The term “mineral makeup” is similar to the term “organic” and I urge you to investigate exactly what your makeup contains. Before you trust… read this!

Makeup Concerns Me! Often, makeup is applied daily in the morning and not washed off until night. Depending on what brand you are using, your skin could be smothered with toxic ingredients for 16 hours. If you are using mineral makeup, and feel it is a “safe” alternative to conventional makeup- think again.

If you are purchasing makeup from a "healthy" company, please read your make up labels.  Most skincare companies are unaware that the minerals are washed in chemicals... and they are using them in their formulations.  As your Natural Beauty Nurse, it is my promise to do the research and provide only the safest, healthiest options and Make-Up can be naturally made... 

A key selling point for mineral products is that they come from the earth and consist of natural minerals such as zinc and titanium. That doesn’t mean they don’t contain chemicals.  Minerals are made up of chemical elements, but since the companies don’t put in additional chemical ingredients they claim the products are pure.

Minerals sound harmless. They give the makeup their sheen, shimmer and vibrant color- yet, the mineral itself may not be the problem. All minerals must be processed and it is through this “processing” that chemicals are used and remain on the mineral. In order to be used in cosmetics, mined minerals must be washed in toxic chemicals that do not get removed.  When you apply mineral makeup to your skin, you are absorbing those toxins all day long... and they can cause skin irritations and acne as well.  Big Cosmo will not tell you this… they don’t want you to see through their natural deceptions.

As your Natural Health and Beauty Nurse, I want you to KNOW what you are putting on your skin and absorbing all day long.  

What Are Mineral Makeups?

There’s no legal or real definition of mineral makeup.  Bare Essentials coined the term and brought it to the forefront in the 1990s and began the “mineral makeup revolution”. Since the financial payoff was a huge success, Big Cosmo jumped on the mineral train. While it sounds good on the surface, I never take anything for granted. In order to gain my TRUST, it has to provide my external and internal structures with nutrients, not chemicals. On that note, let's take a closer look:

Mineral makeup, TRUST or TRASH?

Minerals give mineral makeup their color, sheen and shimmer. But the minerals can be processed with toxic chemicals and contain heavy metals.

The premise (and silent promise) of mineral makeup is that it uses earth-derived pigments like titanium dioxide, iron oxide, zinc oxide, and mica instead of artificial colors like aluminum lake and FD&C colors.  However, there are no laws governing how mineral makeups are labeled. Unfortunately, Big Cosmo uses both synthetic and mineral compounds in their products and market them as mineral.

Marketing is the name of the selling game and when a buzzword brings in cold-hard cash, Big Cosmo jumps all over it! Mineral makeup is a fancy, made-up term that may have revolutionized how Big Cosmo marketed makeup, but it did not revolutionize the ingredients in makeup.

Perry Romanowsksi, author of Can You Get Hooked on Lip Balm? Top Cosmetic Scientists Answer Your Questions About the Lotions, Potions and Other Beauty Products You Use Every Day, doesn’t see it as a revolution. “All makeup is mineral makeup,” he says. “You’ll find the same mineral ingredients — titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, mica, and iron oxides — in conventional products.”

Mineral makeup ingredients aren’t simply mined, pulverized, and poured into compacts. Most “minerals” are not pure and need to be purified and decontaminated to be included in skincare formulations. Titanium dioxide, for instance, is a popular mineral makeup ingredient. It starts out with natural titanium, but it undergoes an extraction and purification process in the lab. That’s a good thing.

“There isn’t any natural source of titanium that’s pure enough to be used in cosmetics,” Romanowski says. “It’s all contaminated with things like mercury and lead.”

Unfortunately, the purification process is done using toxic chemicals that are known to cause cancer, skin disorders and organ dysfunction. What is left is a mineral (purified ingredient) contaminated with toxic chemicals to absorb into your body. (That’s TRASH).

While mineral makeup may sound good to the health enthusiast, reading the label may also make it appear as a healthy choice because of what is left out. A minimal investigation into the top toxins included in skincare and makeup quickly reveals a list with these common ingredients: preservatives, parabens, mineral oil, chemical dyes, and fragrance. Many savy “mineral makeup” companies have excluded these ingredients from their formulations trying to convince knowledgeable and strict “label readers” that mineral makeup is safe and toxin-free. (More TRASH)

The most common mineral makeup formulations are powder, however, as I disclosed earlier, the ingredients used in mineral makeup are not really different from liquid formulations at all… and Big Cosmo will take every dollar they can. So, the more recent trend was to refer to liquid makeup (foundations) as “mineral makeup” as well.

For most Big Cosmo formulations, liquid = water.

Have you heard my T3 talk about WATER? Water (polluted water- because Big Cosmo does not purify it for you- TRASH) has no place in skincare or makeup.   In fact, it impossible for mineral makeup companies to create a liquid foundation with a pared-down (almost healthy) ingredients list. Microbes thrive in water, so liquid formulations must include some kind of preservative. Without it, contaminated products can lead to skin infections. Most preservatives destroy your internal health.

Women have been advised to scan makeup labels for bismuth oxychloride, the ingredient that gives makeup its pearly finish. It can cause skin irritation and acne flare-ups.

A little TRASHY irony…. Companies like Bare Essentials and Jane Iredale use bismuth oxychloride as their main “mineral” ingredient. Interestingly, bismuth is rarely found in its elemental state (as a pure metal) in the earth. It is usually obtained as a by-product of mining and refining lead, copper, tin, cobalt, silver and gold.

Let’s Take a closer look

Bismuth Oxychloride

Bismuth oxychloride is manufactured by combining bismuth, a by-product of lead and copper metal refining mixed with chloride (a compound from chlorine), and water. It is used in cosmetics because of its distinct shimmery, pearlescent appearance and its fine white powder texture that adheres well to the skin. Bismuth is a heavy metal. In fact, it is the only heavy metal that is not considered toxic.

The biggest concern with Bismuth oxychloride is that it frequently causes skin irritation and sensitization such as redness, itching, rashes and inflammation. The fact that most mineral makeups use large quantities of bismuth oxychloride (more concentrated in powder formulations) means the possibility of skin irritation/inflammation is very high. Because it can cause significant inflammation and irritation, particularly with sensitive skin, it can worsen acne to a cystic level and cause Rosacea to flare.

Inflammation is an allergic response and is a signal from the body that something does not agree with your composition. Because of its molecular crystalline shape, many individuals experience itching from bismuth oxycholorine, which worsens when they sweat.

Lead

Lead is a toxic metal that can have neurologic and cognitive effects. Toxicity can also inhibit fertility and triggering joint/muscle pain. As recently as the FDA’s 2009 study of best selling crimson-tinted lipsticks, it was even found that all analyzed samples contained varying degrees of lead (quite possibly from ingredient contaminants or the pigments themselves), some as much as 10+ times the acceptable limit.

Even at relatively low levels, lead can have profound effects on both children and adults.

Children:   Decreased academic achievement, decreased IQ, and decreases in specific cognitive measures, increased incidence of attention-related behaviors and problem behaviors Adults:   Decreased kidney function, maternal blood lead associated with reduced fetal growth

Mica

EWG rating “3”.

Mica is what gives makeup the flecks of sparkle. It can also make concealer appear more natural. Mica gives make-up products such as eyeshadow, nail polish, lipstick, and concealer their shimmer.

By covering the flecks of mica in titanium dioxide, the pearlescent product can reflect all the colors of the rainbow. Adding in iron dioxide can help to craft earthier and more gold hues. Most concerns regarding mica are related to inhalation during application. Mica is known to damage lung tissue that can lead to fibrotic lung tissue and cancer.

Pure mica is a mineral pulled from the earth in sheets or rock form. Once mica is mined, it is transported to a manufacturing facility where it is processed and treated for a number of applications, including makeup. During processing, chemicals are used that contaminate the powder. Since processing is standard, these chemicals are not listed or disclosed by Big Cosmo. Mica is also a skin irritant and can aggravate or cause skin conditions such as acne, rosacea and perioral dermatitis.

Iron Oxides

EWG rating “2”. Iron oxides are naturally occurring mineral deposits. Iron Oxides used in cosmetic products is an inorganic compound consisting of any one or combination of synthetically prepared iron oxides that include hydrated forms of iron oxides. These compounds are used as pigments and coloring. Iron Oxides used in cosmetic and personal care products are synthetic. Because some of the starting materials for synthetic Iron Oxide may come from the earth there may be trace amounts of heavy metals present.

Talc

Hydrous magnesium silicate – which goes by the alter egos of French chalk, asbestine, beaver white and agalite – possesses anticaking properties, which allows cosmetics to be applied to the skin very smoothly. This naturally occurring, widely used mineral has been a staple of infant care for centuries but has nevertheless been deemed potentially carcinogenic, particularly with respect to the lungs and ovaries.

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) Skin Deep rates talc a “3” on toxicity level and report that talc can be contaminated with asbestos fibers, posing risks for respiratory toxicity and cancer. Studies by the National Toxicology Panel demonstrated that cosmetic-grade talc free of asbestos is a form of magnesium silicate that also can be toxic and carcinogenic.

Nanomaterials (Nano Sized Particles) – Metal Oxides

Metal-oxide nanomaterials can have an electron-transfer effect when they come into contact with human cells that contain electronically active molecules.

These oxidation-reduction reactions have the potential to generate oxygen free radicals in the body. These free radicals are highly reactive oxygen molecules that damage cells, triggering acute inflammation in the lungs of exposed humans and animals. A nanomaterial has a particle size between 1 and 100nm.

The Verdict:  TRASH I say!  Throw the mineral makeup in the trash.  It is not trustworthy of your health!

There Has To Be An Alternative!

There is. Mother Nature! Plants, flowers, herbs, clays are made up of vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids and contain natural pigments. I can’t know for sure, but I picture Cleopatra smashing a rose blossom and applying the pigment to her cheeks. Now that is natural color!

Primal Life Organics Make Up… Mineral-Free, good for your skin and naturally healthy.  

The colors of our Make-Up come from flowers, herbs, and foods. Zero-minerals.  Zero toxins.  Just good for your skin color and ingredients.

Yes, makeup can be good for your skin! I created the food alternative. Makeup (foundation, lid stains, cheek stains and concealer) that uses foods, plants, flowers and clays for coverage, color and beauty.

Colors come from cranberries, beets, hibiscus, spirulina, cocoa, and clays. Have you ever made beets and craved the color of the juice? Drink a green juice and marvel at the intense color knowing you are drinking in a plethora of nutrients your cells need!

Never any mica, titanium dioxide, lead, bismuth oxychloride, nanomaterials… the only food for your skin. The amazing thing about clay and food, when blended together, the color is completely natural. Clays help detoxify the skin, so they are perfect for those suffering from acne, rosacea and other skin conditions. Clay also balances oil production and over dryness, oiliness and helps control shine. Many feel just as fresh at the end of the day as they did when they first applied their makeup.

Because food and clay are healing agents, many find relief or improvement from skin conditions.

Primal Life Make-Up is unique and can be applied both wet and dry. Part of the fun in using Primal Life Colors is discovering both techniques and mastering your favorite. It takes approximately three applications to feel comfortable with the application process. Once you have the technique down, the application takes no longer than a traditional makeup application.

Taylor-Make Your Foundation

The best feature of Primal Colors Foundation it that since you do get to taylor-make your wet foundation, you can customize it to fit your needs and make just the right amount for one application.  This prevents bacterial growth ( a problem with all wet foundations that can aggravate acne and other skin conditions) and allows you to customize the foundation for your skin's current needs.  A little dry?  Add a drop or two of your favorite facial oil to the mix (my favorite is Blu-Berry Vitamin C Face Serum).  A little oily, just add your moisturizer or serum to your face, do not allow it to “soak in” and apply your wet foundation with just water and powder.

Because you mix each application, your powder lasts longer, has less risk of bacterial contamination and remains fresh without any preservatives or nasty ingredients.  That you can TRUST!  I promise!

Instructional videos, demonstrations and informational webinars are available on each website. For more information, check our Primal Colors by Primal Life Organics.

Feel free to watch our educational Webinars or send us an email at support@primallifeorganics.com