Mineral Makeup vs Organic

Mineral makeup has been getting so much publicity lately that everyone wants a piece of it. Company after company creates a new mineral make up brand touting its naturalness and confusing the issue of mineral makeup vs organic. I’ve been asked questions whether mineral makeup is organic.

Let’s clear up a few terms.

Organic, as is used when referring to food or products such as organic mascara can only refer to plant ingredients, because it is really a way of farming.

Minerals, on the other hand are not plants. They are simply naturally occurring solids.

So when it comes to mineral makeup, you are not looking for organic. You can’t organically farm minerals. They are a given from earth’s geological processes.

When it comes to products like organic mascara, minerals may be used for its various properties, such as color (various Iron Oxides are popular for that).

There are many minerals that are considered safe, therefore if you see them included in your organic mascara you don’t need to be concerned. Which is not to say that all mineral makeup brands are created equal. Many add the same synthetic preservatives, colors and fragrances that make people turn away from traditional makeup in the first place.

Another thing to look out for is the size of the minerals. In general, it is recommended that you avoid anything containing nanoparticles. The reason being is that when the minerals are crashed so finely they acquire different properties than they did at their standard size and may pose a health risk.