Every so often, a new type of cosmetic comes along and turns the make-up market upside down. In the 70’s, sunless tanner was all the rage. Women everywhere were achieving a bronze glow in the privacy of their own bathroom. In the 80’s, the cosmetic industry could barely keep up with the amount of bright, colourful make-up women were demanding. Heavy, black eyeliner was the “in” thing of the 90’s. And currently, mineral make-up rules the industry. Women want everything and anything “mineral”.

"Mineral make-up" refers to products that contain natural minerals. These minerals are derived from the earth and are ground to a fine dust, so that they may be added to cosmetics. The main minerals being used in natural cosmetics are iron oxide, mica, zinc oxide, and titanium dioxide.

An important difference between mineral make-up and regular make-up is that mineral make-up does not contain fragrances, dyes, preservatives, chemicals, fillers, or synthetic binders. The reason that many women suffer from so many skin problems is because, even though they wash their face, their make-up contains irritating ingredients. You can spend a fortune on the best cleansers, moisturisers and skincare, but if your make-up contains a bunch of chemicals, you are still going to have a problem.

Most of the time, women are so concerned with how their make-up looks, that they forget to think about what it contains. The skin on the face is fragile. Lathering it with chemicals, fragrances, preservatives, and other undesirables can cause a range of problems. While some of the trends that hit the cosmetics industry should be left behind, mineral make-up is one that will, hopefully, keep moving forward.