A Clean Matte
Remember watching our grandmothers using face powder? I can still remember the smell of my grandmother’s powder and she has been gone for over 35 years. Did face powder originate with our grandmother’s generation? The history of face powder dates back to 2000 BC and it was thought to be the ultimate in femininity, social status and wealth. To have a pale face was considered chic. Interestingly enough and rather shocking, lead fibers were a common ingredient in these ancient powders. Has much changed since then?
The use of ‘paint’ was criticized in Victorian times, but pale, flawless skin was fashionable so many women resorted to face powders to cover blemishes like sunburn, spots and freckles. Perspiration and oily skin could also be rectified with powder, making it useful in places where summers were warm and women were more likely to ‘glow’.
You may have seen pictures of East Asian women of years long gone that have very white skin on their faces. They desired this very pale look and would use rice ground into a fine powder and applied to the face. It was considered desirable to be petite, white faced and with white teeth.
Common ingredients in face powders are talc, natural starches like potato and rice, calcium carbonate (chalk), magnesium carbonate, kieselguhr (diatomite), washed China clay (kaolin), bismuth subchloride and subnitrate, zinc, and magnesium stearate, ground orris root and zinc oxide.
The use of powder has been to smooth out uneven skin tones, help with oily skin, cover up red skin, and give a more polished look. This has not changed in its long history, but formulation and ingredients have. Formulation has been a concern because of the desire to have it be smooth and silky – about how it lays, what it covers, and how it lasts in all kinds of weather, and what types of skin conditions could be covered by the powder. Also dictating formulation are different skin types with a myriad of skin concerns, with differing schools of thought on color – whether translucent, tinted or white. Two of the ingredients most likely in mattifying facial powder are mica and talc.
MICA – Pronounced mike’ uh, it is a globally sourced mineral “name given to a group of minerals that are physically and chemically similar. They are all silicate minerals known as sheet silicates because they form in distinct layers. Micas are fairly light and relatively soft, and the sheets and flakes of mica are flexible. Mica is heat resistant and does not conduct electricity. There are 37 different minerals. The most common include: purple, lepidolite, black biotite, brown phlogopite and clear muscovite” (Minerals Database, mineralseducationcoaltion.org).
Mica can either be sheet mined or flaked mined, with most of the sheet mining in India, and the flake in the U.S. The main use of mica is in gypsum wallboard joint compound where it gives stability, smoother consistency and workability. It is used in the paint industry giving the pigments brighter tone and increasing water resistance. In plastics it acts as a filler and an extender. Mica is used in the electronics industry as well, as insulators, windows in stoves, motors, coils and more. In addition, “mica is often used as color additives in cosmetics. They also have reflective properties, allowing for a shimmery effect in mineral foundations” (Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, safecosmetics.org).
TALC – “Talc is a naturally occurring mineral, mined from the earth, composed of magnesium, silicon, oxygen and hydrogen. It has many uses in cosmetics and personal care products. For example, it may be used to absorb moisture, to prevent caking, to make facial makeup opaque, or to improve the feel of a product” (Federal Drug Administration, fda.gov).
As noted, each of these minerals are mined from the earth, which is also where asbestos is mined, and asbestos is a known carcinogen when inhaled. Potential contamination of asbestos in each of these minerals is real, so it is wise to research where they are mined, the companies, and their practices. Asbestos is “not easy to identify. As what was once thought of as a miracle mineral, it is in over 18,000 products and building materials. While its manufacturing heyday was between 1920s and 1970s, it was still used in the UK as recently as 1999…Exposure to airborne asbestos fibres can cause fatal asbestos-related heart-lung diseases. There is no safe level of asbestos – inhaling the smallest amount of asbestos fibre can be extremely dangerous” (Elmelin, Industrial Insulation Solutions, elmelin.com).
Along with asbestos contamination concerns is sourcing – what are the practices being used to mine mica and talc? Is there forced labor? Child labor? Wage theft? To consider as well – “under the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act), cosmetic products and ingredients, with the exception of color additives, do not have to undergo FDA review of approval before they go to the market. Cosmetics must be properly labeled, and they must be safe for use by consumers under labeled or customary conditions of use. The law does not require cosmetic companies to share safety information with FDA” (Talc, U.S. Food & Drug Administration, fda.gov).
With this in mind, it may seem daunting to find ANY mattifying powder that is safe to use. However, safe brands do exist, with companies practicing transparency in their ingredients, sourcing, labeling, and reporting. Doing a quick search on Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep website reveals many different brands that are considered safe. When using this third-party group, check its ratings and certifications on various products in helping to determine what is a safer, cleaner choice. Tip: minimal ingredients that are considered safe are the better choice when choosing a product, whether it is mattifying powder or other personal care products.
Women have been using facial powders for years, and it does have an interesting history. With the advent of better accountability, we as consumers can choose ones that best suit our needs and protect our health and safety. Whether you want the dewy look, or more of a matte finish, safe clean facial powders can be a regular product in your makeup bag. Just like it was in our grandmother’s.
