The Dirt on Pure Cosmetics

Mineral foundations touted as a more natural or pure make-up option in fact contain many of the same chemicals found in standard liquid or powder foundations, according to a report by CHOICE, an Australian consumer advocacy group. Most of the mineral ingredients naturally contain traces of the same toxic impurities, such as bismuth oxychloride, a by-product of lead, tin and copper refining. “Mineral foundations are marketed as being better for skin than regular foundations, but most contain the same sort of ingredients as any other make-up base,” says Elise Davidson of CHOICE. Dermatologist Dr Philip Artemi agrees that they have no more therapeutic value than other products. “Mineral make-up isn’t anything but an alternative kind of make-up, nothing more.”