Take Note: Mineral Makeup

All "mineral makeup" means is that the cosmetics are devoid of chemicals. Because of this, however, they claim great benefits for the skin, which may explain their ascension; treatment products are outshining cosmetic products in the market by quite a bit. And considering only a smidgen of the population has flawless skin regardless of what's slathered on top, this rise makes sense.

If you have remotely problematic skin, there's always the catch 22 when it and make up try to co-exist. You break out, so you want to cover it up, but make-up can perpetuate the problem of breaking out in the first place. Mineral cosmetics are now here to the rescue. Not only do cosmeticians claim that the all-natural make-up prevents skin irritation, but the vitamins improve skin quality as well. They often contain oxides, clay, talc, and nitrides, as well as other minerals, and come in just about any type of makeup you desire -- eye shadow, blush, lipstick, foundation, and powder.

The best part is that these trendy cosmetics don't carry the price tag you might expect from an of-the-moment beauty fad, which is perfect if you're easing into the idea of mineral makeup. Perhaps the most notable pioneer of the mineral trend is i.d. Bare Escentuals. The cosmetics come in a wide range of prices ($5-$60), but we particularly recommend the bareMinerals SPF 15 Foundation ($25, search "747832" at Sephora). Foundation coats the most skin, so we think it makes sense to use a product that won't irritate. Plus, Bare Escentuals first introduced the foundation in 1976, and it's been going strong ever since. You just can't argue with success!

Some existing makeup lines are diving into mineral makeup as well. Jane Be Pure is another line that is a new collection by Jane Cosmetics, offering mineral makeup with extremely reasonable prices (everything for $6.99 at Drugstore.com). Neutrogena introduced its Minerals Line recently ($5.59-$11.69, search "Neutrogena Mineral" at Drugstore.com) as did the incredibly affordable e.l.f. Cosmetics. So far, its Natural Mineral Makeup line includes blush, eye shadow, and lipstick ($1 each, search "elements"). Physicians Formula also created a Mineral Wear line ($4.39-$11.95, search the brand at Drugstore.com).

While it may seem like a fad, we find mineral makeup to make a lot of sense. Why not do some good with your everyday routine by including natural cosmetics that are better for you? It could balance out all the other bad things you do during the day. Maybe.

-- by Lindsay Sakraida