So, you know me… I’m all for natural acne and skin solutions that are healthy options for the long term.
Solutions that aren’t short sighted, and won’t cause more damage or problems in the future in favour of a quick fix in the present.
But there is one final frontier that I have yet to really conquer….
And that is switching to natural makeup.
Yes… I Know Better, But…
Sure, I KNOW that all the chemicals in makeup aren’t good for you and that I really should make the effort to find good, all natural, safe makeup options.
And I KNOW that most of them are probably damaging to skin and pore clogging.
And I KNOW that by not switching, I am not staying true to my ethos.
But Let me ‘Splain my Excuses…
I just had such annoying memories of when I was younger trying out different makeup products…
Loved this shit
When I first started wearing makeup when I was in middle school, I found the concealer I liked (Maybelline Shine Free something or other), and I found the mascara I liked (Cover Girl waterproof lash blast something)…
And then every single time I decided to try a new makeup, it either just wasn’t thick enough and didn’t cover spots well, or the colour was off… and with mascara, it was too flakey or runny, or some other issue…
So after enough failed tries, I just gave up.
I dug my feet in and stuck with those two products for a good 12 years.
Right up until the Shine Free one got discontinued (to my dismay) and had to switch to a new Maybelline product (Fit Me concealer in the little tube).
My second love…
Which turned out to be even better… the coverage of any spots was just as good, but mainly because I finally realized I had a very yellow skin tone and had been wearing the wrong colour my whole Maybelline Shine Free life… oy vey…
Let Me ‘Splain Even More Excuses…
But anyway.. I’ve justified all this because I wear very minimal makeup – I only wear concealer on spots (which are now very limited) and under my eyes. Along with a bit of mascara. I’ve never liked wearing full coverage foundations or powders.
I always told myself that if I was a full coverage wearer, then surely I would make the effort to figure it all out and switch.
Because then there would be more surface area for chemical absorption, more clog and skin damage potential, etc…
But the truth is…. trying to find a new makeup that you like (especially one that doesn’t break you out and is healthy and natural) is just confusing, annoying, and expensive.
How many are you going to have to try before you hit on a winner, ya know?
I was also never really sure how bad chemical makeup really was in terms of acne. What’s worse? Makeup, or the stress from not wearing it?
So I’ve sort of just shied away from it all and have avoided giving any strong recommendations makeup wise, and instead have let Love Vitamin readers take advice from each other on what to try.
Then Melissa Came Along
Then Melissa Armstrong came along to my Naturally Clear Skin Academy forums.
Melissa is a dermatologist trained esthetician / chemical skin care rep turned natural skin care and aficionado.
She turned away from the conventional skin care industry because she realized how the entire industry is based on lies and mistruths that were harming people.
She now runs her own natural skin care clinic in Illinois and gets amazing results for her clients. She is also an ingredients expert, and knows a TON about the chemicals in various products and how they affect the skin.
So I’ve learned a lot from her, especially in terms of makeup.
And it turns out that, yeah.. some of the chemicals that are used in most makeups can really damage the skin.
They can lead to, in the long run, a lot of damage to the skin’s collagen structure, uneven skin tone and redness, trapped inflammation, skin sensitivity, and what she calls “pore scarring”. Even if the makeup claims to be non-comedogenic.
They also prevent your skin from knowing how to properly renew and regenerate itself, which is, of course, a problem when clear skin is your goal.
So yes… I guess that it is worth the trouble of finding a natural, safe makeup.
Figuring out what that is though is the tricky part.
Makeups That Get the Green Light Chemical Wise…
From a healthy ingredients perspective, Melissa gave the green light on the following makeup brands which don’t contain any (or at least most) of the harmful chemicals that need to be avoided:
Juice Beauty and Real Purity… and then Fit Glow Beauty, with Mineral Fusion as close runner ups. And as a sunscreen, one called Suntegrity.
So I decided to take the plunge and I ordered:
- Two mascaras… one from Real Purity and one from Juice Beauty
- Two concealers… one from Real Purity and one from Juice Beauty
- One foundation, from Juice Beauty
- Some samples of Suntegrity 5 in 1 tinted sunscreen moisturizer
I didn’t really like the concealer from Real Purity. I didn’t think it covered that well, and it only came in two shades… neither of which were for people with a yellow skin tone. So it didn’t work for me.
Juice Beauty concealer… a winner. Sort of.
However, I was pretty impressed with the one from Juice Beauty (when I finally got the right colour for me after ordering the wrong one initially; certainly a problem with buying makeup online).
The coverage of spots was pretty darn good. Maybe not QUITE as good as my Maybelline Fit Me concealer (or have as much staying power) but certainly not too shabby. And it works perfectly for an under eye concealer.
The foundation from Juice Beauty I only ordered because I figured some of you may want a review, but when I received it in the mail, I realized that I didn’t know anything about foundation.
Since I have never been a foundation wearer I was lost on what to say about it. What could I say if I had nothing to compare it to?
So I never even tried it…
Real Purity Mascara for the Win!
Love Real Purity natural mascara. A true winner.
And as for the mascaras… they were both pretty good, but I really like the one from Real Purity. I didn’t have high hopes for a natural mascara, but honestly.. it’s easy to apply and it looks great!
I don’t find it to be particularly runny or smudgy or hard to put on… occasionally it will flake a little, but overall it’s great. It’s definitely a keeper!
So overall, with my first foray into natural makeup… I was impressed.
And I was stoked to tell the blog!
Until the Ball Dropped
Then I rechecked the ingredients and realized something:
The main ingredient in the concealer from Juice Beauty is coconut oil!! AGGGH.
Agh, so close…
The same thing happened when I tried the Suntegrity tinted moisturizer sunscreen.
I have always used a natural sunscreen (which doesn’t appear to have any problematic ingredients), but the one I use is only made and sold locally so I wanted to try something that I could recommend to the blog and was widely available.
I had never really tried a tinted moisturizer/sunscreen before, but then the first time I tried this on, I was like DANG! I look good! Let’s keep this going!
And then I looked at the ingredients again and saw that one of the top ingredients is capric/caprylic triglycerides which, as far as I know, is basically coconut oil.
And after looking at the other brands of natural makeups, so many of them have coconut ingredients in them too.
NOOOOOOOO
*stomps around in frustration*
Coconut Oil… Not So Great for the Face…
Using coconut oil on the face is one of those things that is highly debated on as to whether it causes acne or not, and of course it’s always an individual thing. It doesn’t necessarily mean these products will definitely break you out.
But I do know it gives a lot of people trouble and isn’t something to just mess around with. It has a rating of 4 to 5 on the comedogenic scale (which is high).
So that was a big lesson…. natural and safe doesn’t always mean it’s going to be a good recommendation for acne specifically (unless I’m totally misunderstanding something here… maybe Melissa will chime in!)
I mean, maybe these makeups / sunscreens won’t cause any problems… I’ve actually still been using them intermittently, but I just feel uneasy about enthusiastically recommending them at this point.
So yep. Back to square one.
Sooooo frustrating.
Well, I guess nearly back to square one. I am very stoked to at least have some natural, safe mascara and concealer to use around my eyes. I don’t want to be inviting wrinkles any faster than fate allows.
And for the time being… well, I’m back to my Maybelline Fit Me… for now…
Next Week
Next week, we’ll talk more about makeup and what it does to your skin, and what harmful ingredients should be avoided (or at least what I’ve learned so far).
We’ll also soon be talking about what’s next in my natural makeup and sunscreen adventures. Which at the moment, seems to be an attempt to make my own (I just ordered a huge batch of ingredients to try and make a tinted sunscreen moisturizer).
I figure if no one can do it right, then may as well (try to) do it yourself!
Stay tuned! Also, please share in the comments any thoughts you have on this topic!
Dear Tracy,
Thanks for sharing. I’ve tried a few foundations, and just found out that the one I have been thinking of buying also has coconut oil.
If you’re looking for a great brand that uses minimal ingredients in all their products (and is vegan and most of their containers are recyclable!) try The All Natural Face. I’ve gotten a lot of their products over the past few months- lip glosses, crystal essence, face powder, toners, oils etc. Some have worked, other have not. But their face powder has only 5 ingredients, and their eyeshadows about six. All in all, really clean and I would recommend them, unless mica breaks you out. Honestly though, so many people think clean, organic makeup is super expensive and not worth their money, but you have to do your own research! Here are some brands I recommend:
Brija cosmetics
The all natural face
Honeybee gardens (I love their lipstick!)
I love Vapour Organic makeup and it doesn’t bother my skin at all but makes it better! Def worth the money, and they last a long time since you really don’t need a lot! You can send them a picture of you and they will match you with the concealer and foundation for you. I’m not associated with them at all but you should def try it; changed my life!
Try and use Rejuva Minerals or epic mineral beauty!!!! They are free from literally everything bad!! Even titanium dioxide which is in most ” natural” makeup but is still harmful. They are wonderful. Literally life changing!!!
Tracy,
I’m always looking for great makeup, so far the best I’ve found is 100% pure… They have seriously amazing ingredients… Also, I have asked about a couple of their coconut oil derived ingredients (not many) and have been told that that the derivatives they use aren’t whatsoever comedeogenic. Maybe the ingredient expert you encountered could verify this? But overall their makeup is made of zinc derived sunscreen and seriously really amazing natural ingredients like dried fruit for pigment… Their mascara sucks but I’ve LOVED everything else! I’m also very curious about Jessica Albas new honest beauty line… It looks pretty good online
Hi Allie!
I wish I could just ask Melissa’s opinion on the coconut oil, she is so busy now I can hardly get ahold of her. But if she sees this, I hope she’ll chime in 🙂 I have wondered if capric/caprylic triglycerides is actually the same as coconut oil, but it’s hard to find any good information on it. Some websites say it’s fine, others say it is also a 4 to 5 on the comedogenic scale.
I did recall her say in the forums once when someone asked about 100% Pure that the formula is awesome for no chemical or bad ingredients, but it’s full of fruit enzymes…. fruit enzymes (like for example the papaya masks) are awesome for ridding your skin of old trapped stuff in the pores and reteaching your skin to regenerate and exfoliate on it’s own …. but you should only use them every four days or so, otherwise it could thin the skin and make it more sensitive. So every day use of this makeup could be a bit much… I think it depends on your skin type though. If you have thick, hearty, not sensitive skin, then this line is probably great – and of course if you’ve been using it a long time and it’s working for you, then it seems like a good option!
Hi Tracy,
Why don’t you try an organic makeup? I believe there are several brands out there. I use “Dr. Hauschka Organic Makeup” and I quite like it. They have their own website so you can order it on line and I bought mine from a Health Store / Pharmacy in Vancouver, Finlandia.
@Kara, Michele, Elizabeth, Allie, Wendy, & everyone else who comments below… thank you! I really appreciate hearing people’s suggestions, so I can go check out the ingredients lists and possibly try some of them out!
Try Dusty Girls makeup, its affordable and great natural looking. They also dont make my acne worse and they have a policy that they want your skin to look beautiful even when the makeup comes off.
Dear Tracy,
I did some research. Apparently caprylic things you were talking about in the post are derived from coconut oil, and are actually specifically some of the fatty acids found in fractionated coconut oil. It’s like the people who make these just pulled them from the coconut oil, leaving all the acne causing stuff behind! Apparently the c-things are known as esters (like jojoba esters! and by that I mean like the name not the actual thing) that are a dry oil. Hmmmm apparently they are formed from the sugars and fatty acids found in coconut oil. The website I found also explained that the c-things are NOTHING at all close to actual coconut oil, but sadly many skincare brands/modern companies do not or cannot tell the difference. So I think you are ok!
Here is some of the article!
Caprylic Capric Triglycerides are mistakenly called Fractionated Coconut Oil. Caprylic Capric Triglycerides are a specialized esterification of Coconut Oil using just the Caprylic and Capric Fatty Acids, while Fractionated Coconut Oil is a, standard, distillation of Coconut Oil which results in a combination of all of the fatty acids, pulled through the distillation process. Fractionated Coconut Oil has the same feel, and performance, of traditional vegetable oils with a lighter feel and extended shelf life, than most common carrier oils. Caprylic Capric Triglycerides do not feel like a standard carrier oil, at all. Caprylic Capric Triglycerides are an ester and have a very light, silky oil, feel that is not at all greasy / oily feeling on the skin.
Hi Kara – thanks for this info! I have read around a bit and it does seem like capric / caprylic triglyricerides are possibly less comedogenic than coconut oil itself.. still a little wary though….
Have you ever used this site to compare brands? It grades them based on harmful ingredients which is helpful atleast for people who are new to vetting ingredients, like me! I had just searched rejuva mineral makeup:
http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/search.php?query=Rejuva+
I require a lot of coverage right now, so any suggestions for a natural makeup with really good coverage are appreciated! 🙂
I definitely think EWG is helpful for finding natural non-toxic ones.. but then you still have to look even further into the ingredients and see if some of them aren’t good for acne prone skin specifically…
I just finished my article for next week, it’s pretty comprehensive in which ingredients to avoid… and then soon after that there will be an article with makeup brands that seem to be clean toxic and acne prone wise…. I haven’t gotten there yet though, still much more research needed haha…
Hi Everyone!
This is just my personal experience and about the make-up I have used. I have never tried natural/organic make-up, so I can’t judge them…
But for me, I have found out that:
– facial make-up that is liquid/oily/waxy/greasy, basically products that are absorbed/penetrated into the skin blocks my pores and are bad.
– compact make-up powders and mineral make-ups that are dry and only “sit” on the surface of the skin are ok.
Last year I used “BB”-cream and my skin has never been worse. I think the name was “instant perfector”. EVERY pore in my face was blocked! Stupid me, I continued using it, and even more&thicker, I thought I needed coverage because I had “bad” skin. Then my friend said, it could be this product that is causing the problems. I’d never thought about that!
When I quit that product (I had very bad skin like 2 months after using it daily)…and ironically, in less than one week, my skin became perfect when I stopped using this “perfector” 🙂
Now I have zero blocked pores (I do have some pms acne, but that’s another story…). I use now Kiko cosmetics “soft focus compact foundation” (it is dry, compact pressed powder), this is not at all natural product, it has silicones etc., but surprisingly it does not block my pores at all (have used it now one year daily!). Your blog post made me worried if this causes some hidden, long-term harm, but right now I love this product!
About coconut oil: After reading your blog, I have never dared to put it on my face. But I have used this product: Odylique Creamy coconut cleanser. This is a natural, organic facial cleanser, the main ingredient is coconut oil. I have used this daily now 1,5 months and it seems to work very well (no pore blocking, no irritation). Interesting! Could it be that it is ok to use coconut oil, if it is in a product that is meant to be rinsed with water (not leave in on the skin)?
Hi Elina! Go with what works for you… not everyone reacts the same way. I am glad to hear you’ve found one that seems to be working for you! There is some concern with powder type makeups absorbing too much moisture from the skin and not giving any back (like the liquid ones do that may contain oils).. which can then lead to your skin trapping old skin cells and product and clogging. But if it doesn’t seem like it’s drying out your skin, you’re probably good.
Oh, also, yes… I would imagine that a coconut oil product that you wash off isn’t going to do the same thing as a coconut oil you leave on. Mind you, not everyone reacts badly to coconut oil… many people swear by it, but if you’re acne prone, I’d just be very cautious
Hi Tracy!
I have naturally (?) quite oily/shiny skin, so maybe the “drying effect” doesn’t matter so much?
It’s also always difficult to find a suitable colour/shade, as I have a “snow white” skin.
Looking forward to your cosmetics articles!! If I’ll find some day a good, natural facial make up, I’m more than happy to ditch this my old make-up favourite!
By the way, I have read many reviews how people have reduced/healed their acne by using Bareminerals mineral make up base. I started to think…could it be, not because of what this product contains but because of what it does NOT contain?
I’ve used it but not anymore. The product might be good in itself, but I never learned the skill how to properly apply it on to my face, so that’s why not 😀
HI Tracy!
For natural makeup recommendations, I would say to watch a video by HolisticHabits on youtube – she has one titled Updated Makeup collection – it’s all natural.
For a foundation, I would say try out the Alima Pure Satin Matte foundation. It doesn’t have coconut oil.
If you want a liquid concealer, there is one by living nature.
These are the ingredients:
Aqua (water), Titanium dioxide (CI 77891), Jojoba esters, Mica (CI 77019), Zinc oxide (CI 77947), Macadamia ternifolia seed oil, Simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) seed oil**, Persea gratissima oil (avocado oil), Cetearyl wheatstraw glycosides (&) cetearyl alcohol (wheat straw extract), Glycerin (vegetable glycerin)**, Butyrospermum parkii butter (shea butter)**, Iron oxides (Cl 77492), Mel (manuka honey), Iron oxides (Cl 77491, CI 77499), Talc (CI 77718), Citrus grandis seed extract (grapefruit seed extract), Sclerotium gum, Stearic acid, Cetyl alcohol, Pelargonium graveolens oil (geranium oil)*, Tocopherol (vitamin E), Leptospermum scoparium oil (manuka oil), Melaleuca alternifolia oil (tea tree oil). *From natural essential oils: Geraniol, Citronellol, Linalool. **Certified organic.
Not perfect, since it does have talk and a few others, but still – I would say this is SO much better then putting chemicals on your face.
Alima Pure has the best natural mineral foundation, brow pencils, powder concealer, blushes, bronzers and highlighters. RMS beauty, best potted concealer. Dr. Hauschka, best mascara, good lipsticks and eyeliners too. Red Apple lipstick for lipsticks and glosses!
Oh, and I use arrowroot powder as a setting powder or just to mattify my skin. Amazing stuff, and cheap!
I will check them out, thanks Michelle! Still doing research trying to find ones to recommend, so all is helpful!
Hi! I use gressa minimalist corrective serum foundation and it feels amazing on my skin. Works better than any foundation or tinted moisturizer I’ve ever used. The ingredients are here, please let me know if you see any red flags!!
Brassica oleracea (Broccoli) Seed Oil, Coconut Alkanes (and) Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Silica, GRESSA Healing ComplexTM *Silymarin, *Neem (Azadirachta indica) Extract,*Horsetail (Equisetum arvense) Extract, *Lemon Balm (Melissa officianalis) Extract, *Barberry (Berberis vulgaris) Extract, *Sea Buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides) Seed Extract, *Elder Flower (Sambucus nigra) Extract, *Bitter Melon (Momordica charantia) Extract, Licorice Root (Glycyrrhiza glabra) Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate Non-GMO, Coenzyme Q10, Ascorbyl tetraisopalmitate, (Vitamin C), *lecithin, *glycerin, mica, iron oxides, titanium oxide. *CERTIFIED ORGANIC