Last week, we did a very in depth look into which ingredients you don’t want in your makeup and skin care products if you want to beat acne and have the clearest skin possible.
Now let’s put some products to the test and see what’s really in some of those popular brands!
There are obviously millions of makeup products out there, so I’m just choosing a few foundations and concealers to have a look at and compare them to the information in my previous article.
(Also – PS.. I know this is depressing stuff considering nearly everything seems to be chalk full of bad ingredients, so just bear with me… next week we’ll be looking at good – or at least better – makeup options!)
Maybelline Fit Me Concealer
Let’s start with Maybelline Fit Me concealer because that was, of course, my personal favourite product…
Ingredients:
Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Glycerin, Sorbitan Isostearate, Propylene Glycol, Titanium Dioxide, Ozokerite, Phenoxyethanol, Magnesium Sulfate, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Disodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Methylparaben, Acrylates copolymer, Alumina, Butylparaben, Aluminium Hydroxide, Tocopherol, Silica, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract /- (CI 77891/Titanium Dioxide, CI 77491/CI 77492/CI 77499/Iron Oxides, CI 77019/Mica)
Let’s see…. I spot:
Cyclopentasiloxane = silicone
Hydrogenated polyisobutene, propylene glycol, phenoxyethanol, methylparaben, butylparaben = petroleum products
Methylparaben, butylparaben = parabens
Acrylates copolymer = acrylic
Sorbitan Isostearate, silica, mica = potentially pore clogging or irritating ingredients
Not sure what some of the other ingredients are, but I think I’ve seen enough. There are definitely more harmful ingredients than healthy ones. I’m embarrassed to have ever used such a thing!
L’Oreal Infallible Pro-Matte 24HR Foundation
This one is a popular low end liquid foundation on the Makeup Alley website
Ingredients:
Water, Dimethicone, Isododecane, Nylon-12, Acrylates/Polytrimethylsiloxymethacrylate Copolymer, Silica, Butylene Glycol, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Isohexadecane, Isononyl Isononanoate, Pentylene Glycol, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Bis-PEG/PPG-14/14 Dimethicone, Magnesium Sulfate, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Acrylates Copolymer, Disodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Calcium Gluconate, Perlite, Magnesium Gluconate, Tocopherol, Aluminum Hydroxide +/- (CI 77891/Titanium Dioxide, CI 77491/CI 77492/CI 77499/Iron Oxides)
Dimethicone, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Bis-PEG/PPG-14/14 Dimethicone = silicones
Acrylates/Polytrimethylsiloxymethacrylate Copolymer, Acrylates Copolymer = acrylics
Butylene glycol, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Pentylene glycol, Bis-PEG/PPG-14/14 Dimethicone, Phenoxyethanol, Isododecane, Isohexadecane = petroleum products
Silica, Isohexadecane, Isononyl Isononanoate = potentially pore clogging or irritating ingredients
Ugh, a very yucky product!
La Prairie Skin Caviar Concealer Foundation
I chose to review this one because it’s very high end… apparently a bottle of this will cost you close to $200!!! So is it really worth the money?
Ingredients:
Petrolatum, isopropyl palmitate, isostearyl behenate, silica, microcristalline wax, dimethicone, nylon-12, ozokerite, glyceryl dibehenate, polymethyl methacrylate, mica, caviar extract, glycoproteins, panax ginseng root extract, horsetail extract, algae extract, lactobacillus ferment, licorice root extract, lavender extract, camellia sinensis leaf extract, chamomile flower extract, hydrolized malt extract, hydrolyzed wheat protein, tocopheryl acetate, retinyl palmitate, ascorbyl palmitate, soybean oil, butylene glycol, glycerin, tribehenin, triethanolamine, water, glycine, arginine, glyceryl behenate, lauryl methacrylate/glycol dimethacrylate crosspolymer, isopropyl myristate, isopropyl titanium triisostearate, methionine, polyglucuronic acid, methylparaben, propylparaben. May contain: titanium dioxide, iron oxides
I see:
Petrolatum, isopropyl palmitate and myristate and titanium, polymethyl methacrylate, butylene glycol, triethanolamine = petroleum products
Dimethicone = silicones
Polymethyl methacrylate, lauryl methacrylate, glycol dimethacrylate crosspolymer = acrylics
Methylparaben, propylparaben = parabens
Silica, algae extract, soybean oil, mica, isostearyl behenate = potentially pore clogging or irritating ingredients
They go and add some caviar in there and think it makes up for all the garbage. It has a few good ingredients in there, but don’t waste your money!
Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20
A popular medium end (retails $42) tinted moisturizer sunscreen…
Ingredients:
Octyl Methoxycinnamate and Menthyl Anthranilate. Purified Water, Cetearyl Alcohol (and) PEG-40 Castor Oil, Dimethicone, Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate, Cyclomethicone, DEA-Ceryl Phosphate, Hexyl Laurate, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E Acetate), Sodium Dehydroacetate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Allantoin, Carbomer, Methylparaben, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Sodium Ascorbate (Vitamin C), Propylparaben. May Contain: Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides, Mica.
Let’s see..
Cetearyl Alcohol = alcohol at top of list
PEG-40 Castor Oil, DEA-Ceryl Phosphate, Hexyl Laurate = petroleum products
Dimethicone, Cyclomethicone = silicones
Methylparaben = parabens
Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate = potentially pore clogging or irritating ingredients
Hmm.. could be worse, but could be a lot better…
bareMinerals Blemish Remedy Foundation
Bare Minerals seems to be many people’s first foray into mineral makeup.
Many people have success with mineral makeup with acne, but I have also heard a lot of people having some big issues with this particular brand (although I think that may be because it used to have bismuth oxychloride in it, which appears to have been formulated out as far as I can tell)
Ingredients:
Lauroyl Lysine, Silica, Salicylic Acid, Populus Tremuloides Bark Extract, Soil Minerals, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil, Litchi Chinensis Fruit Extract, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Extract, Disodium Edta, Limonene, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Sorbic Acid. May Contain: Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides.
Silica = pore clogging, and right at the top of the list
Disodium EDTA, phenoxyethanol = petroleum products
Salicylic Acid = potentially dehydrating ingredient
Obviously not a terrible formula compared to others above (in fact, miles ahead), but I would be wary of it due to the use of silica so high up the list.
The fruit extract ingredient (Litchi Chinensis Fruit Extract) is also something to note: fruit extracts are very useful in repairing the skin (like the papaya enzymes) but only if used every four or five days.
However, used every day, they can thin the skin barrier and cause skin sensitivity… which leads to dehydration, which leads to clogged pores and redness.
The same can be said for salicylic acid, which is an ingredient high in the list in this product. Using it every day like this would lead to the same thin skin, sensitivity, and dryness.
Physician’s Formula Organic Wear BB Cream
This guy is a common drug store brand natural line…
Ingredients:
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Fruit Water*, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil*, Dodecane, Glycerin+, Polyglyceryl-4 Diisostearate/Polyhydroxystearate/Sebacate, Lecithin*, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Water*, Magnesium Aluminium Silicate, Beeswax/Cire d’abeille*, Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate, Zinc Oxide, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil*, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Fruit Extract, Salix Alba (Willow) Bark Extract, Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax/Cire de carnauba*, Glycerin, Lauroyl Lysinem, Magnesium Sulfate, Olea Europaea (Olive) Leaf Extract*, Xanthan Gum, Silica, Tocopherol, Water/Eau, Leuconostoc / Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Leuconostoc Ferment Filtrate, Fragrance/Parfum. May Contain / Peut Contenir: Iron Oxides, Titanium Dioxide
Dodecane = petroleum product
Coconut oil, polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate, Silica = potentially irritating or pore clogging ingredients
Fragrance/parfum = synthetic fragrance
Honestly… this one really isn’t that bad. Certainly not perfect, but most of the bad ingredients are quite low in the list (one of them being that dratted coconut oil that’s in all the natural products!)
If you had to make a choice between this one and the ones above, I’d choose this one!
Next Week
As I said, next week I’ll list some better makeup options so that you know there are actually alternatives to the above junk!
Stay tuned!
24 Responses
What cosmetics do you recommend then that are good for your skin? I am loving the regiment but I”m not going to go makeup free. I love makeup! Right now I”m using Andalou Naturals CC Cream in tan and the fit concealer (ugh), very little but still….what brands are there out there that will not clog pores? Would love to know!
Hi Anna, that’s coming in next week’s blog post… still researching and having a hard time finding “perfect” options, but there are plenty that are much better options than the stuff listed here
I”m going to through this list on EWG but still finding some waxes and things in the products…..
https://www.ewg.org/skindeep/browse/foundation/
Thank you so much for the posts!! I ditched my Jane iredale makeup last week after reading your post about ingredients to avoid. So sad, their makeup is vegan and they say it’s “skin care” makeup so I thought it was a good choice but nope! I just got two different foundations last week from 100% Pure. Really loving it so far! Seems to be lightning up some of my scars and I don’t see any new blemishes coming up. I got their regular foundation and also one called Second Skin. The coverage is amazing I think I’ll keep them both. I only need the foundation not concealer and powder and a setting finish like usual! Not too matte not too dewy. It is tinted with fruit extract. I know you said to be careful with that line because of the effects of fruit enzymes. I have very sensitive skin and it almost seems to soothe not irritate. Just thought I throw that suggestion for you to try!
100% Pure’s ingredient list is totally fantastic, and I’m stoked to hear it seems to be working for your sensitive skin. Just watch your skin over time for increased sensitivity.. hopefully it does nothing but good things for you though!
First of all, thank you for the insightful article, Love Vitamin! 🙂 And secondly, as you are planning to write in your next article about alternative natural cosmetics, I wanted to recommend you this brand: 100% Pure. I would love to hear you perspective about their products. Lastly, keep up the good work. Yours truly, Georgiana
Hi Georgina 🙂 100% Pure is great.. as I said to Amy above, their ingredients are fantastic. The only thing is that all the fruit enzymes.. they are healing ingredients but ideally aren’t used every day or it possibly runs the risk of thinning your skin and making it more sensitive over time. But everyone’s different… so if you use it, just watch your skin… if it seems to be getting more sensitive over time, that could be it!
Took your new articles bout makeup to heart and couldn’t wait for your article of next week to switch products so I decided to search for a new brand myself (damn that was hard, took me a whole day to compare all the brands) and finally I decided to try Lily Lolo. The only thing I worry bout is it having mica in it, but most of the other ‘better’ foundations weren’t affordable on the long run due to high shipping costs to Europe, so in the end I figured it wouldn’t be as bad as the foundation I’m using now. Really curious bout what’s it’s going to do for my skin! Thank you so much for the inspiration and motivation! Also very disturbing how many vegan/green/cruelty free brands still use some of the products you mentioned..
Hey Eline, Lily Lolo looks great… yes only issue is the mica which some people find irritating. But I don’t think it’s the worst… there are more irritating mineral makeup ingredients out there.. (talc, bismuth oxychloride, etc), which this doesn’t have. So just watch for any irritation from the mica, and watch for if your skin gets dehydrated from having the powder absorb too much moisture from the skin. If that’s the case.. from my understanding, you can add a few drops of your favourite oil to a powder makeup and easily make it into a more moisturizing liquid foundation. Anyway – hope it ends up working for you!
Oh and Eline… what were these other ‘better’ foundations you were looking at? I’d like to have a look at them…. still on the hunt for more options to recommend
Hi Tracy, sorry I didn’t notice earlier that you’d already replied. So I found this list on Pinterest (https://www.pinterest.com/pin/338051515754778229/) which helped me a lot with finding the brands. I don’t remember exactly all the brands I compared, mostly the natural & green ones but you could still check it out. Thank you for the tip of adding some oil, if my skin dries out I’ll definitely give it a try! So my Lily Lolo package arrived today and I’m really happy with the result: the powder applies very easily with a brush and it takes way less time than applying liquid foundation + it’s less messy, it covers up my scarring pretty well and doesn’t accentuate any of my recent outbreaks. I have a fairly light skintone and it matches perfectly, looks and feels like I’m not wearing any make up, so this is great! Also doesn’t seem like it’s getting ‘cakey’ throughout the day, which I always had with other foundations. Feels like my skin can breathe again, haven’t felt this good wearing makeup in a long time. So again, thank you so much for addressing the makeup topic in your blog, I’m so glad I changed products!
I’ve heard a lot of things about GRESSA foundation. It looks like a clean product that a lot of people are happy with. I’ve not tried it personally, but it might be worth looking in to. I still use Estée Lauder’s Double Wear for its acne covering ability but unfortunately it’s probably making matters worse.
There’s a great website called http://www.nomoredirtylooks.com which discusses healthy alternatives to everyday products. I have consulted it in the past for healthy deodorants, makeup, hair products… Etc. 🙂
Ah yes, I used to have their book, I just haven’t looked at it in a while. Now that I’ve done all this research, I’m curious to go back and see what makeup brands they recommend! From what I recall, it really was an awesome resource for all sorts of personal care products. I’ll check out GRESSA too, thanks for the suggestion!
I recently switched to rawskinceuticals. They have multiple skin care lines as well as cosmetics and I think its about is pure and organic as you can get. Prices seem reasonable and they often have sales.
http://www.rawskinceuticals.com/cosme-ceuticals
Oh wow, yeah I checked them out and they look fantastic. I will be including them in my blog post tomorrow about makeup brands…. Thanks so much!
Hey i have a question i started using Hydra Medic facial cleanser, astringent and then the mattifying moisturizer. Supposedly theyre all natural, but i got a huge irritation going on chin area only.. is there any bad ingredients in this brand? Im worried i might ruin my skin. Whats an alternative for acne face washes?
Hi Olya, if you post the ingredients I can look. I have a hunch it’s probably not actually very natural though
Thanks for your research Tracy, I have enjoyed all these cosmetics articles!
Quite shocking really, that this La Prairie foundation is made largely from petroleum products…as I’ve understood they are very inexpensive raw materials. With that price, you would really expect something better!
The Fit Me concealer…I use concealers mainly and only under eyes and on eyelids, never to cover entire face. So even if it’s (and other similar products) made from “bad” ingredients, I think maybe it’s not so harmful if used only in this way? 🙂
Thanks Tuulia, glad you found it helpful! Yes the La Prairie one.. it’s all marketing! The illusion of high end..
As for just using “bad” concealer like you’re describing.. yes I definitely don’t think it’s as bad. The less you use the less harmful it will be… thats why I justified never bothering to switch. But… I do feel better now that I have switched, knowing that I am not harming my eyes, or clogging any of my pores! But yeah it took me five years to switch, so if you are not quite ready… all in your own time 😉
Oh my god!,im so bad becauseof me some skin are irritated ?,but im so very thank full for this blog this beacause this help me a lot! But what brand of make-up should i use to prevent pimples i dont want my will turn off at me pls help me this is ASAP
Ps.again thank you very much im so glad to see this blog!.
Ps. I mean i dont want my crush will turn off because of my acne
Hi Mica 🙂
Here you go: https://thelovevitamin.com/19274/makeup-brands-acne-prone-skin/
Also there’s a brand called Priia that I have discovered since I wrote that — definitely check them out!
Hi !
In Avoid these makeup ingredients post you said “Silica and mica are ingredients that are usually ok but can potentially be irritating for some.” and in this post you are saying silica is very pore clogging. I’m a little confused if you mean silicones are pore clogging or if these are the same thing. 2 of my fave products are have silica, one is pure silica (setting powder) and I’m wondering if I should toss them or not !
Thank you 🙂
Hi Meg, silicones are different. I recommend avoiding those. Silica is usually ok for most