JUST ADDED: Material Safety Data Sheets
Discovering a foundation that matches your skin color and undertone is only the first step in finding happiness with your beauty regimen. Women also need to be knowledgeable about the ingredients in their makeup. Everyone’s skin is different. A product that works fine for one person may cause irritation or breakouts in another.
The informational Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) submitted by companies that import or manufacture ingredients can help you figure out if you want to try a product. Be aware that a MSDS usually shows the effect of a 100% pure ingredients. Most products only contain a fraction of that, which – perhaps – will lessen the effect of an ingredient.
Click on the words "Cosmetic Ingredients" under the "Site Contents" section to the right to see a selection of MSDS sheets. I’ll continue adding more MSDSs – so check back!
BECCA: Fine Loose Finishing Powder
Becca Loose Powder
I’ve long been impressed with Becca’s wide range of shades. It overcomes the fact that this Australian based makeup line can be difficult to find (some Sephoras carry it) and high priced. Unfortunately, all of my personal encounters with Becca makeup have ended sadly.
This powder has very few ingredients, but somehow it still ended up breaking out my skin. It also contains fragrance, which can aggravate sensitive skin. Great color selection though.
Ingredients: Talc, Magnesium Myristate, <emParfum [May contain: Iron Oxides, Yellow 5, Ultramarines]
Italics=potentially comedogenic ingredients.
Price: $25
MAC: Blot Powder
MAC Blot Powder
If you asked a woman of color to show the makeup in her bag, it’s likely she’ll have at least one MAC product. The line offers a palate of deep, rich colors that complement darker skins. Unfortunately, this translucent powder, which comes in shades that include dark and deep dark, looked a bit ashy on me. As for the ingredients, silica can clog the pores of some skin so be sure to wash this product off with a good facial cleanser.
Ingredients: Dimethicone, Silica, Kaolin, Purified Water, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Methicone, Coconut Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Propylparaben [May contain Mica, Iron Oxides]
Italics=potentially comedogenic ingredients.
Price: $18.50
AROMALEIGH: Voile
Love the idea of a foundation made out of a few simple ingredients that also protects skin from the sun. In fact, that idea has become so appealing, brand names such as Laura Mercier and Physicians Formula have delved into the mineral makeup game.
Nevertheless it remains difficult to find a mineral foundation line with powders that complement the skin of women of color. If you do find a color match, you may discover that the foundation wreaks havoc on your skin because of its zinc oxide (ZO), titanium oxide (TO2), mica and/or silica components.
Aromaleigh offers a wide range of foundation colors, but trying the powder is the only way to find out what kind of effect it will have on your skin. I used Voile during a trip to Australia. The added sun protection provided by the TO2 and ZO combined with my regular sunscreen made me confident as I faced the blazing Australian sun. But I broke out during my trip. At the time I didn’t know whether the zits were caused by the use of an inadequate face wash (mineral makeup can be difficult to wash off) or if the foundation’s ingredients were the culprit. I’m now pretty sure that ZO and TO2 clog my pores.
Ingredients: Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Zinc Oxide, Silica, Iron Oxides.
Italics=potentially comedogenic ingredients.
Cost: $15.75
Write your own review of this product in the comments section.
BOBBI BROWN: Blemish Cover Stick
Bobbi Brown Blemish Cover Stick
BB’s warm honey, deep almond, and rich chestnut shades will complement a range of skins with yellow or orange undertones. But it’s a pity the line doesn’t have a wider selection of concealers. The product also tends to look a bit shiny. Depending on where you use it it could either give you a nice glow or make you look like you dotted your face with oil.
Acne-prone beauties beware. The rather innocuous sounding ingredient Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2 is apparently vegetable oil, according to the Organic Consumers Organization. That pore clogging ingredient may encourage new blemishes rather than combat them.
Ingredients: Glyceryl Triacetyl Ricinoleate, Octyldodecanol, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Polyethylene, Kaolin, Ozokerite, Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate, Barium Sulfate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Bisabolol, Stearyl Glycyyrhetinate, BHT [May contain Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides, Mica]
Italics=potentially comedogenic ingredients.
Price: $20
Write your own review of this product in the comments section.
BECCA: Compact Concealer
Becca Compact Concealer
The concealer has two sides. One half provides medium coverage for the under eye area. The other thicker, heavier half covers skin discolorations. Unfortunately, this concealer also contains plenty of pore clogging ingredients. If you’re not acne-prone, go for it; but if you have a tendency to break out, you may want to skip it.
Ingredients:
Medium cover: Mineral Oil, Paraffin, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Octyldodecanol, Wax, Magnesium Myristate, Tocopherol, Cetyl Palmitate, Beeswax, Carnauba Wax, Oleth-10, BHT, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Citric Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, Propylene Glycol, Fragrance [May contain: Titanium Dioxide, Yellow 5, Iron Oxides, Chromium Oxide Greens, Red 36, Ultramarines, Yellow 6.]
Extra Cover; Mineral Oil, Paraffin, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Octyldodecanol, Wax, Magnesium Myristate, Tocopherol, Cetyl Palmitate, Beeswax, Petrolatum, Carnauba Wax, Oleth-10, BHT, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Citric Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, Propylene Glycol, Fragrance, [May contain: Titanium Dioxide, Yellow 5, Iron Oxides, Chromium Oxide Greens, Red 36, Ultramarines, Yellow 6.]
Italics=potentially comedogenic ingredients.
Price: $35
Write your own review of this product in the comments section.
STILA: Perfecting Concealer
Stila Perfecting Concealer
Another American line with great shades for skins of color. No pumpkin colored foundation here, just a natural looking concealer that disappears into the skin. This line works because they developed a wide range of shades for women with yellow and red/orange undertones. Coverage is decent too, for those concerned with covering dark spots.
Unfortunately, this concealer also has a surprising number of red flag, pore clogging, skin irritating, ingredients. Although I REALLY wanted to love this product, I started getting breakouts from it when I used it daily.
Ingredients: Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Talc, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Squalane, Dipentaerythrityl Hexahydroxystearate/Hexastearate/Hexarosinate, Hydrogenated Styrene/Isoprene copolymer, Nylon-12, Ethylhexyl Stearate, Stearalkonium Hectorite, Boron Nitride, Tocopheryl Linoleate, Caprylyl Glycol, Hexylene Glycol, Propylene Carbonate, BHT, Phenoxyethanol [May contain Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides, Ultramarines]
Italics=potentially comedogenic ingredients.
Price: $22
Write your own review of this product in the comments section.
JURLIQUE: Lavender Silk Dust
Jurlique Lavender Silk Dust
The oil controlling face powder in this Australian beauty line is pale and white enough to scare off any person with tanned to brown skin. But – surprise! – the powder is translucent if used with a light hand. It keeps the face shine free amazingly well.
According to cosmetic lore, the rose version is best for dry skins and the lavender one works best on combo to oily skins. Be careful, though, corn starch and silica can clog pores on some skins. This caused blackheads to develop on my face when I used it. Try before you buy.
Ingredients: Corn Starch, Rice Starch, Silica, Lavender Oil; Herbal Extract Mixture from Calendula, Arnica, Witch Hazel, Daisy, Sage, Rosemary; Orris; Lauroyl Lysine, Rose oil.
Price: $28
BARE ESCENTUALS: bareMinerals Foundation SPF 15
Bare Minerals
This is one of the best known mineral foundations on the market. You can even buy it at Sephora.
Bare Escentuals offers a wide range of colors that should suit most skin colors. In the past few years the company also significantly expanded the shades on the darker end of the spectrum. The staying power is fantastic and it looks quite natural on.
Just a few warnings: If you’re not used to powders, like me, application can get a bit messy. And watch out for the potentially pore clogging ingredients. Also some people can’t tolerate the bismuth oxychloride in this foundation. There are other mineral foundations that don’t contain the ingredient.
Ingredients: Bismuth Oxychloride, Titanium Dioxide, Mica, Zinc Oxide and Iron Oxide.
Italics=potentially comedogenic ingredients.
Cost: $25
Write your own review of this product in the comments section.
MAC: Studio Tech Foundation
MAC Studio Tech Foundation
The good news: MAC has rectified the matter by adding more shades into the mix. Studio Tech’s NC range for yellow undertones now goes as high as NC55. The highest NW shade for warmer undertones is NW55.
I used this creamy foundation for awhile, but I never finished it. Too orange for me. Although Studio Tech is touted as being for all skin types, it does have a few troubling ingredients (including a number of thick oily ones like hydrogenated castor oil and squalene) that may not agree with people who have acne-prone skin.
Ingredients: Water purified, Trimethylolpropane Trioctanoate, Cyclomethicone, Isohexadecane, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Polyglyceryl-6 Distearate, Microcrystalline Wax, Glycerin, Silica, Butylene Glycol, Isononyl Isononanoate, Trihydroystearin (Hydrogenated Castor Oil), Euphorbia Cerifera Wax, Beeswax, Tocopherol, Squalane, Lecthin, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Potassium Sorbate, Propylene Carbonate, Polyethylene, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Triisostearin, Stearalkonium Bentonite, PEG-5 Soya Sterol, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Polymethylmethcrylate, Sodium Chloride, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Citric acid, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Zinc Oxide, Iron Oxides.
Italics=potentially comedogenic ingredients.
Cost: $28.50
Write your own review of this product in the comments section.
MultiFACEted Cosmetics 