Mineral Makeup: What Are The Pros And Cons And Is It Worth It?

Although mineral makeup has been around for thousands of years, it has had a revival as an eco-friendly alternative to conventional makeup.

If you are looking to create a sustainable beauty routine, you might have heard that commonly used makeup is bad for our environment. And if you have followed the same research path as me, it will have led you to mineral cosmetics.

Let’s find out if it’s a worthwhile alternative, as we dive into the pros and cons of mineral makeup.

Quick Summary Of What Mineral Makeup Is

Before we start with the pros and cons, let’s look at what this type of cosmetics actually is. Simply put, it’s makeup that only contains minerals.

Minerals are inorganic, naturally occurring materials that come from rocks. As such, they’re often considered natural ingredients.

However, they do still have to undergo chemical processes to be turned into the ingredients that can be used in, let’s say, powder foundation.

Because it comes as a powder, makeup solely made from minerals doesn’t contain any preservatives, synthetic fragrances, or other inactive ingredients. Therefore, it’s seen as less irritant to skin, and better for people with sensitive skin.

If you want to know more, read our article about the difference between mineral and regular makeup.

Pros And Cons Of Mineral Makeup

Now that we know what it is, let’s look at its advantages and disadvantages. It’s the best way to figure out if it’s worth for you to switch to this eco-friendly makeup alternative.

Benefits Of Mineral Makeup

There are actually quite a lot of reasons to switch to mineral cosmetics, and not just because of our environment.

But of course, for us here at EcoHomeLife, it’s the main reason, so let’s start with this.

1. Smaller Environmental Impact

The reason why conventional makeup is bad for the environment is because it’s made from synthetic ingredients that are mostly made from petrochemicals, so fossil fuels. Making these chemical ingredients creates a huge amount of greenhouse gas emissions.

Cosmetics are classed as rinse-off products, because at the end of the day you wash them away. This leads to the ingredients reaching our waterways.

Once there, many of the synthetic ingredients used in makeup are harmful or even toxic to aquatic life. Parabens, a preservative, are just one example. Studies have shown it has a huge impact on plankton in lakes and rivers (Want et al., 2024), and they are toxic to zebrafish (Bereketoglu and Pradhan, 2019).

We discuss many more ingredients used in regular cosmetics that are harmful to our environment in our article about which makeup ingredients to avoid.

Finally, traditional makeup tends to come in plastic packaging. And with 95% of waste from makeup ending up in landfill, it creates a huge amount of waste.

So how does mineral makeup compare with this?

Minerals Produce Fewer Greenhouse Gas Emissions

The raw material from which mineral cosmetics are made are, as we have explained, naturally occurring minerals.

And while these have to be mined, which does have a huge environmental impact, overall, it’s seen as less of an impact than extracting and burning fossil fuels.

This is down to the greenhouse gas emissions that the mining industry produces (between 4% and 7%), which is less than the extraction of fossil fuels (15% in 2022).

The petroleum then needs to be chemically altered in a lab to create petrochemicals, which uses energy-intensive processes.

These petrochemicals are then used to make the synthetic ingredients used in cosmetics, again using manufacturing processes that produce a lot of carbon dioxide emissions.

The minerals also need to be made into the final ingredients, which also happens in labs using similar processes. But there is only one set of processes, whereas with synthetic ingredients there are two.

So while the mineral ingredients aren’t as sustainable as we would like, they are better than conventional, chemical ingredients. And mining and manufacturing processes can be made greener.

Minerals Are Seen As Less Harmful For The Environment

Apart from the fact that minerals have to be mined, their impact on aquatic life is generally seen as less harmful.

For example, iron oxides, one of the minerals used in cosmetics, are seen as an eco-friendly material that doesn’t harm the environment. (Chaudhari et al., 2024) That said, if present in nano-form, very small particles, iron oxides can be very harmful to aquatic life. (Caixeta et al., 2020)

But in cosmetics, the minerals used won’t be in nano-form, because this would make them transparent, which isn’t what you want from makeup. Nanotechnology is used in sunscreens to prevent a whitish film on the skin. (Smijs et al., 2011)

Sustainable Packaging

Mineral makeup often comes in eco-friendly packaging, because the companies selling it do so for environmental reasons. Of course, there are brands out there that don’t, and these are to be avoided.

Many aim for plastic-free or at least reduce it as much as possible. For powder makeup, like foundation, many offer reusable containers which you can then refill. The refills come in recyclable packaging, ideally made from recycled materials.

Good examples of such sustainable beauty brands are Love The Planet and All Earth Mineral Cosmetics.

2. Less Likely To Irritate Skin Or Clog Up Pores

Studies have shown that many ingredients used in conventional makeup are comedogenic, which means they clog up the pores. This can lead to spots or acne outbreaks for those suffering from it. (Ghani et al., 2021)

Minerals don’t, which is why it’s recommended for people with sensitive skin, who are prone to acne and other similar skin conditions. (Sobskowska et al., 2023)

Skin irritation can be caused by many of the various ingredients in regular makeup. Preservatives and synthetic fragrances are among the most likely suspects.

With true mineral makeup the risk of skin irritation is much lower, because all these additional ingredients aren’t in it. As it comes in powder form, preservatives aren’t necessary.

Equally, minerals don’t have a scent, so there is no need to add synthetic fragrances to cover up any chemical smell.

So while makeup made from only minerals is suitable for every skin type, especially people with sensitive skin, or skin conditions will find it beneficial to them.

And even if you don’t have such issues, mineral makeup can keep you skin healthier, as the ingredients won’t be absorbed.

3. Includes Light Sun Protection

Among the minerals used in this type of makeup are zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. These are inorganic or mineral sunscreens that are used in eco-friendly sunscreens.

Because of this, mineral powder makeup does give protection from harmful UV light. However, it should be said that it shouldn’t be used instead of sunscreen.

The zinc oxide and titanium dioxide used in sunscreens have been designed to protect skin against the sun’s UV light. But in makeup, they are used as a colour pigment to cover the skin evenly in the desired shade.

So while the minerals will provide some sun protection, it’s likely that the SPF will be lower than in actual sunscreen.

Therefore, we would recommend applying sunscreen with appropriate SPF if you are planning to be in the sun for longer periods of time.

4. Suitable For All Skin Tones And Types

One of the main benefits of makeup that only contains natural minerals is that it’s suitable for all skin tones. No matter how light or dark your skin is, it will provide good coverage.

While the same is true for liquid makeup, mineral powder makeup is also suitable for every skin type.

Whether you have oily skin or dry skin, mineral makeup will work. Unlike traditional makeup, that can work for one or the other, depending on the ingredients.

If you have oily skin, using makeup that contains oils, such as mineral oil, can make it worse. Equally, if you have dry skin, you want to avoid using any cosmetics that contain alcohol, as it can dry out your skin further.

Combination skin, where parts of your face are dry and others oily, are even more difficult to cater for.

This can make it more difficult to find a liquid foundation or concealer that works for you. But with mineral makeup products, you don’t need to worry, as long as they are true mineral cosmetics and don’t contain anything else.

All you have to do is find the right shade for your skin tone.

5. Lasts Longer

Conventional makeup often comes in liquid form. Any product that contains water, such as liquid foundation, is susceptible to bacterial or fungal growth. This can spoil the product and make it unsafe. (Qui et al., 2022)

To prevent this, preservatives are added. However, they can’t keep bacteria and fungi from growing forever. So liquid makeup will go out of date, normally in a few months after opening, depending on the product.

Because mineral makeup comes in powder form with no water, bacterial and fungal growth isn’t an issue. Not only does this mean that there is no need for preservatives, but it also means powder makeup lasts longer.

Of course, that doesn’t mean it will last forever, but it will last longer than liquid cosmetics.

That’s a huge advantage if, like me, you don’t use makeup all that often. By switching to powder cosmetics, I now save money and have to waste less, which is better for the environment.

But it’s not just in terms of going-off that powder makeup lasts longer. It also goes further, because you don’t have to use as much. A little powder foundation goes a long way.

Also, it’s much easier to get the right coverage, as you can start with a small amount and just keep adding more until you have the desired coverage.

What I love most is that you can have lighter or heavier makeup depending on the occasion. When I go out for a nice afternoon with friends, I might just want a light dusting, just to have a more even-looking skin.

But if I go out on a night, I want more coverage that lasts even if I dance the night away. With liquid foundation, it’s much more difficult to achieve these different types of coverage.

Drawbacks Of Mineral Makeup

As we are looking for the pros and cons of mineral makeup here, let’s move on to the downsides. Although there aren’t as many as there are upsides.

1. Fewer Shades Available

Generally speaking, mineral makeup, tends to have fewer shades available. And it’s most often the darker shades that seem to be missing.

This can make it more challenging to find the shade for your skin tone.

However, it’s possible to find the mineral makeup for you, you just have to do your research to find what works for you.

2. Might Not Cover As Well As Liquid Makeup

Although mineral powder cosmetics are known to give good coverage, when it comes to covering up more visible blemishes, such as scars, it might struggle.

Most mineral cosmetics are advertised to give light or medium coverage.

Powder is lighter on the skin, which makes it more breathable and gives a lighter feel. But this also means that it can’t cover up anything that is too dissimilar to the shade used.

You can get liquid mineral makeup, but this means inactive ingredients, including preservatives. However, often they use natural ingredients rather than synthetic ones.

If you find that, let’s say a mineral foundation in powder form, doesn’t give you the coverage you want or need, liquid mineral formulas can be the solution.

But be aware of the ingredients used and check them against our list of cosmetics ingredients to avoid.

3. Powder Can Be Messy

Probably the most annoying drawback of mineral powder makeup is how messy it can get. The amount of time I have finished putting my mineral foundation on and then have to brush down my dress or top because the powder got on it.

Of course, it’s not necessarily a big deal, but it’s frustrating. There are ways around this issue, though. You can put on your makeup before getting dressed.

I’m not keen on this though, because I then often get it on the collar. Putting a towel over your chest does work quite well.

And if you only use small amounts and work it into the brush properly before applying, there will also be less mess.

So there are things you can do, but I do still think it’s one of the few and small drawbacks of mineral powder makeup.

So Is It Worth It?

When you look at the pros and cons of mineral makeup, you’ll quickly discover that the benefits far outweigh the downsides.

Of course, if you can’t find the right shade for your skin tone or it just doesn’t cover up the blemishes you want covered up, that makes it more difficult.

But that doesn’t mean you have to stick with conventional makeup, as we have already said. There are always options.

In my opinion, if you want to create an eco-friendly makeup routine, switching to mineral makeup is definitely worth it. It’s better for your skin and the environment.

Our article Finding Eco-Friendly Cosmetics In The UK will tell you what to look for so you find what works for you.

Find your mineral makeup today and feel beautiful in a more natural way.