Like anyone who is anyone at 13, I solely wore MAC makeup and a LOT of it. Then, when I was maybe 15, my sister found an aesthetician who led us towards Jane Iredale, which is a more natural makeup that doesn’t clog your pores (generally speaking). So, I was mostly already on the non-toxic, minimal ingredient makeup train, and I really can’t say good enough things about Jane Iredale. It has been my tried and true makeup of choice for over 12 years. But, Jane Iredale is not the most non-toxic or natural makeup out there. It still has silicones, polyethylene glycol and non-nano titanium dioxide (which at least is better than nano-particle titanium dioxide).
Titanium dioxide
The hard part is that if you do want sunscreen in your makeup like my sister and me, you can’t really get around the non-nano titanium dioxide, and Jane Iredale does have non-nano titanium dioxide in its pressed powders. My sister did find one decent loose setting powder that has non-nano zinc oxide instead of non-nano titanium dioxide. It is not a foundation powder, so it doesn’t give you coverage really. It is made by Ilia, and it only comes in two colors, and we both use the lighter color. My sister doesn’t love the powder though because it doesn’t really blend that well over a liquid foundation and can kind of break up throughout the day if her skin gets oily. The powder doesn’t really bother me that much when I don’t have any breakouts, but when I do, the powder tends to wipe off any extra foundation or concealer that I have on the breakout, which is beyond frustrating—especially when I’m in a hurry. I literally have to dip my finger in the loose powder and pat my finger on the pimple to properly cover it without wiping off the foundation, and it’s really a lot of effort. None of the other non-nano zinc oxide powders out there provide better coverage in our opinions. I should note that there are some debates out there on whether non-nano zinc oxide is really any better than non-nano titanium dioxide in powder form, and many think it is not better and may actually be worse. Either way, you will not be able to get around having one of those options if you want sunscreen in your powder face makeup. Just make sure your powder doesn’t include micronized titanium dioxide or micronized zinc oxide, which are the major problems.
If you’re wondering, the issues with micronized titanium dioxide and micronized zinc oxide are as follows. But first, titanium dioxide filters UV rays and that is why it is used as a sunscreen in loose and pressed powders. The issue is that the micronized titanium dioxide and micronized zinc oxide are extremely small particles that can be inhaled when included in loose and pressed powders. The non-nano titanium dioxide and zinc oxide are larger particles that cannot be inhaled in the same way. Inhaling these micronized particles can have carcinogenic effects in us when inhaled, and you can’t tell me that we aren’t inhaling these products when we use them. You can literally see powder fly everywhere even if it is in a pressed powder form when you take your makeup brush and dab the powder on your face. I can’t put powder on if I am already dressed in my outfit because I know I’ll get powder on it. Because of this issue, I am choosing to stay clear of the micronized or nano-sized particles.
Polyethylene glycol
If you want to get around the polyethylene glycol in the liquid Jane Iredale BB cream, there’s a liquid foundation made by Josie Maran that you can get at Sephora. It does not have any sunscreen in it, so you either need to put a powder on top of it that has sunscreen in it or use a moisturizer prior to putting your makeup on that has sunscreen in it. My sister came up with mixing a couple pumps of Hynt’s Sun Prep moisturizer with a couple pumps of the Josie Maran foundation on the top of your hand and then applying both at the same time to your face. I think this works well and solves the issue of no sunscreen in the foundation. Then, you can put a powder on top of all of this. You can use the Ilia setting powder, or you can use something more like the Jane Iredale Pure Pressed Foundation. This process takes a good amount of time though, and takes a bit longer than just putting on the Jane Iredale BB cream in combination with the Jane Iredale Pure Pressed Foundation, but the coverage is better.
When I am in a hurry (i.e. getting ready before work), I usually just use the Jane Iredale BB Cream and top it off with the Jane Iredale pressed foundation or the Ilia powder (if my skin is in good condition). I have this method down to a science and can get it all done in under 3 minutes.
Silicones
So, I don’t think I am going to get around having silicones in my makeup. Silicones are generally used to add softness and smoothness to face makeup. It makes it easier to apply and spread onto your face easily, and keeps it looking better longer. My sister and I have yet to find a decent foundation or BB cream that does not have silicones in it. Fortunately, the concern with silicones is not as troubling as the above concerns. Silicones are mainly targeted for clogging your pores if you are sensitive to them. I tend to not be super sensitive to silicones, and I am willing to have them in my makeup if that means I can have decent, smooth coverage.
I am extremely into limiting the amount of toxins, unnatural products and carcinogens that I put into my body. Since I already have MS and will battle with it for my entire life, my goal is to not have any other issues (or at least not acquire any additional issues that we find out are self-induced). Yes, there are more natural products out there than Josie Maran and Jane Iredale. However, I have decided that I am not going to look like crap in the process. So, I am balancing natural products with the things that are most important to me in a makeup, such as coverage, longevity, and color. And I have found that, for me, Josie Maran and Jane Iredale work best for me in finding that balance.
