Holistic Beauty from the Inside Out (24 page)

CHOOSING THE RIGHT MINERAL FOUNDATION

Mineral foundations today come in powder and fluid form. Powders are more versatile but less portable. Fluid mineral foundations are less common. Jane Iredale and Miessence make the best ones I have found so far. Fluid mineral foundations are a much better choice for aging skin. In addition to mineral pigments, they contain emollients, humectants, and plant antioxidants, which means that fluid foundations can double as moisturizers. Fluid mineral foundations can be “sealed” with powder mineral foundation, especially if you need to hide birthmarks, post-acne marks, and brown spots. In the summer you can also use Dr. Hauschka Toned Day Cream, which provides quite a substantial layer of natural-looking glowing tint, topped with a mineral powder foundation to strengthen sun protection and prevent powder from accentuating fine lines and wrinkles. Shopping for the right color is no walk in the park. Here are some tips that you will find useful.

1. Test the color where you use it.
   Always test the color in the middle of your cheek where you can see it. Many sales consultants want you to test the foundation at your neck so that the color “will not leave a visible line.” I find this practice useless. People first see your face, not your neck. The foundation must match your facial skin tone. Plus, it’s nearly impossible to see your neck clearly in a mirror. For the same reason, don’t test for color on your hand unless you are trying to camouflage some scars on your hands.
   
2. Step outside.
   When you find a color that looks good indoors under fluorescent lights, take a small mirror and walk outside to check the color in natural light. Many mineral foundations appear too shimmery for everyday use.
   
3. Add a touch of gold.
   Choosing the right foundation color can be tough for women with darker skin tones. That’s why most women with dark complexions faithfully stick to their foundations and are reluctant to trade them for mineral versions, no matter how pure they are. Fortunately, most mineral makeup makers have broadened their color spectrum to suit every skin tone. Bare Essentials carries excellent warm and neutral shades ranging from golden caramel to darkest espresso brown. Dark-toned mineral foundations must contain a bit of a golden shimmer to avoid that unattractive ashy effect on dark and olive skin.
   
4. Choose the product with the shortest ingredient list
   . The more ingredients and products you apply to your skin, the higher the likelihood that mineral foundation may irritate your skin. Choose the simplest mineral foundation formula that does not contain any synthetic additives or preservatives.
   
5. Go green.
   Mineral foundation should match your natural skin tone as closely as possible, while mineral concealer should be just one shade lighter than your natural skin tone. New mineral powder formulas are specifically formulated to color-correct redness with green undertones.
   

THE BISMUTH OXYCHLORIDE DILEMMA

Many manufacturers of mineral foundations try to avoid bismuth oxychloride, a once popular mineral salt that produces a subtle shimmer. The Internet is full of blog posts claiming that bismuth oxychloride is terribly dangerous for the skin, and even causes cancer.

Let’s set the story straight. Bismuth oxychloride cannot give you
cancer.
¹²⁹
It is not a direct relative of the heavy metal bismuth, and it is not the same as bismuth chloride, which is indeed quite toxic. According to studies published by the Carcinogenic Potency Project at the University of California, tests on animals did not reveal any carcinogenic activity caused by bismuth oxychloride
¹³⁰

While bismuth oxychloride has proven antibacterial properties, it can indeed irritate sensitive skin, such as rosacea and eczema patients. Bismuth oxychloride can also aggravate acne, resulting in flare-ups, and even cause the appearance of acne cysts. So, if you are prone to acne or eczema, you may wish to stay away from bismuth oxychloride in your beauty products.

HOW TO BLEND YOUR OWN FOUNDATION

“Bespoke” is a hot word today, just like “green.” It is slapped on anything from software to kitchen furniture. Meaning a one-off original, designed and made from scratch, bespoke can also describe made-to-order versions of a manufacturer’s standard range.

Bespoke makeup blends are easier to create than you think. You will need to assemble a basic artist’s set of paints, or in this case, a few smaller jars of mineral pigments that you can blend and toss together. You will also need a basic paint palette, ideally made of plastic, with round shallow wells, and a few miniature palette knives or spatulas, similar to those found in upscale moisturizers in jars. For precise measurements, invest in a set of miniature measuring stainless steel spoons that can pick exactly a pinch or a dash of fine powder.

For basic blending you will need a small (2 g) jar of each of the following:

• The lightest possible mineral foundation
  
• Plain golden shimmer
  
• Plain silver/icy shimmer
  
• Deep bronze mineral foundation or a bronzer
  
• Basic rose/pink mineral blush with no shimmer in it
  
• Optional shades: light green, pale lilac, light pink shimmer
  

Now you are ready to customize your colors. Clay pigments are best avoided, however, because most mineral clays contain silica and aluminum hydroxide.

Here are some basic combinations that you can use to correct the wrong color, or to tailor the color you’ve been faithfully wearing for a long time that suddenly feels off. Instead of spending money on a slightly different shade, why not improvise?

If your foundation looks a little bit chalky, it is probably too light for your skin. Maybe you just got a little bit of a tan (and if you read about natural sun protection in
Chapter Six
, you will know how to do so safely). To correct this, combine a pinch of your usual foundation in a well of the paint palette with a drop of the deep bronze foundation. Add more bronzer until you get the right shade.

If the foundation accentuates fine lines, it’s probably too dark for your skin. Combine a pinch of your usual foundation with a drop of the pale one and add two drops of light pink shimmer.

To instantly transform your powder foundation into an oilfree fluid, combine a pinch of your foundation with an equal amount of chamomile hydrosol or witch hazel. Blend carefully in the paint palette.

To instantly transform your powder foundation into a tinted moisturizer with added SPF for summertime, s imply blend a pinch of your usual mineral foundation with a dime-size amount of your favorite moisturizer and add two drops of pure golden pigment for added summer luminosity.

If your foundation feels too pink for your skin, add two drops of pure gold pigment and one drop of the palest foundation in your palette and blend carefully. Apply as usual.

If you have olive skin and it suddenly feels washed out, add a drop of pale lilac shimmer and a drop of pure gold shimmer to a pinch of your foundation.

If you are dealing with a sudden bout of redness, correct the problem by mixing a tiny drop of pale green shimmer to a pinch of your foundation. Another solution is to add a drop of pure silver/icy shimmer, but if you don’t like too much sparkle, then pale green should work just fine.

To create your own bronzer that will bring a healthy glow without a hint of orange or terracotta, combine two drops of your usual foundation, one drop of pure gold shimmer, one drop of light pink shimmer, and one drop of deep bronze foundation. Blend well and apply sparingly with a blush or all-over fluffy brush. Do not apply bronzer with a kabuki brush, or you will shine like an award statue!

If you are going to buy just one natural cosmetic product, make it mineral makeup. It is going to sit on your face all day long, so going mineral helps you avoid unnecessary synthetic fillers and preservatives contained in a conventional foundation. It looks more natural too—and we are all for natural perfection, aren’t we?

Chapter Ten Quick Tips

1. Choose mineral foundations formulated
   without talc, silicones, parabens, artificial dyes, and added fragrances
   .
   
2. For color,
   opt for ingredients such as as iron oxides, titanium dioxide, and zinc oxide
   , which do not migrate into the skin.
   
3. Try the color in daylight and right on your face, not on your neck or hand.
   Test your colors where you can see them clearly
   . If you have darker skin, choose mineral foundations with a dash of gold shimmer in them.
   
4. Avoid bismuth oxychloride if you are prone to eczema, acne, or have delicate skin
   , as this mineral salt can be quite irritating. Other ingredients to avoid in your mineral foundations include silica (in powdered form), boron nitride, and barium sulfide.
   
5. Experiment with mineral foundations
   and add them to your daily moisturizer or sunblock to create a shimmery tinted moisturizer.
   

ELEVEN

Beautiful Eyes

T
hey say that eyes are the windows to the soul, but your eyes can also speak volumes about your general health, your physical and mental well-being. We smile, laugh, and cry with our eyes.No wonder the most important human contact is called eye contact. Maybe that’s also the reason why eye creams often cost three times as much as facial creams?

Our eyes cry for more care, and not necessarily in the form of cucumber slices after a heavy night out or yet another slick of eye cream in a desperate attempt to erase those lines. How can we expect our eyes to look bright and beautiful if we deprive them of the uppermost things required for their health: sleep and good humor?

The skin surrounding our eyes is the most fragile on our bodies. Just as the rest of our face, the eye area is constantly withstanding the aging effects of the sun, pollution, smoke, and poor diet, but unlike our facial skin, this skin area has fewer oil glands to remain soft and pliable and fewer blood vessels to remain
nourished. That’s why you need to double your efforts to nourish your eye area from inside and outside.

1. The eye area is very sensitive, so if there’s one product you can afford to buy organic, make it your eye cream. To add extra nourishment to the eye area, set aside a lightweight, “dry” skin oil such as jojoba, chia, cucumber, or argan oil for the use around eyes only. To enrich your eye cream, apply a few drops of the oil of your choice to your fingertips and gently massage (do not pull your skin!) along the eye socket toward your temples. Gentle eye massage also promotes lymph circulation, which helps reduce puffiness and dark circles.
   
2. Go chic with sunglasses as long as it’s not raining cats and dogs. Large sunglasses not only look glamorous, they also protect your sensitive eye area much better. Make sure your sunglasses are protecting from all types of sun rays (UVA and UVB). But most important, choose the ones that look and feel nice. You must love your sunglasses, otherwise you won’t be wearing them as often as necessary. Stick to one brand if their frames feel comfortable all day long.
   
3. Always remove eye makeup
   before
   cleansing your face. The simplest eye makeup remover is thin oil such as jojoba, sweet almond, or grape seed, but you can use any oil you have in your kitchen cabinet (as long as it contains no chili peppers!). Saturate a cotton pad with some oil and rub gently aiming toward the temple. Use a fresh pad for each eye—and feel free to use clean sides to remove other long-lasting bits of makeup such as lipstick. Whichever eye makeup remover product you use, take care not to not pull your skin. If you wear waterproof or long-lasting makeup, repeat the procedure before using your regular face cleansers, which will take care of any makeup remover residue.
   

EYE LIGHT: DEALING WITH DARK EYE CIRCLES

Dark pigment under your eyes and thin skin that makes blood vessels more visible can be inherited. But it can also be a sign of an iron deficiency, blocked sinuses, hay fever, and plain ol’ dehydration. Too much junk food and not enough sleep or fresh air may also be to blame. After questioning my readers, I found that the use of iridescent eye brighteners (think Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat or its organic counterpart, UNE Skin Glow Pencil) and brightening eye drops increase on Monday mornings after weekend indulgences in fast food, late nights, and oxygen-lacking air in bars and restaurants. I often notice that sleeping in a bedroom with windows tightly closed will give me not only dark eye circles, but a headache and gloomy mood in the morning—all signs of oxygen deprivation.

Here are some ideas that will chase your dark eye circles to the nearest exit:

1. If you strain your eyes a lot because of work or leisure, make sure to keep your blood sugar levels even. Nothing helps eyes more than regular healthy snacks of whole grain wheat breads and low-glycemic toppings such as tahini, guacamole, or soft low-fat cheese. Cook homemade food at least three times a week. It’s not as hard as you think. In most cases, quick-frying a fish fillet and whisking up a quick salad takes fifteen minutes—you’ll spend the same time driving to the nearest fast food joint or much more waiting for your meal in a restaurant. And we are not even talking about saving your hard-earned money by eating natural foods at home! Ensure a steady supply of vital nutrients and you will immediately notice changes in your outlook—literally.
   
2. Getting out in fresh air will load up your system with oxygen which in turn boosts circulation. Walk at least thirty minutes a day to get your skin glowing. Running makes wonders to your complexion, but if you feel that your skin is flushed after a good run, try another exercise. Broken facial capillaries have never made anyone look better.
   
3. Blocked sinuses may cause dark circles as well as puffiness. Before you reach for a nasal spray with a solution that will temporarily constrict blood vessels in the area, try sinus-unblocking face massage. Press your skin firmly several times starting at the nose of your bridge, then following to sinus pressure points (located where your nose meets your cheeks) and further toward your cheekbones. To add more interest to the massage, prepare your own sinus-clearing face massage oil by adding 2 drops each of eucalyptus, rosemary, tea tree, and lavender essential oils to 100 mL (3.3 fl. oz.) of lightweight, non-comedogenic oil such as jojoba, grapeseed, or rice bran. You can also try