Clearing clogged pores: Makeup

When I FINALLY got rid of all those horrific closed comedones (BUMPS! WHITEHEADS! MINI HORROR SHOWS!) on my face, I started looking around for a makeup that I could use that would not negate all that work. I sing in a band, and like to wear matte makeup with full coverage and good adherance on stage so my face doesn't look like an oil slick under the lights. That's really the only time I wear makeup.

Carry Nation! Back in the day when all I needed was a wonderbra and black eyeliner.

20 years later: me and the mens of Twisted Mojo at the Coralles Harvest Festival. 175 degrees onstage! MAKEUP!!!!!

I like the idea of mineral makeup, and my wrinkles aren't so deep yet that the powder finish would be an issue. The minerals provide a protective barrier against pollutants, give your skin a matte finish with adjustable coverage levels, act as a physical sunscreen, are anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial, and (supposedly) don't clog the pores. I decided to try it.

Powder Mineral Makeup from Oh Sudz on Etsy!

My first stop was Sunflower's natural cosmetics section. I purchased an expensive compact of mineral foundation and wore it for three days, washing it off well each night. The bumps! O the bumps! They cropped back up violently. Ferociously. One of the good things about curing your acne with a very simple, natural program, is that you know almost immediately when something does NOT work. So that's the silver lining there. I stopped using the stuff and did some more research.

Mineral makeup is comprised of a combination of several inorganic ingredients. Since they are inorganic, they remain free of microbes and bacteria. Good news for any acne-prone skin. But there's more to it than that, as we all know. Closed comedone acne (clogged pores) is notoriously difficult to treat. There are many factors to consider: comedogenicity of the ingredients (a number that rates the likelihood of a substance to clog the pores); linoleic acid content; irritation factor of the ingredients; and whether the makeup will serve as a sunscreen (this is a big plus because most sunscreens will clog the pores, unfortunately).

Liquid Mineral Makeup from Oh Sudz on Etsy. I didn't know it came like this! Definitely trying this...

A basic rule when choosing anything, including cosmetics, is to go with the one with the fewest ingredients. Really, it's just easier! A lot of mineral makeups have a long list of ingredients. In order to be sure that the makeup won't clog your pores, it's important to check the comedogenicity and fatty acid content of EACH ingredient. Plus you have to watch for any ingredient that your skin is sensitive to or allergic to. For instance, a lot of people say that mica is aggravating to the skin.

So while I was googling around, I discovered that almost ALL mineral makeups claim to be non-comedogenic. Most of them are not. Doesn't that stink? 

Savvy Skin has a great list of ingredients to avoid (comedogenic ratings of 3 or more). I avoid those of 1 or more. Maybe I'm being too careful, but... well... yeah.

Another excellent list of comedogenicity ratings from the Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Chemists.

Here's a chart of common mineral makeup ingredients. 

Depending on the brand, ingredients may include: 

Ingredient	Purpose	Cogedogenic Rating	Notes
Algae Extract	Humectant	5
Allantoin	a skin protectant that may help stimulate tissue growth	0-1
Ascorbyl Palmitate		0-2	Depends on the grade
Atelocollagen	Humectant; may deliver RNA/DNA proteins; thought to stimulate collagen production, though this is not proven		Derived from marine plants
Beta-Carotene	Antioxidant	1
BHT (Butylated hydroxytoluene) or BHA (Butylated hydroxyanisole)	Antioxidant	2-3	These appear to be used interchangeably, for the same purpose. Does anyone have information on these?
Bismuth Oxychloride	Filler; adds shine; facilitates coverage	4-5	Can be irritating. HEAVILY refined, possibly toxic. Excellent discussion of refining process here.
Boron nitride	helps mask the appearance of fine lines; lubricates		May be irritating
Calcium Silicate	Anti-caking agent
Carmine, Trehalose	Pigment	0	May be irritating
Chromium Oxide	Pigment	0
Dimethicone	Humectant; an emollient that provides glide; provides protective barrier	0-1
Ethylene/Methacrylate Copolymer	Coverage? Protective barrier? Filler?		Can't find anything on this!
Ferric ferrocyanide	Pigment		Some say to avoid this ingredient, but it actually has a very low toxicity
Iron oxides	metals used to provide varying colors to makeup
Isopropyl Titanium Triisostearate	Provides uniform coating; enhances texture and slip	3-5	Derived from fatty acids
jojoba oil	Moisturizer; dissolves sebum plugs (?)	0-2	This seems like a wide range of comedogenicity.
Kaolin	thickener; facilitates coverage and a creamy texture	0
Lauroyl Lysine	Improves slip and texture; may provide protective barrier
Magnesium Stearate	Improves slip and adherance	1	Mostly derived from hydrogenated cotton seed or palm oil, but is also derived from slaughtered animals!
Manganese Violet	Pigment		May be toxic when inhaled
Methylparaben	Preservative		1 of the common parabens; disrupts hormone function; linked to cancer, endocrine disruption, reproductive toxicity, immunotoxicity, neurotoxicity and skin irritation
Mica	a mineral that provides a light-reflecting quality to mineral makeup		Collects in creases and wrinkles; may irritate skin; may clog pores
Mineral oil	Forms hydration barrier; improves application and adherance	0	derived from petroleum, which gives it a bad rap. but petroleum is a naturally occurring substance... not a bad ingredient
Plankton Extract	Anti-aging, supposed to "stimulates metabolic function of cell"	5
Polyquaternium-51	Coverage, protective barrier		copolymer, organic salt
Propylparaben			1 of the common parabens; disrupts hormone function; linked to cancer, endocrine disruption, reproductive toxicity, immunotoxicity, neurotoxicity and skin irritation
Punica Granatum (Pomegranate) Extract	Antioxidant
Retinyl Palmitate	fights wrinkles	2	Vitamin A and Palmitic acid; could be irritating; doesn't work
Rice powder	a smoothing ingredient used in place of talc or cornstarch; creates a matte finish; absorbs "toxins"		A poultice of rice powder is used to soothe skin inflammations including cysts and pimples; said to be non-comedogenic; said to be comedogenic!
Silica	anti-caking agent; creates matte finish; absorbant powder		The amorphous form, rather than the crystalline form is used in cosmetics. This is determined safe by the FDA. Can dry skin out; said to be non-comedogenic
Sodium Chondroitin Sulfate	anit-inflammatory; antioxidant; intercellular lubricant; may stimulate collagen;	0	From Skin Care Innovation: Derived from bovine (cow) Mucopolysaccharide, which is found in connective tissue, skin, bone and cartilage together with proteins from the intercellular cells where collagen and elastin are embedded.
Sodium Hyaluronate	Very hydrating	0	The salt from Hyaluronic Acid
Sorbic Acid	preservative
Talc	Anti-caking agent; absorbent powder	1	May be carcinogenic
Tetrasodium EDTA	preservative, water softener; chelating (foaming) agent		known carcinogen; skin irritant
Titanium dioxide	a white pigment that offers a matte finish and UV protection	0 (?)	may be carcinogenic
Tocopherol	Antioxidant	2	Vitamin E
Ultramarine blue	a colorant derived from the gemstone lapis lazuli
vitamin a oil	antioxidant	2
vitamin e oil	antioxidant	2
Zea Mays (Corn) Starch	Powder; white pigment		May be comedogenic; may cause bacteria buildup in pores; acneic
Zeolite	antioxidant, deodorant; oil absorber		said to be non-comedogenic
Zinc Oxide	white powder; sunscreen	1
Zinc Stearate	emollient' lubricant; imparts gloss; antiviral; antibacterial	0	mild fatty acid

Fatty acid content

Sunflower oil: high in linoleic acid, low in oleic acid.

People with clogged pores and skin that is not oily most likely have a linoleic acid deficiency. When this happens, the sebaceous glands produce sebum with more oleic acid, which is dryer and thicker. This stuff sticks in the pores and is the cause of all those nasty bumps. 

Many mineral makeups include oils in their formulation. I've seen jojoba and mineral oil (from petroleum) most frequently. I assume this is used to facilitate coverage, create a protective moisture barrier, and help the makeup adhere to the skin. The oils in a makeup can make a BIG difference in its action on your face. In order to help your pores stay unclogged, look for an oil with a high linoleic content.

The best are sunflower, safflower, and the magical hemp. Avoid oils with high oleic acid content. Oleic acid is thicker and dryer and causes clogged pores.

The use of these oils helps raise the level of linoleic acid on the skin, so the sebum is thinner and more fluid. This stuff flows easily through the pore without getting clogged.

Really good chart of the fat content of oils: Cure Zone
Another one at Queenhill.


Okay, so you're looking for a mineral makeup with the following attributes:

• short list of ingredients
• ingredients that are non-irritating
• ingredients that are 1 or 0 on the comedogenic scale
• oil that is high in linoleic acid and low in oleic acid
• ingredients that serve as a sunscreen

Next time: We'll dissect a couple of makeups!

This one looks promising:

Mineral makeup with hemp oil from All Natural Skin Care.

MIRI