Is the new matte bareMinerals foundation worth trying?

Over the last few years the mineral makeup brand bareMinerals posted it was in search of testers for a new matte mineral foundation.  Bare Escentuals, aka bareMinerals realized that its bismuth oxychloride formulated mineral foundation was not suited for every skin type, and many consumers wanted a matte mineral foundation makeup product.

The new matte foundation makeup by Bare Escentuals, Inc. aka bareMinerals, was released to the public, late summer early fall of 2009.  Several online websites, such as the well known cosmetic brand-carrying guru Sephora, and Bare Escentuals’ own Love Matte site, offered the highly touted bismuth free matte mineral foundation.

Physicians and Dermatologists are repeatedly stating to consumers interested in, or using mineral foundation, to locate mineral makeup brands without bismuth oxychloride, mica, biron, talc, and other controversial cosmetic ingredients.  The new bareMinerals, Bare Escentuals Matte Mineral Foundation is manufactured without bismuth oxychloride as an ingredient.

The mineral makeup ingredients in bareMinerals SPF 15 matte foundation are:

Lauroyl Lysine (Lysine, an amino acid found in various plant sources, including legumes, is estherified by a manufacturing process of Ethenol and palm or coconut oil.  The ester remaining is then reacted with lauroyl chloride, as salt, to form Lauroyl Lysine, chemically known as lauric acid and lysine HCl.  Lauroyl Lysine is a chemically formulated fatty acid polymer used when a smoother application of product base is needed.  It is also known for its anti-microbial properties.  Please note that most cosmetics containing lauroyl lysine are manufactured in China.

Silica is better known as sand.  Silica comes in many different micron sizing, none of which are small enough to enter the skins surface layer and has been deemed safe as a cosmetic ingredient by the FDA.  Calcium Silicate is a GRAS silicon noted for its anti-caking abilities.  Silicates are silicon salts of various silicic acids located within the Earth’s natural crust as quartz and sand.

Soil Minerals  After contacting the Bare Escentuals customer service phone line regarding this ingredient listing, no one was able to offer information.  Usually terms like inert, natural, in food, drugs, and cosmetics, are the manufacturing companies’ way of not having to list the exact ingredient.  See the FDA.Gov for more information on this topic.

Mica is chemically known as potassium aluminum silicate dihydrate.  The grain size or micron size of mica depends on where it’s processed for usage.  Mica imparts a natural interference with multiple color reflection.  Pigments can be added to the 8 main mica colors for additional color variations.  Sericite is similar in consistency to white mica, but is not a mica substrate, nor should it be confused as a mica element.  Mica can scratch skin’s delicate surface when used incorrectly and physicians are now suggesting mica not be used at all in mineral foundation makeup.

Titanium Dioxide has a high refractive index which makes it a good cosmetic spf ingredient in mineral makeup products.  Titanium Dioxide can absorb ultra violet sun light that leads to numerous skin problems such as skin cancer, lines, wrinkles, and hyperpigmentation to name a few.  Titanium dioxide is mainly used in cosmetics for its dramatic adhesion capabilities to skin’s surface.  It is an excellent mineral pigment color mixing source and is used in most liquid and powder cosmetic formulations on the market.

Zinc Oxide has the ability to absorb ultraviolet light making it the perfect compliment for use with titanium dioxide.  Proven to have natural anti-inflammatory and bactericidal properties when added to cosmetic liquid creams and powders helps reduce redness, rosacea, and bacterial related skin disorders including acne.

Iron Oxides are used in mineral makeup as variables to change color, especially in mineral foundations to match skin tones. 99% of iron oxides are synthetic, meaning man-made, due to the fact that to factually find iron oxides in their natural state, i.e. rust, is not an option due to the high world market demand.  Iron oxides are used as colorants in the manufacturing process of clothes, leather, shoes, and are used in car paint, house paint, and the food and drug markets.  

Mineral makeup reviews of the new matte mineral foundation by bareMinerals seems to be split: they either love it, or hate it.  Some bareMinerals matte foundation makeup reviews state it has little or no coverage, caused their skin to break out, and was dry and chalky.  Yet other testers say they love the coverage, the feel as it glides over skin, and it is almost matte, unlike the original Bare Escentuals mineral foundation.

Is the new matte mineral foundation worth the substantial expense Bare Escentuals, Inc. spent on media, email, and social marketing campaigns?   Will it be a flop with physicians advising to steer clear due to the cosmetic ingredients used?  Lastly, are consumers still willing to pay for the small amount of product per container compared to the product contents of the many other mineral makeup brands on the market?

The October 30, 2009, 3rd quarter stock figures showed Bare Escentuals, Inc, (BARE) jumped to a new yearly high. Is this jump due to their new matte mineral foundation one of the reasons?  Only time will tell, as with any new makeup product, whether the new bareMinerals foundation will stick around or fail.  Stock holders and Bare Escentuals’ customers have been anxiously awaiting this new matte mineral foundations release.