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I have used mineral makeup for at least a decade now. When Bare Minerals came out, I was amazed at how well it covered and that it was actually good for my skin. Now, a decade later, I realize how simple it is to make! While I don’t really believe it’s that beneficial to my skin, I do believe it’s simple and free of harmful chemicals that are in other make up foundations.
Mineral make up is excellent for oily skin types and especially for sensitive skin. Mineral makeup is not only gentle, it also covers exceptionally. You can tailor your foundation by how much you apply. Because it’s free of parabens, fragrance, mineral oil and dyes, it doesn’t irritate or clog pores. So, the conclusion is, DIY mineral makeup is a good idea.
This DIY mineral makeup recipe is just as good as a commercial mineral make up if not better. It covers so well and because you can customize your color, it blends perfectly.
Making your own DIY mineral make up is as easy as mixing powders together. It’s that simple. You have the ability to add extra white powder if it’s too dark, or extra brown powder if it’s too light. Yellow and red powder can be added to get the tone just right.
You just need some good lighting and a little patience! So, let me get you started by making a list of what you’ll need!
Ingredients:
Zinc Oxide
This ingredient is a white powder that gives an opaque finish. Zinc oxide provides coverage and a matte finish to your makeup so the more coverage needed; the more zinc oxide should be added. Plus, zinc oxide gives UVA/UVB protection. It also has soothing properties. Find it HERE.
Titanium Dioxide
Titanium dioxide provides even more sun protection and helps with coverage. There is a possibility that you could choose either zinc oxide or titanium dioxide for your recipe, but I haven’t tried it with just one. Find it HERE.
Mica Powder
Mica improves skin feel, slip and aids skin adhesion. It reduces greasiness and is anti caking. Find it HERE.
Iron Oxides
Iron Oxides come in yellow, red and brown. They are how you customize your powder to your exact skin color. They are so highly pigmented that you will quickly find that you only need tiny amounts to make big changes in your make up. Using a mix of yellow, red and brown, the color options are endless.
Iridescent Mica Powder
This ingredient is optional. I used this mica in my DIY cheek highlighter. It’s very glittery. It brightens skin tone. Light reflects off of it which gives a fresh, healthy look! It is different from Sericite Mica. Find it HERE.
Kaolin Clay
Kaolin is another optional ingredient. It can be added to help control shine by absorbing oil. It gives your powder a creamy texture. Find it HERE.
Essential Oils
Essential oils can actually be added to your mineral make up to make your powder more beneficial to your skin. Lavender will help calm skin and tea tree can help control bacteria and keep clogs at bay.
DIY Mineral Makeup
- 8 tsp Titanium Dioxide (find it HERE)
- 3 tsp. Mica Powder (find it HERE)
- 4 tsp. Zinc Oxide (find it HERE)
- 1/2-1 tsp Yellow Iron Oxide (find it HERE)
- 1/16 tsp. Brown Iron Oxide (find it HERE)
- Pinch Red Iron Oxide (find it HERE)
- 2 tsp. Kaolin Clay (optional) (find it HERE)
- 5 drops of Essential Oil (optional) (find it HERE)
- 1 tsp. Iridescent Mica Powder (optional) (find it HERE)
Add all ingredients to a jar and shake. That’s it! I suggest testing your make up in daylight-it’s the most honest light when it comes to color. Find mineral make up containers HERE.
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DIY Mineral Makeup
Yield: 1 jar
Mineral makeup is excellent for oily skin types and especially for sensitive skin. Mineral makeup is not only gentle, but it also covers exceptionally. You can tailor your foundation by how much you apply. Because it’s free of parabens, fragrance, mineral oil, and dyes, it doesn’t irritate or clog pores. So, the conclusion is, DIY mineral makeup is a good idea.
Ingredients
- 8 tsp Titanium Dioxide (find it HERE)
- 3 tsp. Mica Powder (find it HERE)
- 4 tsp. Zinc Oxide (find it HERE)
- 1/2-1 tsp Yellow Iron Oxide (find it HERE)
- 1/16 tsp. Brown Iron Oxide (find it HERE)
- Pinch Red Iron Oxide (find it HERE)
- 2 tsp. Kaolin Clay (optional) (find it HERE)
- 5 drops of Essential Oil (optional) (find it HERE)
- 1 tsp. Iridescent Mica Powder (optional) (find it HERE)
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a jar and shake. That’s it!
Notes
I suggest testing your makeup in daylight-it’s the most honest light when it comes to color. Find mineral makeup containers HERE.
How to Tweak your Color-
- If the color is too dark, add more titanium dioxide.
- If the color is too yellow, add more red oxide.
- If the color is too pink, add more yellow oxide.
- If the color is too light add more brown iron oxide.
- If you need more coverage add more zinc oxide, but be careful-zinc oxide can make your makeup too ashy.
This makeup has no shelf life-it does not go bad. It has an SPF of about 15+. It’s perfect for everyday sun protection. It’s not enough if you are going to be outside all day, but just right otherwise.
Recommended Products
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Slice of the Moon: Shimmer Pearl Mica Powder 15g, Natural Mineral Mica, Cosmetic Grade For Lipstick Lip gloss Bath Bombs Epoxy Resin Face Blush Powder Eye pencil Dye Pigments Candle Making - Essential Oils
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100% Natural,Pure, White Kaolin KR Cosmetic Grade/Personal Care Kaolin Clay Fine Powder Made in USA 16oz 8oz 4oz (4oz) -
MakingCosmetics Iron Oxide Brown Cosmetic Ingredient | Etsy - MakingCosmetics Iron Oxide Brown Cosmetic Ingredient | Etsy
- MakingCosmetics Iron Oxide Yellow Cosmetic Ingredient | Etsy
- MakingCosmetics Zinc Oxide USP Cosmetic Ingredient | Etsy
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MakingCosmetics – Mica Powder – 4.4oz / 125g – Cosmetic Ingredient -
MakingCosmetics Titanium Dioxide Cosmetic Ingredient | Etsy
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How to Tweak your Color-
- If the color is too dark, add more titanium dioxide.
- If the color is too yellow, add more red oxide.
- If the color is too pink, add more yellow oxide.
- If the color is too light add more brown iron oxide.
- If you need more coverage add more zinc oxide, but be careful-zinc oxide can make your make up too ashy.
This make up has no shelf life-it does not go bad. It has an SPF of about 15+. It’s perfect for everyday sun protection. It’s not enough if you are going to be outside all day, but just right otherwise.
DIY mineral make up can be expensive in the beginning. It took me a while to take the plunge and buy the ingredients, but I’m so glad I did. I have made mineral make up for everyone in my family and all my friends-all of them agreeing they like it better than their Bare Minerals! I have loads of ingredients left-I literally will have mineral make up until I die, no joke.
Also, by buying these ingredients, you not only can make your own foundation, you can also make blush, bronzer and concealer.
Eye shadow is also another option, you will need more colors of mica powder for that one, unless you just use your brown or red oxide.
UPDATE: My new cream foundation recipe uses this recipe so if you prefer a more dewy look, check it out!
Also, I really like to use my DIY makeup setting spray for dewy skin recipe after applying a powder mineral makeup. It helps give your foundation a more natural, radiant look.
Update #2-I find that sometimes shaking isn’t enough and I end up with colored streaks on my face-Using a Magic Bullet Blender really helps with this.
Depending on the amount of powders you buy, you will be able to make a lot of pots of make up from the above ingredients! I haven’t broken down the price of each pot you make but I believe it comes out to about $1 a pot. Wow, compare that to $25 a pot-it’s quite the value! If you are daunted by the cost, I suggest pairing up with a friend, cut the cost in half and still have a ton of product!
Making your own mineral makeup just makes sense. It’s another easy way to cut way down on harmful ingredients and take charge of your own body.
Check out all my DIY makeup recipes for more ways to rid your makeup of harmful ingredients!
xx, Jenni
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