Do-it-yourself cosmetics are a growing interest for crafters and makeup enthusiasts of all types, but many are unsure of how minerals are used to create cosmetics. Suppliers of raw materials seldom offer complete information on making cosmetics. The following is a basic walk-through of the mineral makeup process. If you use this guide, you can create custom makeup that is very high quality and actually good for your skin. With practice, you will learn the best colors for your own special look and can learn how to make your products for yourself. Don’t be scared, give it a try!
First off, I want to clear up a common misconception. You may have heard that cosmetic-grade iron oxides are synthetic. What actually happens is that cosmetic-grade oxides are made from mined iron salts. The salts are purified and processed in a lab. Then they are “oxidized” in the controlled setting of a lab. It may seem romantic to create natural makeup with natural iron oxides, the way our ancestors did. Unfortunately, naturally occurring iron oxides contain heavy metals. These heavy metals can be quite toxic to humans and have been blamed over the centuries for many diseases afflicting women using homemade cosmetics. Labs may not be romantic, but when it comes to being sure about what you are painting onto the edge of your fragile eye area, it is better to be safe than sorry. My bottom line on the issue is that when you are creating your makeup with cosmetic-grade iron oxides, you are in fact using natural materials that have been professionally filtered to be safe for use on human skin. Always use cosmetic-grade minerals to be sure that you are safe. If in question, do not buy it.
Now if you are ready to start experimenting, you may be wondering: what equipment do I need? In cosmetic manufacturing, they use huge blenders with large metal blades. These machines run for hours nonstop in order to thoroughly blend the pigments. As a handcrafter, you will of course use smaller equipment. The good news is that a very common kitchen fixture is perfect for this purpose. For small batches and personal use, a coffee grinder does a great job. The blades grind very quickly. Use short bursts of grinding following by hand shaking and tapping the mixture around in the blender until close inspection with a magnifying glass reveals a very even mixture.
In addition to the grinder for mixing, you will need very small spoons or plastic stirring rods, brushes for cleaning out the grinder well before and after use, and a set of good quality cosmetic brushes for trying out your colors as you go. Most sites that sell cosmetic minerals already have great information on the various fillers you will use to help your product stick to the skin, including silk powder, oat powder, cornstarch and serecite. Titanium dioxide will provide the sun protection factor and also will add a lot of the light refractive and coverage qualities you want. It is good to get a broad range of small samples of everything to start with, and as you experiment you will find what colors work best and also what fillers work best on your particular skin type. In the end, you can’t miss – every bit of this will be better for your skin than the preservative-filled gunk you are probably buying now. It’s a small investment for a heap of fun.
Matte eyeshadows and blushes start with a base of serecite. Serecite has a silky soft, very light feel on the skin. Adding it to your colored pigments and iron oxides gives them better blending ability, allowing you to layer the color from very sheer to very intense. The more serecite you use, the more sheer the color will be. Larger amounts of serecite also mean the color will not stick to your skin as long, so keep this in mind. It is a matter of balancing between long-lasting color and control over the intensity of the color. If you want your shade to have a little bit of sparkle, add a bit of colored mica to the mixture. Matte shades are also the ones to use for eyeliner. Use a fine brush, and wet the tip for more intense color as you draw on your line.
If you want to take your matte shades to the level of satin, add sparkling micas to the mixture. For a finer sheen, use the pearlescent micas. For dramatic, metallic shine, you can use an almost-pure mixture of the metallic-colored micas with just a tiny bit of titanium dioxide and cornstarch in the blend.
Buying a basic clear lipgloss allows you the opportunity to blend any color you wish. Be aware however that sparkly micas do not tend to impart much color by themselves – just sparkle. If you want a formula with rich color, use the iron oxides to achieve the shade you want. Add a tiny bit at a time, blend well, and try it out until you get the shade you are looking for. Leave it as it is, or add your mica for sparkle. On the other hand, if sparkle is all you want, just use the mica for a sheer but intense shine.
There are now some body lotions available with a bit of a “glow” to them. If you want to create your own “glow” lotion using the shades that are most perfect for your skin, the best ingredient to use are the pearlescent micas. They are not coated with oxides but are instead cut to refract light. This is how a rainbow makes colors. The trade name for pearlescent micas are “splendids”. For instance, the color will be described as Splendid Violet, or Splendid Gold, or Splended Blue. Pick your “splendids” to accent your own coloring or to counter skin color issues. For example, of you have ruddy skin, using a tiny bit of Splendid Green in your blend can help to balance your color for a healthy glow. If you find your pigments want to sink to the bottom of the lotion, go to the health food store and pick up some xantham gum. Hydrate it in some water to create a suspension gel, then add to your lotion. This is best to do in small batches as it can dilute the preservative system of the lotion base. Most commercial lotions are loaded with massive amounts of preservative, but just to be safe you will want to use small batches. This way you can use it up before it has a chance to spoil.
Of all the cosmetics you will make, blending a mineral foundation will be the most challenging. For a beginner, I would recommend starting with a mineral foundation you already own. Perhaps you have a foundation that is very close to your coloring, but not quite perfect. Try blending in a little bit of pigment to the base until you come up with a better blend. This is especially effective if you have coloring that is somewhere between the standard categories of pink, golden or olive undertones. If your skin is prone to be ruddy, try adding a little green to your base. If undereye circles are a problem, try adding a bit of yellow to a portion of your foundation and using that as a concealer for the undereye area. This yellow-toned makeup also makes a great all-purpose eye brightener for tired days. Once you have practiced playing with a ready made foundation a few times, you may feel ready to start blending your own from scratch. Try color testing the different pigments by wetting a brush and making a series of color stripes on your inner arm. You should be able to tell which colors seem to have an affinity for your skin. It will be your challenge to use those pigments in the right proportions to match your skin tone. If at all possible, your foundation should appear slightly darker than your skin, as it will be lighter when buffed onto your skin. You may want to check out your supplier’s recipe book and use a basic foundation formula, then change proportions around a little at a time until you get the right color for you. Keep careful notes so you can do it again!
This information should help fill in the gaps in whatever information you have found online at your supplier. It’s time to order some sampler kits and start having fun!
