What Natural Gunk Is Going Onto Your Skin?

by Austina Kleebus, Freelance Journalist, Contributing Editor MakeupAdvice.net - June 2007

Research On Natural Mineral Makeup and Cosmetic Private Label Brand Companies.

Minerals in mineral makeup, or the correct term mineral elements (see periodic table of the elements charter, there's a great one at www.chemicalelements.com) are majority chemically inactive from the earth directly. We're referring in this article, to cosmetic grade pigments, mineral (element), mica and contained substrate compounds colorants (ie elements), used in mineral makeup. 

A bacteria microbial growth problem may arise in the cosmetics industry with so many wholesale businesses and cosmetic companies selling products not properly preserved.  Please remember there are quite a few natural preservative manufactured by companies like BASF. (antioxidants (i.e. vitamin e, grapefruit or grape seed oil or extract) are not preservatives against gram positive bacterium contaminants) chemical preservatives are not always required.

We easily researched via the internet and cosmetic industry trade publications, that elements/minerals (i.e. mineral makeup**(see below)) are often sold in bulk form by any business or person to any business or person that so chooses to start a private label logo company.  Nothing wrong with that, but isn't a license and/or inspection of premises/business of some sort required?  We know it should be.  We'll do some checking on that for a later cosmetic blog.  We realize you the consumer requires information on whether any government agency is checking on these kitchen cosmetic companies sanitary conditions?  In general these wholesale or bulk loose powder product manufacturing companies products can be handled by several middlemen prior to arrival on their premisis, not excluding company employees, or anyone else involved before arriving to be packaged at other businesses, through more hands, and then called private label.*(see below)  We found the answer to be no. **(see below)

Does this mean that natural or mineral cosmetics are contaminated?  NO, it surely does not, there are clean, sanitary, ethical manufacturers, and bulk purchasing companies in the cosmetic trade industry. Cosmetic manufacturing companies are required by FDA guidelines to sell properly formulated products to the general public in percentages that will not cause known irritation or harm to the skin. Manufacturing companies can and do sell under their own private brand, and some to other businesses or persons requesting their logo on a label.  We just wish there was a list of which companies.  We're working on that too.

ALL cosmetic products under FDA guidelines must be legally labeled as Manufactured and/or Distributed by.  A cosmetic company by FDA guidelines cannot claim to manufacture products when it is only the distributor, but in the mineral makeup label industry this seems to be different.

MakeupAdvice.net incorporated a research team including staff, relatives, friends, contributing consumers in this survey.  Researchers throughout the US, England, Germany, and Australia, sampled a very wide assortment of the mineral makeup and natural cosmetic brands, companies listing as the manufacturer and/or distributor. We uncovered a large percentage of cosmetic private label companies as well as spa business owners with their own brand labels admitting they were not making/manufacturing their products, though labels specifically stated they were.  Admittedly they informed us they were purchasing pre-made bulk mineral makeup powders, and natural skin care already mass produced products to put their own private label brand name on.  Company owners and spokes persons general had no idea how many hands their products and ingredients contained had been through prior to reaching their facilities for packaging.

All but a few mineral makeup companies our researchers purchased from had their private logo label stating they were the manufacturer.  Random company representatives questioned about INCI lists for products purchased were then informed by spokesperson it didn't manufacture but simply mixed some pre-purchased bulk mineral makeup loose powder colors together, so they had assumed this meant they were the manufacturer.  A few companies reps were quoted as saying, "We buy mineral makeup powders in loose bulk form and we thought this allowed us to put our private label name as manufacturing company.  We honestly thought this was how companies all bought their cosmetic products. We will correct our labeling immediately."  We offered them information on the FDA.gov website for cosmetics and toiletries manufacturing and labeling since they did not seem to have used this information prior to starting or operating their company.

We don't believe that houses with pets, kitchens with food, garages perhaps with shelves of husbands tools, or any unsanitary working environment is where Estee Lauder, M.A.C., Revlon, Loreal, Jason Natural Products, Jane Iredale Cosmetics just to name a few, formulate products.  Let alone sell their products with years of researched ingredients and patents, designed specifically for their brand to any other company to use under it's own private label logo.  Don't get us wrong, any kitchen or garage can be sanitized for cosmetic production if that's where someone wants to work minus the pets.  Bleach is not expensive to sanitize and sterilize.

As consumers we worry that the poor practices mentioned in this article could be exposing our skin to gunk!  Thus causing cystic acne, breakouts, rosacea, staph infections, or worse.

We suggest consumers requiring healthy bacteria free mineral makeup or natural cosmetic skin care brand products:

1.  Check our growing resources page that we're going to be putting together for safe sanity natural mineral makeup and cosmetic companies.

2.  Verify the company your purchasing from is at the least licensed to sell products, IRS Tax ID numbers, local and state ID numbers, and using FDA approved cosmetic ingredients.

3.  Said companies products are manufactured and/or formulated by company your purchasing from.  (If said company is only the distributor, company verifies the name of their product manufacturer.) This will allow you the knowledge to verify that the makeup or cosmetic products are not handled by the masses thus limiting any type of contamination.  One mineral makeup Ebay seller shows pictures of products being made in their garage.****(see below) 

In closing please think of mineral makeup or any cosmetic product in terms that anytime something touches your skin then is dipped back in a container it's contaminated, period, skin flakes, dirt/acne bacteria, etc it goes on the brush or sponge and into the container after it touches your skin.  Preservatives are required in liquid, cream, and pressed powder makeup for a reason.  So these products will not grow bacteria and gunk after one use. (you'll notice a discolorations and perhaps a rancid odor if product is spoiled, just like you would food.)

Our Tips :

• Throw out any cosmetic or mineral makeup product that's over 1 year or staph infection may take over on your skin. (mascara 3 months)

• Don't share makeup, cosmetics, skin care, or brushes with anyone, even a family member or friend.

• Wash foundation or other makeup brushes after each use.

• Don't purchase used cosmetics from auction sites, makeup forums, or boards as contrary to popular belief, alcohol, nor disinfectant wipes do not sterilize only 1/30 bleach kills virus', bacteria, and germs.

*Note:  MakeupAdvice.com was informed that the FDA does not have the availability at this time to inspect and visit the thousands of private label cosmetic, natural skin care, or mineral makeup companies.  Some companies do send their information to the FDA, but this is not required.

**FDA approved cosmetic grade colored mica, (please note that each colored mica has it's own element/mineral ingredient list) claimed to be mineral makeup, but all they really are is colored mica.  Mineral element products that don't adhere to the skin and can be purchased directly through the larger suppliers with trademarket true names given by the chemical companies that purchase directly from the mining companies and process different micron particle sized products for use in cosmetics as well as other industries.

***(Home based or other  cosmetic/makeup companies reading this article are more then welcome to contact us if your business is manufacturing its own mineral makeup, natural cosmetics or skin care products, in a safe and sanitary environment.  Makeupadvice.net staff will be more then happy to add you to our growing list of safe and sanitary home based cosmetic companies once we have someone in your area verify your manufacturing address thus listing you on our resources page for readers.)

****Note: MakeupAdvice.net spoke to another mineral makeup purchaser who stated "the samples I got from _____  smelled like cigarette smoke and had some type of perfume sheet in the parcel when it arrived to me."  Can any of those cosmetic companies containers, mineral elements or other cosmetic products be kept sterile and uncontaminated, do these business owners repackaging bulk mineral makeup products even sterilize anything?  Can a kitchen be sterilized?

Article by: MakeupAdvice.net contributing staff research team.  Trish Colman, Joanna Gaines, Tammy Fairfield.

Article and contents within are the opinions of Makeup Advice Magazine and the makeupadvice.net staff and their resources.

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