Makeup made from ground-up rocks has been around for thousands of years (Cleopatra used it to style those iconic eyes). Yet it's enjoying new popularity thanks to the proliferation of brands marketing themselves as totally natural options. Indeed, some mineral makeups are healthier for skin because they don't contain common skin irritants such as preservatives, artificial fragrances, synthetic oils, and dyes. But don't be fooled — many mineral products do. “There are no industry standards for makeup,” explains Sean Gray, a senior analyst for the Environmental Working Group, the nonprofit that created the Skin Deep cosmetics safety database (cosmeticsdatabase.org). “It's buyer beware.”

When choosing a mineral makeup, search out optimal ingredients, such as oils derived from plants and flowers, as well as natural coloring agents such as iron oxide, manganese, and chromium oxide. Avoid products with filler ingredients such as talc — a potential carcinogen often used in powdered cosmetics — and remember that even natural additives like mica and bismuth oxychloride can aggravate sensitive skin.

Face

Women who switch from conventional makeup to minerals often find that problems like acne and rosacea disappear. “Minerals have natural anti-inflammatory and cooling properties,” explains Jennifer Devlin, a licensed aesthetician and makeup artist in Tampa, Florida. And because mineral makeup sits on the skin's surface rather than soaking in, it doesn't clog pores the way some conventional cosmetics do, she says. It also reflects light — like a polished rock — to create a shimmery effect.

Rock stars:

• Base: Jane Iredale Amazing Base Loose Minerals SPF 20 is a concealer, foundation, and powder all in one.
• Powder: Ecco Bella FlowerColors Face Powder is pressed, talc free, and gets its pigments from iron oxides.
• Blush: Colorescience Dual Finish Pressed Mineral Pigment Compact contains antioxidant vitamin A and comes in 12 shades.

Next Page: Mineral makeup for Eyes