We are a natural skin care company dedicated to the natural movement.  We make every effort to be completely transparent in our dealings with our clients, suppliers, and formulations, and so it seems natural (pun intended) that we should give you some facts about the makeup you're putting on your face.  

Well, we think so.  But others may not feel comfortable with the origins of said minerals, and that's what we're here to discuss.  Most natural companies use a mixture of minerals in the form of micas and oxides to create their base pigments - and then they go on to add a plethora of other ingredients meant to "enhance" or "fill" the product up; i.e. fillers, oils, dyes, what have you.  This is also where conventional makeups would add chemicals, preservatives, etc.  

We use a mixture of micas and oxides in our pigments - and our eye shadows only contain these ingredients, making our formula super simple, super clean, and highly pigmented - meaning a little bit goes a very long way!  Our mineral makeup is also formulated with ONLY non-nano powders - read on to learn more.  

We felt it would be best to inform you of just what micas and oxides are - because the way they are paraded around in the natural industry can be misleading. 

 

Micas are silicate minerals ground down into a fine, sparkling powder that have been used for centuries in cosmetic application, and are generally considered safe for all skin types.  Micas add the shimmer and glow that we all love so much, and are widely used and accepted in the natural community because they come from a natural source:  The Earth.  Micas can cause skin irritation to some, so it's best to always test a small area of skin to see how well you tolerate it. 

 

This mineral can be irresponsibly sourced - many countries, particularly India, employ child labor to mine it due to high demand.  Tracing it back to a reputable source can be quite difficult due to the processing it undergoes before hitting the market.  It's also important to make sure you're getting non-nano micas.  The nano-particles released during application of micas containing nano-particles can be damaging to the lungs.  

What about our makeup? We are reasonably sure our supply is ethically sourced, but we don't know 100%, and we feel it's best to keep you informed of that.  We can, however; assure you that our micas are non-nano. 

Most natural companies use a combination of zinc, titanium, and iron oxides to create the glide, bulk and color in pigments that make application so nice.  Sometimes they get a bad rap, and we are here to break it down: 

Iron Oxide:  Iron oxides are naturally occurring mineral deposits. They impart the rust, orange, and red color to the mineral powders, lip balms, and other colored pigments we like to put on our face.  

What they don't want you to know:  Iron Oxide used for cosmetic purposes is ALL synthetic, no exceptions!  Why?  Because if we were to pull it directly from the earth and grind it down, the result would likely contain amounts of heavy metals that are not safe for skin - we could get into the scientific processes of how exactly iron is formed, but that's for another time.  Let's just say that we at Hippie Skin are totally fine with some lab coats refining this particular mineral for us to make it safer for our skin.   

Zinc Oxide:  Zinc oxide is derived from the naturally occurring mineral, zincite.  (Real original, eh?)  It's used in a wide range of cosmetic and skin care applications to include as a colorant, skin protectant, and glide, or bulking agent.

  

What they don't want you to know:  Back to the nano-particles.  The nano-particles found in zinc oxide are believed to be able to penetrate the skin barrier and access the bloodstream; however, more research is needed on this and currently underway.  Also, most zinc oxide on the market is produced in a lab - the mineral we mentioned above is quite rare and commercially unavailable, but those sweet scientists figured out how to create a "nature-identical mineral".  Go science!

Titanium Dioxide: Titanium dioxide is a naturally occurring mineral that is used widely in cosmetics applications as an opacifying agent and a colorant.  It reflects, absorbs, and scatters light.  This mineral is mined and then processed and refined for cosmetic use.  

What they don't want you to know:  Nano particles again.  More research is needed, but we feel that if there's a chance of your skin absorbing the stuff, we probably should just avoid it.  

Now you are armed with the essentials when it comes to natural and mineral cosmetics, and you know exactly what you're getting with Hippie Skin.  At the end of the day, if you're going to wear makeup, we believe ours is perfectly simple - for us, the less ingredients we can use, the better it is for you.  We aren't perfect, but we do our best to keep ourselves, and our clients informed.  

Questions?  Concerns?  Let us know!