I’ve always been slightly irritated by brands that go for part symbol/part word/weird spelling approach so I’ve never looked too kindly on Per-fékt. However, I recently read a review of the Skin Perfection Gel ($17.50) that suggested it might be worth checking out as a lightweight, barely there foundation.

I chose Luminous (since I have fair skin) and went through a dizzying range of reactions when I tried it out. First, it was much more pigmented than I thought it would be. Then I rubbed it over my face and found myself loving the silky (even if it was created an entirely artificial silicone) feeling of my skin. Again it was darker than expected and it looked dry and grainy. Not good. I was about to dismiss it entirely when, before my eyes, it virtually disappeared to look like my skin but better.

Given that the dominant ingredient is isododecane, it isn’t surprising it should behave this way. Isododecane is a hydrocarbon ingredient most often used as an emollient in skin care products. Thanks to its low viscosity and density, it leaves a weightless feeling on the skin and evaporates easily.

Per-fékt follows this up with vitamins E, C and A and alpha lipoic acid. Called thioctic acid, alpha lipoic acid is an antioxidant used in cosmetics, personal care formulas, and anti-aging products because of its ability to scavenge free-radicals which lead to premature aging and wrinkling. Thioctic Acid is “readily transported through cellular membranes and helps to recycle other antioxidants.

Per-fékt may have over-complicated its name, but its Skin Perfection Gel is refreshingly simple and effective.

Ingredients in all shades:

Isododecane, Polysilicone – 11, Tocopheryl Acetate, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Retinyl Palmitate, Thioctic Acid.

Vogue magazine’s beauty column a couple of months ago was devoted to tips from several well-known make-up artists for aging skin.  Possessed of an aging face myself (I’m 54), I read it avidly.  Sadly, there were few revelations—I’d already figured out that using loose powder only makes matters worse, and that nothing is scarier than lipstick ooze—but one of the experts touted Cle de Peau’s concealer ($78).  And any online search reveals that it gets lots of raves generally.  So I made a note of it.

I had never tried Cle de Peau—and only recently learned that it is Shiseido’s high-end line.  But while I almost never leave the house without mascara and lipstick, concealer comes in a close third in terms of can’t-do-without.  I am self-conscious about thin skin around the eyes and rely on concealer to cover under-eye circles, lighten the skin on the side of the bridge, and serve as a base for a little eye shadow on the lid and crease.  (And, of course, occasionally camouflage a spot or two.)

By way of background:  I’ve used Chanel makeup products for years, and wasn’t unhappy with their newer concealer product.  It comes in a tube with a brush at one end; rotating the mechanism at the other end releases a dollop of product onto the brush.  (That was a big improvement over the older, lipstick-format stuff.)  And when I read about Tarte’s The Eraser on Truth in Aging last year, I hurried to try it, too.  And I liked it a lot:  it’s certainly comparable to Chanel’s (same delivery format, though less sleek design), provides very good coverage, and, at $19, is half the price.

Cle de Peau, on the other hand….I found the $70 price tag somewhat stunning.  (Though I’m still dying to try their $55 lipsticks, assuming the recession ends in my lifetime.)  But I persevered.  The nice lady at the counter assured me that it was full of beneficial ingredients, including, I think, vitamins C and E.  After a lengthy comparison between the ivory and beige tones (it comes in four shades), we concluded that the beige was the better match.

And as it turns out, there’s some there here.  The concealer comes in a slim stick, with a lipstick-like mechanism.  It goes on smoothly (I actually apply it with my finger, but I do that with the liquid, brush-on products too); covers well but is not cake-y or heavy; is creamy (but not oily, and doesn’t make mascara run); has a nice, powdery finish; and doesn’t dry or settle too much into those little eye lines.  Most of all, I think it lasts better than the other products I’ve used, and that, along with its creaminess, may be its biggest advantage over Tarte, especially for those of us with older skin.  And that $70 stick should last a long time.

Ingredients in Cle de Peau Concealer:

Squalane, Cyclomethicone, Kaolin, Phenyl Trimethicone, Paraffin, Sodium Magnesium Silicate, Polyethylene, Sorbitan Sesquisostearate, Carnuba, Mictocrystalline Wax, Water, Dimethicone Copoyol, Cholesteryl Hydroxsterate, Glycerin, Boron Nitride, Polysilicone-5, Tocoppheryl Acetate, Tocopherol, Fragrance, Aluminum Hydroxide, Aluminum Disterate, Simethicone, Methicone, Ascorbyl Dipalmiate, Soy Sterol, Sodium Acetylhaluronate, Titanium Dioxide, Mica, Iron Oxides

Ingredients in Tarte The Eraser Concealer:

Aqua, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceide, Dimethicone, Bentonite, Isododecane, Cetyl Dimethicone, Cetyl Dimethicone Copolyol, Glycerin, Ethylene Brossalate, Butylene Glycol, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Polysorbate 20, Propylene Carbonate, Sodium Benzoate, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil, Sodium Chloride, Gluconolactone, Arnica Montana Flower Extract, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Ceramide 3, Tocopheryl Acetate, Cholesterol. (+/-): Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Mica.

Francine Porter, the lovely and clever founder of Osmotics, makers of a good eye cream and my best yet body lotion, thinks that the quickest way to look younger is to get out the makeup remover. This is a woman after my own heart. I contend that all but the sheerest foundations, such as my new find from Suki, make me look older. On the other hand, there are days when I need more than a touch of concealer. So what’s a girl to do? The answer is in Osmotics Inner Light Instant Complexion Enhancer ($35).

This pinkish cream is based on spherical pigments that, along with some silicone, plant oils and vitamins, create a light-defusing layer. I wouldn’t say that it gives me a porcelain look, but then I have a rather ruddy and freckly skin tone to begin with. But I do look smoother, clearer and I would even say dewy. Inner Light definitely smooths out wrinkles and imperfections.

Osmotics claims that it is suitable for all skin types. Well, I inadvertently put this to the test when discussing it with a makeup artist, Karen Duncan, who happens to be African American. She took my tube and smeared some Inner Light on the back of her hand. She was absolutely taken aback. As she says, light diffusing products can appear ashy on dark skins. Not so this one. Her skin looked (and felt) wonderfully satiny.

I wear it all over my face and just use a dab of concealer if and where necessary. Die hard foundation junkies can mix it up with a little of their favorite war paint.

Purified Water, Cyclomethicone, Prunus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Dimethicone, Cetyl Stearyl Alcohol, Glycerol Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Glycerine, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Retinyl Palmitate (Vitamin A), Panthenol (Vitamin B-5), Citrus Sinensis (Orange) Oil, Allantoin, Polysorbate 20, Carbomer, Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Tin Oxide, Red Iron Oxide, Diazolidinyl Urea, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Disodium EDT, Tromethamine.

I don’t usually like tinted moisturizers as they seem to be a full of chemicals and ultimately a compromise that doesn’t really work. I’m not wild about foundations either, finding that they are too thick and matte and make me look old and dry. Because I rarely give up on a good prejudice, I have decided that Suki’s Tinted Active Moisturizer ($45.95) isn’t a tinted moisturizer at all, but a sheer foundation with things that are good for you.

Sheer is the operative word, at least with the Natural tint that I chose. Suki is no cover up, but my skin looking rather better by being a bit more evened out. And for me, who finds most makeup tantamount to being forced to wear a rubber mask, the greatest pleasure is that it is so featherlight as to not be there. This is makeup for people who don’t like makeup.

There are all manner of nice oils, including antioxidant grape seed. But I particularly like the inclusion of borage oil, proven by German scientists to reduce skin redness and wrinkles. Willow bark is useful too as it is often used as a natural (though weaker) alternative to salicylic acid, because it controls sebum production and provides anti-acne properties. Hazelnut oil is a good emollient, while lecithin improves the homeostatasis (the ability to regulate itself) of the skin.

The only thing I don’t like is sodium borate. It is extremely toxic. Before people knew better and thought it was OK to clean wounds with something you’d clean the floor with, the unfortunate patients would frequently die. Infants are especially prone to borax poisoning, but thankfully it is no longer used to clean nurseries. Spillage on the skin will cause blisters and red rashes. I imagine Suki has used a miniscule quantity.

Related posts

Reviewed and recommended: Suki’s lemongrass exfoliating cleanser

Five Best foundations

Ingredients

Purified water, organic sunflower seed oil, beeswax, organic grape seed oil, organic jojoba seed oil, hazelnut oil, borage oil, cetearyl alcohol, shea butter, standardized willow bark extract, organic food-grade non-gmo lecithin, vitamin c + retinol liposomes, sodium borate, organic rose extract in food-grade ethyl alcohol, organic food-grade acacia catechu gum, organic food-grade xanthan gum, fragrance (made only from pure, steam-distilled essential oils) [may contain: titanium dioxide, iron oxides]

Lip products have always been my most innocent guilty pleasure. The others- namely coats and bags- require ample credit cards and closet space. To satisfy the insatiable thirst of my pout, all I need to do is pass by a cash register and pick up the first lip gloss, balm, or salve I see on the counter. When I did just that many years ago and realized that I had purchased a so-called plumper called Lip Venom by DuWop, my feelings were conflicted. I sincerely wanted fuller lips…but not at the cost of subjecting them to torture. I simply could not tolerate the uncomfortable burning sensation and disposed of my short-lived lip plumper for good.

Fast forward many years later, and my outlook on lip plumpers has evolved. I have in my hands Hydropeptide Lip Plumper, a very different product from its predecessor. Instead of a spicy sting, this plumper treats my lips to a refreshingly mild tingle and strawberry taste. The texture is neither too sticky nor too wet, and the color is a natural pink without overdoing the shine factor. My lips appear noticeably fuller and smoother. And it’s no trick of the eye with light reflectors (which is how a product like Be Fine Lip Serum effectively works), but a visible volumizing effect that lasts as long as the gloss stays on my lips.

According to Hydropeptide, the plumping effect lasts even longer than that. Independent studies over an 8-week period involving thirty-six women ages 21 to 65 showed both immediate and long-term results. Within 10 minutes, 97% saw smoother-looking lips, while 100% indicated that their lips felt fully hydrated. Within 5 weeks, 100% said that their lips were healthier and 89% younger-looking. These are some pretty powerful testimonials, which I can’t honestly corroborate since my lips are typically well-nourished and moisturized. But that’s not to say my lips haven’t benefited from the intelligent ingredients brimming in Hydropeptide’s formula.

With the exception of BHT, nearly all of Hydropeptide’s ingredients have a very good safety profile. Isononyl isononanoate is a gentle emollient that forms the base of the formula and imparts a silky feeling. Known for its penchant for peptides, Hydropeptide uses a relatively unique one, Tripeptide-29, which has not made an appearance in any other products we’ve reviewed. According to literature online, this peptide has shown to build and repair collagen, which would fill out thin lips and fill in the cracked skin of damaged lips. The product gets its mild tingle from menthoxypropanediol, a cooling derivative of menthol.

The vitamins and botanical extracts present in the formula deliver different sorts of plumping actions. Lemon fruit extract helps maintain healthy capillary walls, resulting in better blood circulation to the lip area, which is also the effect of lactobacillus/capsicum frutescens fruit ferment extract. Benzyl nicotinate (a vitamin B derivative), otherwise known as niacinamide, naturally dilates the blood vessels in the lips, producing a rosy color and increased volume. Finally, meadowfoam estolide, an edible oil extracted from the seeds of the meadowfoam plant, provides lubrication without a greasy feeling and reduces transepidermal water loss.

Perhaps the formula would benefit from the inclusion of hyaluronic acid or Matrixyl, but alas, you can’t have everything. My lips appear to have all they need for now with Hydropeptide’s plumper.

Related Posts:

What to look for in lip plumpers

Five Best lip plumpers

Hydropeptide’s new complete Eye and Lash Restoration Kit

Hydropeptide Eye Anti-Wrinkle Dark Circle Concentrate

Hydropeptide Eye Extreme Dark Circle Concentrate- Reader Recommended

Ingredients:

Isononyl Isononanoate, Polybutene, Flavor, Isopropyl Palmitate, Ethylene/Propylene/Styrene Copolymer, Butylene/Ethylene/Styrene Copolymer, Citrus Medica Limonum (Lemon) Fruit Extract, Polydecene, Meadowfoam Estolide, Tripeptide-29, Lactobacillus/Capsicum Frutescens Fruit Ferment Extract, Benzyl Nicotinate, Sodium Saccharin, Titanium Dioxide, Caprylyl Glycol, Castor Oil, Polyquaternium-37, Iron Oxides, Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, BHT, Red 6 Lake, Red 7 Lake, Trideceth-6, Menthoxypropanediol.

Mally Beauty is a makeup range that keeps it simple and does no evil. Focusing on professional results that can be achieved by even a beauty imbecile such as me, founder Mally Roncall doesn’t pretend that her products green or natural or good for your skin. They just work.

Ultimate Performance Foundation ($45) proves the point. It comes with its own brush and it really does even out skin tone without being masky. Best of all, Mally has kept things refreshingly simple; a handful of ingredients with nothing to dislike. How many things do you have in your makeup bag that you can say that about?

This is a very likely contender for our next update of Five Best foundations.

Available at Beauty and Drugstore

Ingredients

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Octyldodecanol, Candelilla Cera, Nylon-12, Kaolin, Jojoba Esters, Cera Carnauba, Silica, Polyethylene, Allantoin, Tocopherol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Tocopherol Acetate
May Contain: Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Ultramarines (CI 77007)

We all want to do our bit for the planet and do our best for our complexions. Fortunately, mineral makeup is evolving and just about anything that you can cram into your purse comes with natural ingredients these days. Unfortunately, Mother Nature does not always help with the ravages of Old Father Time – think mineral powder caking in the crevices that we are in denial about – and she is all too often the poor relation in the color, shade and tone department. Well, sometimes you can have it all. These picks give green a good name.

When I saw Bare Escentuals 100% Natural Lip Gloss ($15), my inner cynic cackled, “yeah, I’ll bet it it is”. Actually, it is – 100% natural, that is. In addition to the usual oils and waxes, there is antioxidant pomegranate. If ever a fruit deserved to be called ’super’, this is it. In 2003, at a American Association for Cancer Research conference, studies were presented that found pomegranate fruit extract helps prevent skin cancer and it is now starting to appear in serums and sunscreens. Another great plant extract is a butter from cupuacu seed that has been found to contain 11 different antioxidants. 100% Natural Lip Gloss is shimmery, so if that’s not your thing seek out the matte 100% Natural Lip Color.

Foundations are tricky to get right at the best of times, but trying to keep them natural seems to have formulators making compromises on texture and coverage. It is worth trying Ecco Bella Liquid Foundation ($19.29), which is one of our Five Best foundation picks. There is the added bonus of some of the ingredients being organic. Aloe vera gel features high up with ingredient list and, along with vitamin E, provides some antioxidant power. Unusually for a foundation, it contains a handful of botanicals. These include comfrey, which is comprised of allantoin (speeds up the replacement of cells), and St John’s wort, which is an anti-inflammatory. For mineral lovers, Sterling Minerals is a good choice. The company goes out of its way to use minerals particles that are 5-8 microns. These are too large to penetrate the skin and do any harm, but small enough to give a nice, smooth cover. I also like the fact that Sterling has added to its Mineral Foundation ($24) a few things that are actively helpful for the skin, such as soothing allantoin, jojoba seed oil to moisturize and prevent acne flare-ups and kaolin clay to soak up any unwanted oils. Sterling promises that this cover up will never melt (even on the New York subway). Sterling Minerals.

RAW Natural Beauty’s Perfect Balance Concealer and Highlighter ($38) will do much more than cover up imperfections. It will help rectify them. There are several good antioxidants derived from plants including acai berry, pea extract and buckwheat. There is also the intriguing inclusion of capparis spinosa. This is caper bush (better known for the berries that are used in cooking) and it has high levels of rutin. In humans, rutin attaches to an iron (ion i2) and prevents it from binding to hydrogen pyroxide, which would lead to the creation of harmful free radicals. Best of all, there is nothing not to like. From Dermstore.

It can’t be easy to pull off a natural mascara. All that lengthening, darkening and separating seems to be begging for chemicals. However, Jane Iredale has pulled it off with Longest Lash Mascara ($32). And she claims that the algae extracts and vitamin B will actually condition your lashes and help them grow. It comes in about ten different colors. From Dermstore.

Tested by dermatologists, tarte’s Cheek Stain ($28) was formulated with the skin’s best interest in mind.  There are no parabens, phthalates, or sulfates to worry about, and each stick’s delicious scent is derived from natural sources.  Because the formula is oil-free, you don’t have to worry about breaking out in areas where you just wanted to blush.  It feels a bit slimy, but it never clogs pores. Each cheek stain contains a proprietary blend of what tarte calls its T5 Super Fruit Complex, which includes extracts from goji, acai, maracuja (passionflower), acerola, and pomegranate.  These fruits are brimming with antioxidant-rich nutrients and vitamins.

Ingredients in Bare Escentuals 100% Natural Lip Gloss

Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Oleic/Linoleic/Linolenic Polyglycerides, Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax, Brassica Campestris/Aleurites Fordi Oil Copolymer, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Flavor (Natural Vanilla), Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Wax, Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax, Sorbitan Olivate, Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Oil, Beeswax (Cera Alba), Tocopherol, Theobroma Grandiflorum (Cupuacu) Seed Butter, Punica Granatum (Pomegranate) Seed Oil, Lonicera Caprifolium (Honeysuckle) Flower Extract, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Silica, Glyceryl Caprylate. (+/-): Mica, Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Carmine (CI 75470).

Ingredients in Ecco Bella

Purified water, titanium dioxide, glycerine, isopropyl palmitate (From Palm Wax), organic aloe vera gel, saccharide Isomerate (natural Sugar), organic sunflower oil, tea palmitate (from Palm Wax), kaolin, magnesium Silicate, organic Extracts of comfrey, chamomile, st.john’s wort, calendula, cetyl alcohol (emulsifier), lecithin, flower Wax, iron oxides, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), retinyl palmitate (Vitamin A), methylparaben, propylparaben.

Ingredients in Sterling Mineral Foundation

Titanium Dioxide, Zinc Oxide, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Powder, Boron Nitride, Methicone, Mica, Kaolin Clay, Cold Pressed Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Allantoin, Iron Oxides, Ultramarines.

Ingredients in RAW Perfect Balance

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Isodecyl Neopentanoate, Isocetyl Stearate, Ozokerite, Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Oil, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax, Pisum Sativum (Pea) Extract, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Euterpe Oleracea (Acai) Pulp Oil, Polygonum Fagopyrum (Buckwheat) Seed Extract, Silica, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Boron Nitride, Nylon-12, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Tocopherol, Lonicera Japonica (Honeysuckle) Flower Extract, Lonicera Caprifolium (Honeysuckle) Flower Extract, Octyldodecyl Myristate, Capparis Spinosa Fruit Extract. May Contain (+/-): Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides

Ingredients In Jane Iredale Longest Lash Mascara

Water/Eau/Aqua, Algae Extract, Beeswax, Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax, Cellulose, Glyceryl Stearate, Glycerin, Hydrolyzed Algae Extract, Vanilla Tahitensis Fruit Extract, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Seed Extract, Tribehenin, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Panthenol, Oleic Acid. May Contain: Iron Oxides (CI 77489, CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499) Carmine (CI 75470) Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891).

Ingredients in Tarte Cheek Stain
Propylene Glycol, Water, Nonyl Nonoxynol-150, Glycerin, Sodium Stearate, Laureth-23, Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract, Malpighia Punicifolia (Acerola) Fruit Extract, Punica Granatum Extract, Passiflora Incarnata Fruit Extract, PVP, Fragrance (Natural). (+/-): Mica, Bismuth Oxychloride (CI 77163), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77489, CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Carmine (CI 75470), Red 33 (CI 17200), Red 40 (CI 16035), Yellow 5 (CI 19140, Blue 1 (CI 42090).

When it comes to testing and reviewing a product, I try very hard to be fair and unbiased, to live up to the “truth” in “Truth In Aging”, and to do every reasonable thing that I can to provide a comprehensive and honest review. So when it came time to write a review of the Physicians Formula products that I am testing and recently learned contain titanium dioxide, things started to look a little complicated. Thankfully, the fine folks at Physician Formula helped me to make sense of everything, and to understand how to ask the right questions and get answers that were meaningful to me. More about that at the conclusion of the review.

Let’s start with a review of the products that I tested, the Physicians Formula Mineral Wear Talc-free Powder ($24.19), and the Physicians Formula Tinted Moisturizer (with SPF 15).  I have been testing both products for the last month. Put simply, in my opinion these are great products. My skin looks and feels great, my entire makeup routine takes less than five minutes, the products are affordable, and  I am protecting my skin from future aging with the very same active ingredient (titanium dioxide) which is found in the physical sunscreens that I have been smugly recommending all year.

I can easily recommend both products but I absolutely love the powder. In less than the 30 seconds it takes to apply the powder, my skin is transformed into a soft natural matt look which lasts from morning to night with zero shine. The innovative packaging is excellent and between the high quality application brush which comes with the powder and the “sieve” shield, I get just the right amount of powder on my face, and it goes (and stays) only where intended. The Physicians Formula Mineral Wear Talc-free powder is a keeper… and will stay in my make up bag going forward.

I can also recommend the tinted moisturizer. I get a nice moisturizing effect, a tad of “foundation”, and an spf 15, all in one.  It is available in a small variety of “tints”, and while the “medium” was perfect for me, Marta will also have a “light” tint moisturizer to make available to some lucky reader to try. (Watch for an upcoming “Dare To Try It” if you are looking for a light moisturizer with sunscreen, and a “light” tint works for you. )

Now for the slightly more complicated part.

Last week I clicked onto Marta’s post on Titanium Dioxide usage in sunscreens, and read the warnings that some of the scientific communities (including the International Agency for Research On Cancer…IARC) have posted, regarding Titanium Dioxide (TD) , and the concern that SOME FORMS of Titanium Dioxide might actually be ingested by the body. Be sure to read Marta’s excellent post in its entirely to get the complete story, but overly simplified, the concern is that while TD is working as designed to reflect dangerous sunrays as an ingredient in sunscreens, there is a question as to 1) whether or not TD can also ABSORB some of those rays and 2) IF IT IS MICRONIZED (a.k.a. ultra fine or nano particle sized, less than 0.1 microns or 100 nanometres) MIGHT those tiny particles be absorbed by the skin cells themselves?

So now you understand my earlier dilemma. The Physicians Formula products I was testing (and loving) contain Titanium Dioxide. AS DO all of my physical sunscreens, and almost all of my cosmetics which are “white and creamy” and virtually everything  which sports an “spf” rating of some kind!  All of a sudden it seems TD is listed as an ingredient in just about EVERYTHING I own, drink, buy etc…including the creamer in my morning coffee! TD is everywhere! This is is one of the top fifty chemicals produced worldwide because it is used as a completely safe white pigment in virtually everything… and it is an element which is literally as old as dirt.

Before you run screaming into your bathroom to toss all of your sun blocks, make up, lip sticks, etc, you will want to understand why and when TD is, or isn’t risky, and what specifically has to happen to justify even the slightest concern. First, unless the TD particles are MICRONIZED, there is no debate that TD is considered absolutely, completely, safe. So safe, in fact, that TD has been added as a white pigment to almost every pill and tablet on earth, and even to milk, purely for appearance sake. It can be ingested in the course of normal consumption by humans (and many other species including dogs, cats, rats, rabbits, guinea pigs, etc) without harm or risk, and can be used safely in cosmetics etc, if it is “course” or “fine” The only area of possible debate is the “ultra fine” form, although there is no clear evidence that even this form is risky.  The reason the safety issue of super refined TD is just now coming up is because technology advances have now enabled us to mill the ultra fine size, something not possible just decades earlier.

Ah, so the key to absolutely positively “safe” usage is in knowing the particle size! In the case of the Physicians Formula products, I simply checked with the manufacturer and found out that 1) the Titanium Dioxide in the powder is the completely “safe” larger particle size, and 2) the TD in the moisturizer is the “super fine” size, but the particles have been coated with additives to improve adhesion, etc,  resulting in the larger “safe” particle size as well. Great!

But what is the average consumer to do? Without checking with every manufacturer directly, how can the average consumer who chooses to avoid the nano-sized particle, know for sure? Sadly, there is no easy answer, but if the product has a “white” tone to it, you can be almost 100% sure it contains the larger TD particle size. After all, a primary reason for the creation of the nano-sized TD particle was to avoid the “white” coating look, in the first place.

I also asked the makers of Physicians Formula if there were a standard or a web site which might post this information. According to Physician Formula,  “There is no standard for titanium dioxide or for nano-technology in cosmetics.  There is a lot of useful information at PCPC’s (Personal Care Product Council) website.  There is no substantiated evidence to show that there is any danger or harm in using sunscreens containing ultra-fine titanium dioxide, and this is even supported by EWG (Environmental Working group)”.

So the bottom line, at least for me, is to continue to use products which contain course and medium sized Titanium Dioxide which has been proven to be a safe and effective product, especially in physical sunscreens, while I watch for further studies on any safety issues regarding the ultra fine particles. And I specifically plan to continue my usage of the Physicians Formula Mineral Wear Talc-free powder and moisturizer.

No doubt, much more to come.

Five Best zinc oxide sunscreens

Physicians Formula Mineral Wear Talc Free Powder
Active ingredients: titanium dioxide, zinc oxide. inactive ingredients: boron nitride, zinc stearate, lauroyl lysine, retinyl palmitate, tocopheryl acetate, methylparaben, propylparaben, may contain: mica, iron oxides

Physicians Formula Tinted Moisturizer with SPF 15
Active ingredients: titanium dioxide
Inactive ingredients: water *, cyclopentasiloxane, butylene glycol, caprylic/capric triglyceride, triethylhexanoin, cetyl peg/ppg-10/1 dimethicone, sd alcohol 40, squalane, polyglyceryl-4 isostearate, mica, disteardimonium hectorite, peg-32, aloe barbadensis leaf juice, alumina, cucumis sativus (cucumber) fruit extract, dimethicone, dimethicone/vinyl dimethicone crosspolymer, disodium edta, glycerin, malachite extract, panthenol, retinyl palmitate, rhodochrosite extract, ruby powder, sapphire powder, smithsonite extract, stearic acid, tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, tocopheryl acetate, tourmaline, sodium dehydroacetate, phenoxyethanol, methylparaben, ethylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben, lavandula angustifolia (lavender) oil. may contain: iron oxides, titanium dioxide * mineral water.

Reviewed by Kate

What do YOU think makes people appear older or younger than they actually are? Do you subconsciously estimate a strangers age by looking at (or for) facial wrinkles? Age “spots”? Posture, agility and apparent core strength? Yellowed teeth? The quality/tone of the skin on the backs of hands? The color and thickness of hair? If you are like me, it is a combination of all of the above, and trust me…. everyone you meet is subconsciously evaluating YOU by some or all of this criteria. The reality is that the aging process impacts all of the above and my personal “age gauge” list also includes the appearance of pale/thinning lips and those dreaded vertical lip lines!

I think I am more focused on thinning lips than the average Joe, because my own lips have always been naturally small, and the aging process certainly wasn’t helping matters. Earlier this year I mentioned that I have seen a noticeable improvement in both the volume and the natural color of my lips after applying my beloved niacin-based deep moisturizer to my lips 2x daily, although my (“off label) usage it isn’t specifically recommended by the manufacturer, Nia 24). You can read the details by either keying “Nia 24″ into the “search box” on the top right of every page of the TIA web site, or clicking here to read that old review.  And while I was quite happy with the improvement, I knew there MUST be a truly great lip volumizer out there, designed for people who want fuller, plumper lips at EVERY age.

I was right, but I must say it was a much more difficult search than I had expected.  After much searching, testing, and a bunch of duds, I found SKinn Lip 3x Volumizing Serum, and boy do my lips ever love this stuff! May I just say I have never been more kissable?

I tried quite a few other lip volumizers, and absolutely nothing worked well for me, until I tried the Skinn Lip 3x Serum.   The other lip volumizers were either ineffective or purely temporary, or they worked but dried out or chapped my lips dreadfully in the process. One tasted strongly of the petro-chemicals it contained, and another actually made my lips burn unpleasantly. Finding a good volumizer (or even a good lipstick) sans nasty chemicals is getting tougher and tougher to do….especially if you want anything containing a sunblock.

The Skinn Lip 3x Volumizing Serum goes to work immediately to plump up lips (and the wrinkles on and directly around the lips), but I can see a cumulative effect after using it for more than a month. That is likely due to the addition of super peptide Palmitoyl Oligopeptide (MaxiLip), which is a strong collagen stimulating ingredient.  The Skinn Lip Serum tastes great (it contains peppermint oil and flavoring), stays put for a impressively long time, smoothes on nicely, and I have even replaced my need for lipstick by adding a swoosh of  the Benefit “Benetint” lip stain over the top.  My lips are moist, full, rose colored, and they feel and taste great! Even my husband likes it… although his “testing” has been limited to a stealth application as part of our morning “good by” kiss.

The product comes in a 14ml (.05 oz) frosted pump-style container which protects the serum from degradation and grubby fingers. I pump out just the tiniest amount each time… less than HALF the size of a grain of rice.   Even though I apply the Skinn Lip 3X Volumizing Serum 2-3 times per day (typically each morning, after lunch, and again before bedtime), this one tube will likely last for at least six months. That makes it not only an excellent product, but a great value at $29.50!

PS… I liked Skinn Lip 3x Volumixing Serum so much, I bought tubes for my two sisters and my mother…. and they like it as much I do.

Related posts

Jane Iredale’s Just Kissed Lip Plumper

Reviewed and rejected: Juice Beauty’s Lip Plumper

Reviewed and recommended: Be Fine Lip Serum

Skinn Lip 3x Volumizing Serum ingredients:
Isopropyl palmitate, octyl palmitate, sunflower seed oil, phenyl trimethicone, palmitoyl oligopeptide (Maxi Lip®), peppermint oil, titanium dioxide, natural flavor

As far as cosmetics go, it doesn’t get much cuter than this. MBeze Natural Deodorette and Dabber Dust turn a typically awkward act into something stylish and fun. Now, I don’t normally get excited about buying or trying deodorants (really, who does?), but when I brought MBeze’s petite tube of Deodorette and pot of Dabber Dust along with me to a wedding in D.C. last weekend, I was legitimately eager to test it. And thanks to D.C.’s sweltering temperatures and MBeze’s compact packaging, I could toss my underarm products (more like accessories) in my purse and feel protected everywhere I went.

My flavor of Deodorette was Twice Shy, a .3 oz. waxy scented stick encased in a black twist tube. I was at first apprehensive about Twice Shy’s aromatic notes of pink grapefruit (nauseating memories of Clinique Happy came rushing back to me), but the scent is much more sweet and subtle than expected. One or two swipes isn’t going to do the trick like a traditional gel or roll-on deodorant. Rather, the Deodorette has to be rubbed in thoroughly over the surface area of the underarm to avoid tell-tale traces of white residue. Hours after applying the Deodorette during a sun-soaked stroll through the city, I did a not-so-discreet sniff test and smiled with satisfaction.

Nonetheless, my underarms had an unsettling damp, then subsequently sticky, sensation. It is for this reason that the Dabber Dust exists. An obvious companion to the Deodorette, MBeze’s Dabber Dust is .3 oz. of unscented natural powder to provide extra wetness protection. The white powder comes in a transparent tub divided by a lid with holes, where a cotton puff rests. After coating the underarm with deodorette (or any natural deodorant for that matter), you simply dab the powder puff a few times over the area. The whiteness instantly disappears, along with any feeling of wetness- all without a drop of aluminum.

Despite a nagging anxiety about applying something so suspect so close to my chest on a daily basis, I have been guilty of continuing to rely on aluminum-based anti-perspirants, simply because they are ubiquitous and they work. Aluminum salts, such as aluminum chlorohydrate, work by altering the pH balance of the skin and halting the production of sweat. Not only can these ingredients clog pores and irritate razor burn, but they have also been implicated in the development of Alzheimer’s, Parkinsons, and breast cancer. Clinical studies have proven aluminum to be a neurotoxin that interrupts the function of the blood-brain barrier. These risks seem unacceptable when perfectly dry solutions like MBeze abound.

The clay-based formula of Dabber Dust is short and sweet. After kaolin, its refreshingly simple ingredients list proceeds on to arrowroot (a featherweight powder), baking soda (which helps neutralize odors and soften skin), and zinc oxide (a natural whitening pigment and physical sunscreen agent). The Deodorette’s formula is packed with the same mineral ingredients, in addition to beeswax, botanical oils, and vitamin E to moisturize and nourish the skin. No aluminum, chemicals, or common irritants muck up these sweat stoppers.

Though it seems impossibly diminutive, each Deodorette lasts approximately one month when used daily. The Dabber Dust should probably last up to six months with daily use. According to the founder of MBeze, women have been using the Dabber Dust on other areas of their bodies where they tend to sweat. When combined with the Deodorette, MBeze’s customers (men and women alike!) rave that these products are the best natural solutions for odor control they’ve ever tried. I can’t disagree with that, nor can I justify going back to my aluminum-laced deodorants. These chic little odor eaters will be making lots of trips with me to sweat-inducing locales soon. I can’t wait to show off my underarm accessories in the ladies’ room.

** MBeze has generously set up a discount code just for Truth in Aging readers. On top of the buy one, get one half off sale on Deodorettes, you’ll get 15% off your entire order during the next week (June 3rd-June 9th). Simply enter the promo code “TIA” at checkout.

Related Posts:

Pristine Recovery Take a Whiff natural deodorant

Dermalogica Environmental Control deodorant

Desert Essence Aluminum-Free deodorant

Payot Homme vs. Sothys Homme deodorant sniffdown

Ingredients in Dabber Dust:

Kaolinite (White Clay), Maranta arudinacea (Arrowroot) Root Powder, Sodium Bicarbonate, Zinc Oxide.

Ingredients in “Twice Shy” Deodorette:

Beeswax, Limnanthes alba (Meadowfoam) Seed Oil, Sodium Bicarbonate, Vitis vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, Cocos Nucifera (Organic virgin Coconut) Oil, Helianthus Annuus (Organic Sunflower) Seed Oil, Ethyl alcohol (Natural Grain Alcohol), Citrus paradisi (Grapefruit) Oil, Fragrance, Distilled Water, Zinc Oxide, Maranta arudinacea (Arrowroot) Root Powder, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Citric Acid.