Ad Track: Cosmetics companies tout mineral-based makeup

ByABC News
March 24, 2008, 12:08 AM

— -- There's a new rock star in cosmetics: mineral-based makeup.

Beauty marketers are rushing to mine the trend with more foundation, blush, eye shadow and other cosmetics with natural-sounding "mineral" formulations and ingredients such as titanium dioxide, mica and potassium. The products with finely ground minerals are being promoted as sheer, "natural" looking and less irritating to skin than chemical-based products.

In-store promotions for Maybelline's new Mineral Power line, for example, describe it as "more natural" and "healthier."

A third of women said they wanted mineral-based makeup in a 2007 survey by market researcher Mintel.

The industry has responded with a barrage of mineral-based cosmetic products: 451 in 2007, vs. 132 in 2005 in the U.S. market, according to Datamonitor's Productscan Online.

Among recent launches, a line from Revlon and an expansion of the Laura Mercier Luxury Minerals Collection into eye shadows and blush for sale at department stores and high-end boutiques.

April Berman, 37, became a fan of Bare Escentuals' Bare Minerals foundation line after spending $75 last year on a starter kit of mineral powders and application brushes. Berman has rosacea, which can make a complexion look ruddy, and says the makeup provides good coverage.

"I'm really very happy with it," says the Wayne, N.J., resident. "I would never go back to the other (brands)."

Cosmetics expert John Bailey, chief scientist at trade group The Personal Care Products Council, warns buyers that not all mineral makeup is equal. "There's not really a rigid definition of what it is or what it's supposed to accomplish. It really comes down to each company's individual representation of it."

Dermatologist Leslie Baumann, author of The Skin Type Solution, is critical of any claim the makeup is healthier. "It is mainly marketing hype. The minerals in it have never been shown to be beneficial for your skin."

In on the mineral trend: