Liquid mineral make-up will even out your skin tone and give it extra protection. If you are not a fan of powder or cream make-up, make this liquid one with us.
If the powder or cream variant of mineral make-up does not suit you, there is another solution. And that is liquid mineral make-up.
The instructions for making it are adapted so that even beginners can manage it, and at the same time so that it contains a minimum of raw materials, thus being gentle on the skin.
Why you will love liquid make-up
- Simple to make
Even complete beginners can manage it — you just thin the powder blend with the oils of your choice.
- Effective hydration
The oils in the blend nourish and hydrate the skin; dry and combination skin alike will appreciate them.
- A minimum of raw materials
The formula needs only the powder blend, an oil and vitamin E — which makes it gentle on the skin.
- No preservative
Bacteria survive only very limitedly in a non-aqueous environment, so a preservative is not necessary.
How liquid mineral make-up works
Liquid mineral make-up is a counterpart of powder mineral make-up. Its production is really simple: you just prepare a powder blend for mineral make-up and then thin it with oils in a ratio of 1:1. To prolong the freshness and stability of the make-up, the antioxidant vitamin E was also added — it is not a preservative but an antioxidant that prolongs the freshness of the oils and slows their oxidation.
At the same time, various dispersing agents and agents that keep powder raw materials in suspension in the oil, which could irritate the skin and unnecessarily complicate the formula, were omitted. And if you want the product to be as natural as possible, it would be very difficult to find an agent that would keep such a large mass of powder raw materials in suspension in the long term.
Liquid mineral make-up provides the same coverage as the powder form, but thanks to the use of oils in the mixture it applies well to the skin and effectively hydrates it. Such a form of make-up will be appreciated by dry as well as combination skin, since the oils nourish it effectively.
Tip: if you have oily skin, choose oils suitable for this type of skin — that is, oils that do not unnecessarily burden it and are quickly absorbed.
Since bacteria survive only very limitedly in a non-aqueous environment such as liquid mineral make-up, it is not necessary to use a preservative.
Oil comparison
If you do not know which oil to choose, below you will find an overview of the five oils we selected and their benefits for the skin. Thanks to our comparison of the properties of such oils in connection with the make-up, you will gain an overview of which one would be most suitable for your skin. Of course, you can choose any vegetable oil, or a blend of them; but if you do not know where to start, our overview will provide valuable information about how each oil behaves in connection with powder raw materials, about their absorption into the skin and similar aspects.
Neutral oil MCT Caprylis
The first sample we tested is liquid mineral make-up with MCT Caprylis oil. This substance is also called caprylic/capryc triglyceride, which you can find in many cosmetic products, including natural cosmetics. It is a colourless oily liquid, often obtained from coconut oil. Thanks to its properties it helps incorporate oil-soluble active substances into products and improve their stability. It is an alternative to synthetically obtained oil raw materials in cosmetic products.
MCT Caprylis is great in that it has no smell or colour, and so during testing there was no colour change of the mineral make-up. Its advantage is also the fact that MCT Caprylis has high stability and therefore oxidises only minimally. In combination with the powder make-up it spread well on the skin and did not leave a markedly oily feeling. On the other hand, this oil is not very nourishing for the skin, as it is only a mixture of fatty acids.
MCT Caprylis is definitely worth choosing if your make-up will be stored in a sunny place, or the product will be exposed to temperature fluctuations, or you will use it only sporadically. MCT Caprylis will give you a long shelf life of the product, since of the selected oils it oxidises the slowest; it is also a good choice if you are preparing make-up for travel.
Cottonseed oil
Another of the tested oils is cottonseed oil. This oil is rich in unsaturated fatty acids, similarly to olive oil. In addition, it contains vitamin E and other antioxidants, and thus helps to hydrate the skin, reduce the signs of ageing and has anti-inflammatory properties, for example thanks to linolenic acid. It is also suitable for products containing active substances, because it improves the absorption of these raw materials into the skin.
Cottonseed oil has a light colour, so it did not significantly affect the colour of the final product. Overall, the combination of make-up with this oil provided slightly less coverage than when using other oils (cottonseed oil did not contribute much with its own colour), but such make-up was absorbed very quickly and the skin did not remain oily to the touch. Cottonseed oil belongs among the economical oils, so it is a good alternative for beginners if you do not know which of the oils to choose and do not want to invest much in the product.
Rosehip seed oil
Yellow-orange rosehip seed oil is one of the more luxurious oils we tried in the production of liquid mineral make-up. Rosehip seed oil is rich in vitamins, antioxidants, essential fatty acids and phenols, many of which show anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effects. It hydrates the skin and its natural vitamin A content helps to brighten the complexion. At the same time it is rich in vitamin C, which is essential for collagen synthesis.
Rosehip oil can be obtained from the seeds or from the fruits. In this case, rosehip seed oil was chosen, as it has a slightly lighter colour than oil from the fruits – it contains fewer carotenoids and similar pigments that influence the colour of the final oil. However, rosehip seed oil also contains a certain amount of plant pigments which, although beneficial for the skin, on the other hand influence the final shade of the make-up, which is visible once the product is applied to the skin. The make-up thus acquired a slightly darker shade than when using MCT Caprylis or cottonseed oil. On the other hand, it provided more intense coverage, because the oil itself contributed to the final shade with its pigments.
Although there was a certain change in the colouring of the product that was visible after the make-up was applied to the skin, rosehip seed oil provides a great many benefits for the skin, many of which are difficult to replace with other oils. This oil is suitable especially for drier skin; during the tests it was observed as the oiliest. Thanks to its high content of valuable substances, however, this oil is the least stable and oxidises easily, so prepare smaller batches to make sure you always have a fresh product.
Calendula macerate and alkyl benzoate
The combination of two oil-based raw materials, in this case calendula macerate and alkyl benzoate, is also an option for preparing liquid mineral make-up. Calendula macerate, like calendula itself, is known for its soothing effects on the skin, it helps with its regeneration and healing and has anti-inflammatory properties. At the same time, it contains antimicrobial substances that help reduce the manifestations of acne.
Calendula macerate in sunflower oil exhibits not only the properties of sunflower oil, but there is also the added benefit of the oil-soluble substances extracted from the calendula. Calendula macerate is a light yellow oil without a pronounced smell. It partially affects the final coverage and colour of the liquid make-up, but this is not a significant change.
Alkyl benzoate is used in combination with oils to reduce the overall greasiness of the product. That is also why this tested make-up was absorbed quickly, which is one of the properties of alkyl benzoate. However, the make-up left a slightly more noticeable greasy feeling on the skin than cottonseed oil, so if you want a less greasy product, increase the proportion of alkyl benzoate at the expense of the calendula macerate. Although this will reduce the amount of substances that calendula macerate could deliver into your skin, the make-up will be more pleasant to wear if your skin requires less greasy products.
Raspberry oil
Another high-quality cold-pressed vegetable oil is raspberry oil. This oil is especially known for its high SPF value, and so this type of make-up will give you a certain amount of protection against the sun; that does not replace the use of sunscreen, however, since it is not possible to verify the real SPF of the product under home conditions.
Raspberry oil belongs among the oils suitable also for problematic skin, as it does not tend to clog the pores. In addition, raspberry oil contains anti-inflammatory substances and antioxidants such as vitamins A and E, which help the skin to regenerate. These vitamins and other substances help reduce the signs of ageing and strengthen collagen production in the skin.
This vegetable oil has an orange to golden-yellow colour, which is why it affected the final shade of the product during testing. So if you happen to have mixed a make-up lighter than your skin tone, you do not have to redo it straight away; it is enough to add raspberry oil or a similarly coloured oil and there is a good chance you will get a sufficiently dark shade. Another advantage of raspberry oil was that it was absorbed into the skin very quickly.
The formula: choose your oil
The base is the same in every variant — it is made up of 3 ingredients: mineral powder make-up (50.00 parts), vitamin E (1.00 part) and the oil component. It is the oil component that determines the properties of the make-up, which is why we tried 4 variants — three with a single oil and one with a combination of calendula macerate and alkyl benzoate in a ratio of 24.50 : 24.50 parts. If you picked a different vegetable oil in the comparison, put it in place of the oil component.
| Ingredient | Amount (parts) |
|---|---|
| Variant with neutral oil MCT Caprylis | |
| Mineral powder make-up | 50.00 |
| Vitamin E | 1.00 |
| Neutral oil MCT Caprylis | 49.00 |
| Variant with cottonseed oil | |
| Mineral powder make-up | 50.00 |
| Vitamin E | 1.00 |
| Cottonseed oil | 49.00 |
| Variant with calendula macerate and alkyl benzoate | |
| Mineral powder make-up | 50.00 |
| Vitamin E | 1.00 |
| Calendula macerate in sunflower oil | 24.50 |
| Alkyl benzoate | 24.50 |
| Variant with raspberry seed oil | |
| Mineral powder make-up | 50.00 |
| Vitamin E | 1.00 |
| Raspberry seed oil | 49.00 |
| Packaging and tools — the same for every variant | |
| Glass bottle with dispenser | — |
Method
Making liquid mineral make-up takes only a few steps and is not demanding.
- Disinfection
Thoroughly disinfect your tools, containers and packaging, for example with ethanol, and wipe them dry.
- The powder blend
Prepare the blend for powder mineral make-up (according to our instructions).
- Add the oils and vitamin E
To the finished powder blend (already adjusted to your skin shade and thoroughly ground in a mortar) add the oils and vitamin E and mix with a whisk.
- Filling the container
Fill into the container of your choice. Over time the powder settles at the bottom, so you need to shake the blend before every use to mix the oils and the powder raw materials well.
Packaging and storage
It is good to store the make-up away from direct sunlight or heat, as this prolongs the freshness and stability of the oils.
Tip: on the other hand, if you know that your product will be in such an environment, try wrapping the bottle in aluminium foil and making smaller batches so that you always have a fresh product to hand.
Liquid mineral make-up is best stored in a bottle with a pump. Choose a pump intended for oils, or for creams. Not only will the product be easier to dose and apply, you will also not come into contact with the rest of the product in the bottle, so you will not accidentally introduce water into it (from wet hands) and you will avoid any significant bacterial contamination.
Warning
As mentioned, you can experiment with home-made recipes to achieve the properties you want. The final result, however, can be influenced by many factors, such as humidity, temperature, the quality of the raw materials or the way they are stored.
Before you use any raw material to make a cosmetic product, familiarise yourself with its properties, its recommended dosage, its storage conditions and its safe handling.
Important: every raw material may have the potential to trigger an allergic reaction in sensitive individuals, so before using the product we recommend finding out whether you are allergic to any of the raw materials or to the product as a whole, for example by a patch test.
If you have very sensitive or very acne-prone skin, or if you have other skin and health problems, we recommend that you consult a medical professional before applying a new product to your skin, whether it is a home-made cosmetic product, a pure raw material or a commercially available product.
Conclusion
As the saying goes, third time’s a charm. If powder mineral make-up happens not to suit you because it dries out your skin, and the cream one is too oily for you, go for the happy medium in the form of liquid mineral make-up.
Have you already made any of the make-ups according to our instructions? Do you have your own experience that we could add to our information? Feel free to write to us at [email protected]. We look forward to hearing from you.
Until the next soaping, friends.
The base is the powder blend made to our instructions — all you need to do is thin it with the oil that suits your skin.
