Is mineral make-up the miracle you've been looking for?

What is mineral make-up?

Mineral make-up is exclusively made from crushed minerals, which means that it doesn't contain any oil or wax additives usually found in everyday make-up. Although 'crushed minerals' sounds rather magical, mineral make-up couldn't be more natural, as all of the materials (minerals like iron oxides, talc, zinc oxide, and titanium dioxide) are extracted from the Earth.

Although these natural ingredients are found in everyday make-up, the real difference between mineral make-up and regular make-up is that mineral make-up is JUST made from minerals. Other (let's say supermarket) make-up may well contain minerals like iron and zinc oxides, but they also contain many other unnatural, harsher items, such as mineral oil, preservatives, parfum and bulking agents; items that are bad for your skin and bad for the planet.

As such, mineral make-up is generally considered to be far kinder to skin and the planet.

So, if your regular make-up is causing your skin any sort of aggravation, mineral make-up could be the miracle you've been looking for.

The mother of mineral make-up

Although using minerals to decorate the face actually dates back thousands of years (Cleopatra famously wore a thick, bright green paste made from the mineral malachite to decorate her eyes, giving us early icon), the use of mineral make-up became widespread in the 1970s in San Francisco. The pioneer of mineral make-up (sorry, Cleopatra) was arguably a teacher called Diane Ranger; Diane founded Bare Escentuals in 1976 and is credited with inventing mineral make-up (as we know it today) in 1977. Back in the 1970s Diane sought to create more natural body-care products and make-up products that were free of what she called the “seven deadly skins”: perfume, talc, alcohol, mineral oil, preservatives, emulsifiers, and dyes. She did just that and her vision has transcended over the last fifty years or so.

Granted, mineral make-up has not always had the best reputation; many people moan about its chalky/grainy-like texture and how it can make you feel like you're wearing some sort of dusty mask on nights out (not the one). But even in the last ten years times have changed, and if you're still saying that, you're shopping in the wrong places hunni-buns (apologies, we have Love Island's Paige Thorne on our rmind).

Why is mineral make-up better for your skin?

In short, mineral make-up is free from all that rubbish you can never pronounce.

And we can't stress enough that the vast majority of mineral make-products made these days are proven to have skin-boosting side effects, which, yes, means wearing it is actually good for your skin. There's a reason the word 'mineral' sounds a lot like 'miracle' - not actually true, but we're still somewhat gagged by this trick we've been missing.

Four solid (actually, featherlight) reasons mineral make-up is good for your skin...

Facts so solid, in fact, that we're keeping them in bold for you speedy scrollers.

1. Mineral make-up does not clog your pores

So for those of you with sensitive skin, listen up; mineral make-up is free of something called talc, which doesn't just stick to the skin, it actually sinks deep into the pores. By contrast, mineral make-up simply sits on the surface of your face. What a dream.

2. Mineral make-up has SPF built in

Which means mineral make-up wearers are literally waltzing around protecting their face from the sun with their miracle beat. Many mineral make-up products contain zinc oxide (which is not one of those damaging products we aforementioned). Zinc oxide is, in fact, known for its skin-healing abilities, in addition to being a natural sunscreen. We should stress, however, that mineral make-up doesn't offer the same level of protection as a decent sun screen (or indeed staying in the shade), but it's certainly a beneficial extra.

Mineral make-up also contains titanium dioxide, which admittedly sounds like something that could take down a Marvel superhero, but it's yet more added goodness for your skin. Titanium dioxide is a natural pigment with sunscreen. Gorg.

3. Mineral make-up is recommended for those with sensitive skin

We don't want to say miracle cure, but... the right mineral make-up purchase could be the kindest thing you do to your skin this year.

4. Skin gurus LOVE mineral-make-up

SJ Froom, international makeup artist for BareMinerals told Byrdie, "Mineral make-up acts like skincare. That's why it's recommended by dermatologists and skin specialists all over the world."

She added, "Women wear make-up to feel beautiful and confident, but heavy formulas can cause skin problems, such as breakouts and irritation. This leaves us in a vicious cycle of using more make-up to cover up skin concerns, never giving our skin a chance to be healthy. Mineral make-up contains natural skin-improving ingredients and incredible technology, which means brands don't need to sacrifice health for performance."

WATCH: MINERAL MAKEUP! Is It Better For My Skin?

How to find the best mineral foundation for your skin?

You stay right where you are (well, you stay on Closer) - we've got you and your miraculous skin.

It all starts with the right foundation, so we've pulled together the ULTIMATE guide on mineral foundations with tips, Instagram inspiration, and so much more.

Whether you consider yourself an oily, normal or dry skin type, dark-skinned or light-skinned, trust us, there will be a formula for you. Don't worry - we've done all the hard work for you by finding customer ratings, shades and reviews on all of our favourites (including high-street and high-end picks).