Mineral Make Up Rating Drugstore Brands

Dear Dr. Dave and Dr. Dee,

I use Bare Escentuals/Bare Minerals and love it, but it is getting expensive for me. Do you know of any cheaper drugstore mineral foundations that are just as good or even better?

Signed,

Mineral makeup mom

Dear Mineral makeup mom,

There are many brands of mineral cosmetics that vary widely in cost anywhere from about $7 to $45 for about a third of an ounce and can be bought online, in specialty cosmetics stores such as Sephora or Ulta, department stores, and drugstores.

Basically, mineral make up is a loose powder that is hypoallergenic and contains no preservatives, dyes, or perfumes. The texture of mineral cosmetics are lighter than regular solid or liquid makeup and should not enhance wrinkles or pores, and has sunscreen protection.

One reviewer named Jazmin on Makeupmoxie.com tried a variety of drugstore mineral makeup brands and used the Bare Escentuals bareMinerals as the standard for comparison.

Jazmin concluded that none of the drugstore mineral cosmetics she tried were as good quality as Bare Escentuals bareMinerals. However, she did come up with a quality ranking for drugstore mineral make up. Below are Jazmin's ranking based on quality, not on price (Makeup Moxie, 2008):

Good Quality: Isadora, Milani Minerals, Almay Pure Blends, L'Oreal Bare Naturale

Medium Quality: Jane Be Pure, Physician's Formula Mineral Loose Powder

Poor Quality: Neutrogena Mineral Sheers

Remember, just because the mineral cosmetic is sold in a drugstore does not mean that it cheaper. Always note the ounces (or grams) as some products may seem to cost less but you might be getting fewer ounces.

Although some mineral makeup has sunscreen protection, it is always best to use a moisturizer with sunscreen before applying the mineral foundation.