Are you having a problem with cystic acne?

I have noticed things as I have aged, fine lines, sensitive stomach, general dislike of anything classified as tween. Yes I am half way to my crazy cat lady days, but I will survive.

I used to have great skin and good results with makeup (as long as it was the right shade) but lately my face has taken to looking like the ring of fire seen from space. Red cystic acne shows up when I least expect it. It used to follow hormones or stress but recently something else seems to be the culprit.

After some research and digging I think I may have found it, Bismuth Oxycloride. I have all ready gotten rid of silicone's in my hair and face products because I have become sensitive to it, now it's my makeup.

I say it's my makeup because the acne appears after using this one brand of makeup I have and not others I have sampled.  I haven't been changing makeup recently, I rarely get around to putting on foundation so it was fairly easy to pinpoint the culprit.

Bismuth Oxycloride is a common filler, frequently found in mineral makeup because it is marketed as an "earth mineral" therefore natural. I have found that Bismuth is a mineral but it is not this natural form that is often used in cosmetics. More often than not it is a by product from smelting copper that is used in the cosmetic formulation, though in very small amounts. The mineral is considered heavy and requires lots of buffing to get it to settle into the pores, and gives the glow many of us love. However the MSDS (mineral safety data sheet) lists it as slightly hazardous to skin and irritating to the eye.

So it's time for me to change makeup, I have found some formulations of mineral makeup that don't have Bismuth Oxycloride as an ingredient and some liquids that I also like. I just dislike shopping for new cosmetics, yeah right.

Putting my shopping shoes on,
Head Bather