Makeup DIY: Matte Translucent Finishing Loose Powder (for Oily Skin)

Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Makeup DIY: Matte Translucent Finishing Loose Powder (for Oily Skin)
Recently, I’ve been reading a lot of good reviews about Innisfree No Sebum Mineral Powder which is considered as a Holy Grail (must-have) product for oily skin people like me. I almost bought it but decided not to because I find it expensive - almost Php 400 for a 5g of product. In the end, I realize I can try to make my own oil-control powder since I have most of the raw materials on hand. Let me tell you, you can buy the raw materials in bulk which is enough to make 1-2 years supply of face powder for you and your friends and save money in the long run J

Basically, I have the following requirements when formulating this finishing powder (also known as mineral veil or setting powder):
  1. The final product should be matte since the ultimate goal is to control the shine on my super oily face, not to add more shine.
  2. The final product should be translucent (non-tinted, non-whitening) so that it won’t affect the color of your foundation (if using one).
  3. The final product should be talc-free, oil-free and fragrance-free.
  4. The final product should be in loose powder form.
The formulation is very simple as I only use 3 main ingredients: Mica, Magnesium Stearate and Kaolin Clay. Let’s get into the details of each of these cosmetic ingredients.

Mica (also known as Sericite Mica) is the primary ingredient in making mineral makeup. It is often used as base ingredient in talc-free makeup formulation since it has similar properties to talc like translucency and good slip (enable makeup to spread easily on skin). This off-white powder also has water and oil resistant properties. Moreover, sericite mica has the ability to reflect light which explains the reason why it has a “slight” shimmer effect (not the glittery kind of shimmer) that helps reduce the appearance of fine lines and enlarged pores. Take note that it is also possible to buy low-luster (matte) mica which is what I used in this DIY. The shimmer of the mica is measured by microns and the rule of thumb is “the lower the microns, the less shimmer”. A matte mica typically has about 12 -15 microns. Since mica is a translucent powder, it has sheer coverage which means that it won’t cover any skin discolorations or blemishes.

Magnesium Stearate is another essential ingredient to include in mineral makeup. It has excellent adhesion and oil absorption properties so it helps makeup to stay longer on your skin. It’s also translucent so it won’t change the color of your foundation. When you used magnesium stearate in makeup formulation, make sure that you don’t add more than 10%. Too much magnesium stearate can reduce the slip (spreadability) of the makeup. In my formula, I only used 5% magnesium stearate.

Kaolin Clay (also known as White Clay) is known as the mildest clay type. It can absorb excess oil and other pore-clogging substances from your skin. Compared to other types of clay, its oil absorption properties are on the milder side so kaolin clay can also be used for people with dry, sensitive and/or mature (aging) skin.

Ingredients
(Makes 3 grams which can fit inside a 10g sifter jar)

2.8 g Matte White Mica (low luster)
0.2 g Magnesium Stearate
0.1 g Kaolin Clay

Equipment

Herb grinder (for small batch) or Coffee grinder (for large batch)

Instructions
  1. Start by putting on a face mask in order not to inhale the powder dust during the process.
  2. Add all the ingredients in an herb or coffee grinder. Grind for a minute.
  3. Transfer the mixture into a loose powder sifter jar.
Notes

It is essential to use either an herb grinder or a coffee grinder for this DIY in order to uniformly mix all the powder ingredients, which is kind of hard to achieve with manual hand mixing.

Since the formulation doesn’t contain any water, I didn’t add any preservative. However, make sure that you don’t introduce any moisture into the mineral makeup in order not to contaminate it.

How to Use

Tap a small amount of powder into the lid of the sifter jar and swirl your foundation (kabuki) brush around the mineral powder. Tap off the excess powder. Using a circular motion, apply the loose powder on your face.

Where to buy the materials
References:

Mineral make-up ingredients: Magnesium stearate. Retrieved from https://swiftcraftymonkey.blog/mineral-make-up-ingredients-magnesium-stearate/


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