Screw you Silica powder!!

There has been such an uproar on YouTube and in the mineral makeup communities about Silica powder.  Is it safe to breathe? Will it cause cancer? Companies calling concerned YouTubers "ignorant", blah blah blah.  A few months back I ordered a sample because I figured that I wouldn't be snorting lines of it, and it's supposed to improve mineral foundation, etc.  I added it to the white primer powder I use that was a mixture of primers from different companies.   I started to order samples of foundations from companies like Everyday Minerals, Alima, Archetype Cosmetics, Pure Luxe, Meow Cosmetics, and a few others.  I always used the primer first, then the foundations, but each one of them made me itch!!  2 weeks ago I applied the primer and got distracted with something else.  That's when my face started to burn and itch!  I thought that I was allergic to Mica because the foundations are basically colored oxides, Titanium Dioxide, Zinc, and Mica.  Well, after doing patch-tests on my face with products from the different companies, I discovered that the pure Silica in my primer and the Silicon Dioxide (the name for Silica!!) in one of the Archetype formulas is the offender!!

I traded on MakeupAlley.com for many different formulas of things from Everyday minerals, and now I have about 1 whole cup of SPF/Finishing/Foundation products from them.  I also have 30 gram jars of Alima samples that I mixed together and Archetype foundation.  It turns out that if you order a sample of every color that you think might be in your color range, and if they are all allllllllmost matches, you can mix them together for a perfect blend that fits with your skin and have a boat-load of foundation.  The only thing you need to do is color-match first so that you can remember which one or two you will get again to blend when it is time to re-up.

I was almost ready to just dump all my stockpile of powder in the trash.  Since I mixed colors I can't actually trade it because it's not one specific shade, and my mom's skin is more olive than mine, so she can't use it.  (Also, she uses BE because she's not incredibly allergic to Bismuth Oxychloride like I am.)  I ordered samples of ingredients from TKB Trading so I could patch-test them and start blending up my own foundation.  I'm so glad that I discovered the problem with Silica, because while I made my own eyeshadows with TKB's pop micas and eyeshadow base, it's fun, but so messy, and mixing oxide colors sounds like a pain in the butt.  Not to mention you need buckets of it to play with before you find the right match, and that gets pricey.

Now I'm back to having a cup of useable foundation and the Archetype and primer are going in the trash.  The only problem now is that after side-by-side comparisons, I like Alima more than EM, and the bulk of it is EM.  It's just a little chalky/powdery and doesn't give as good of coverage as Alima.  I know my Alima colors though, and maybe in about a year I will be ready to order more!!  I also like that they will pre-make a custom blend of 2-3 colors for you.

The moral of the story is: If you have sensitive skin, stay away from Silica/Silicon Dioxide!!!  Oh, and mineral foundation rocks my socks.