This week a young woman came in looking for a pressed foundation powder.  Poor thing’s skin was all shades of broken out, and judging by the scars it had been for some time.  I asked her why she wanted a pressed foundation powder as opposed to loose, or some version of a traditional liquid foundation.  Eventually it all boiled down to ease of application.

Here’s the thing, pressed powder (whether it be foundation pressed powder, regular pressed powder, or mineral pressed powder) is a terrible choice for acne prone skin.  The issue is not so much the formulation of the product, it’s the mode of application.  Think on this; as you take the little puff that comes with your powder and rub it all over your face you’re picking up about a million hitchhikers as well as the oil they eat.  Yes, you are not only transporting bacteria back and forth from your face to your compact but also giving them the means to stay alive.

When you’ve finished applying your powder, you take the loaded puff, place it on top of your powder and close the compact, establishing a safe and warm environment for the bacteria to breed.  Now repeat this process daily, or even a couple of times a day until you run out of powder.  Eww.

It has been suggested that keeping the puff and the powder separated resolves the issue.  Some companies have created compacts that hold the puff in it’s own compartment, others suggest you retain the little plastic film that comes on top of new powders and use that as the means of separation.  While I can see how that might help minimize the problem, it still doesn’t negate the fact that you’re spreading bacteria from your face to your product, then back again.

So what’s a girl to do?  I suggested she try an oil free foundation.  My client was resistant to doing more than one step.  (Liquid foundation, in most cases, requires the use of loose setting powder.)  There was really only one obvious choice in that case, loose mineral powder.  She was unconvinced.  The truth is, loose powders are messier and not as convenient as pressed powders.  Ultimately, she bought what she wanted in the first place, a pressed powder foundation.

Please keep this in mind.  In cosmetics, as in life, the easiest way is not always the best.

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