bareMinerals Original Mineral Veil Loose Setting Powder Versus Laura Mercier Ultra Blur Translucent Lose Setting Powder
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Ingredients Side-by-side
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantLauroyl Lysine
Skin ConditioningZinc Stearate
Cosmetic ColorantAluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate
AbsorbentSilica
AbrasiveC13-15 Alkane
SolventEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
EmollientTocopherol
AntioxidantSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantSorbic Acid
PreservativeBlue 1 Lake
Cosmetic ColorantIron Oxides
CI 77742
Cosmetic ColorantCI 15850
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77007
Cosmetic ColorantCI 19140
Cosmetic Colorant
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Zinc Stearate is the metal salt of stearic acid. It is a white solid used to bind, thicken, and lubricate products.
This ingredient is common in powder makeup, where it helps keep the powder together.
Zinc Stearate is hydrophobic and repels water.
This ingredient can be sourced from non-animal or animal sources. It is best to reach out to the brand to see where they source this ingredient from.
Learn more about Zinc StearateThis ingredient is a combination of red, black, and yellow iron oxide pigments. This combination of colors is usually found in foundation, because it results in a "skin" color.
The EU typically uses CI numbers for colorants when applicable, such as CI 77489. In the US, iron oxides are regulated as color additives and "iron oxides" is the most commonly used name in US cosmetic practice.
A 2021 paper looked at skincare formulations containing iron oxides and found that they reduced transmission of blue light when measured optically. In simple terms, the pigment particles helped block or scatter part of the visible light spectrum in lab testing and the authors suggest this could translate into better protection against blue-light-related skin effects.
There is also clinical and experimental research showing that tinted products containing iron oxides can reduce visible light-induced pigmentation:
Please note, whether a product reduces visible or blue light depends on things like:
In the EU's CosIng database, iron oxides are only listed as a colorant. CosIng groups ingredients by their main cosmetic role, such as colorant, preservative, or UV filter.
Though studies say iron oxides can "attenuate blue light", they're describing an optical property and not an officially recognized cosmetic function.
So CosIng isn’t contradicting the research. It’s just classifying iron oxides by what they officially are: pigments that add color.
Learn more about Iron Oxides