Okay, here's my .02 as an Everyday Minerals user and a former Bare Minerals user. I was looking for an alternative to Bare Minerals because it's just so expensive, so I started doing some research. I noticed that the ingredients in the two brands were different -- mainly, BM (and Sheer Cover and Neutrogena mineral makeup) has
bismuth oxychloride as one of the main ingredients. After switching to mineral makeup in the first place after reading about all the bizarre and icky things in liquid foundation, I was curious about that ingredient because it wasn't in the ingredient list for Everyday Minerals.
I saved this link to show my mom, and here is an excerpt from it about bismuth oxychloride:
"It's a very heavy element, which makes it difficult for many people to wear. It has to be forced into the pores (hence the buffing technique) otherwise it is capable of sliding off the wearer's face. The heaviness can result in clogged pores or irritated skin. Bismuth oxychloride often feels silky and not rough when rubbed between the fingers. Mineral makeup companies that do not use it have a lighter feeling makeup that usually blends into the skin better and with less effort.
Its molecular makeup is a crystalline shape, which may be a cause of the itchiness some women get when they wear it. Many women experience noticeable itching when they sweat. Don't forget it is also kin to arsenic, chemically. Your body will reject things it does not like, and if you'll get sick from ingesting arsenic, it would make sense that your skin would get irritated from having arsenic forced into it."
When I wore Bare Minerals, as much as I loved it, my face would itch so BAD every
time it was hot and I was sweating. You can read the whole article here, and it's an eye-opening read:
http://ezinearticles.com/?Mineral-Makeup-and-Bismuth-Oxychloride&id=68978.
Everyday Minerals didn't have that ingredient, so I tried them, and have been using their makeup ever since. It just works better in this hot and humid climate, costs way less, and their people are really helpful. And no more itch! One time I was wanting to try a slightly different shade of makeup as my skin tone had changed with the season, and the customer service rep who emailed me back asked me a bunch of questions and then suggested a shade. It was perfect!
I don't work for EM, I swear -- I just really really love the product. Aside from the basic mineral base, my favorite product of theirs is a mineral concealer in a shade called "Sunlight." I got a sample of it, and thought "yellow concealer?" But it covers dark circles SO well and is undetectable under the base makeup. Love love love it!
