How To Stop Makeup From Oxidizing

Y'all look in the mirror on your lunch break. That foundation that looked so good on you when you left the house is at present somehow…orangish?? Y'all've been walking around like this for how long? Horrifying.

You've been bitten by the oxidation monster.

But what even is oxidation? What ingredient in foundation causes it to plow orangish?

I wanted to know, so I went deep into the internet woods to detect why. And I'm going to tell you all about what I learned.

(Here's your usual disclaimer: I'm non a chemist. I'g not even a science major. I'm just a gal with a curious encephalon that loves me some inquiry. If you lot're a chemist and desire to correct me anywhere, please go to my About folio and email me!)

orange foundation on a brush — Source: Pegah on Pexels (contradistinct by me).

What Does Oxidation Mean in Chemistry Terms?

Once, oxidation was defined as the reaction of compounds when introduced to oxygen. The dictionary notwithstanding lists this as definition ane.

Only now, scientists have broadened the telescopic of the definition (saying now it's the process of losing an electron) considering it turns out other things, like fluorine, can cause oxidation.

The takeaway? Oxidation happens when a reactive ingredient (yes, something in your foundation) is exposed to oxygen or another oxidizing amanuensis.

What Does Oxidize Mean in Makeup?

Offset off, "oxidize," when used in the makeup globe, refers to a foundation darkening or turning orange afterwards it'due south applied to your face. This may happen in minutes or it may happen in hours.

According to my research, this darkening of your makeup is due to one of iii things:

The foundation ingredient iron oxide reacting to the oxygen in the air.
Foundation ingredients being exposed to the acid drapery of your peel.
Foundation ingredients being exposed to oils on your face up.

Allow's talk most all these things separately.

Iron Oxide Reacting to Oxygen

Here'south some groundwork: iron oxide (specifically iron(Two) oxide) is an ingredient in virtually every foundation, and it's one thing that may be turning your face orange.

Aye, you remember your science right! Rust is a type of iron oxide. But the kind used in cosmetics has been deemed safe by the FDA, and then no worries about getting rusty slivers on your face.

Iron oxide chemical formula — Atomic number 26 oxide formula.

Here's the interesting part: the ingredient iron oxide has already been oxidized. Otherwise, it would just be iron.

But here'southward how I empathise it. I imagine rust condign increasingly bad as it gets further oxidized—turning more than and more than orange. Hopefully this will aid y'all map what's happening on your face.

Another thing to notation: I saw some sites claim that other "oxide" ingredients, like titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, are likewise vulnerable to the aforementioned oxidation procedure. I found no evidence to support that they oxidize and plow orangish (though they might react with your acid drape—encounter the next department). Rather, I think these two ingredients are responsible for the white casts on your face in photos and for the white bandage you get from mineral sunscreen—the opposite of creating a darker cast.

In fact, zinc oxide actually protects both itself and iron oxide from further oxidation, according to a freshman textbook on siyavula.com.

This leads me to conclude it's the atomic number 26 oxide—already orange and getting orange-er with exposure to oxygen—that'due south responsible for true oxidation of foundation.

Let's chat about the other 2 factors that may be contributing to the concealment of your foundation. They're non techincally oxidation, simply they could make your foundation change color in an unflattering fashion.

The Acid Mantle

First, let'due south talk about your acid drapery. Yeah. You have acrid on your face!

The acid drape is a protective layer on your skin, creating a barrier between you and bacteria. Since your blood is slightly alkaline metal (the contrary of acidic), any bacteria that do survive the acid drape are less likely to thrive in your blood. Later all, your element of group i blood presents the opposite kind of habitat the bacteria only made it past. (Thanks, Wikipedia.) Absurd, correct?

The pH scale running from 0 to 14 — Source: Lisa Bronner'southward very relevant post on "Skin Health, pH, and Dr. Bronner's Soap"

The trouble is that the combination of metal oxides and acids causes all kinds of crazy stuff. There'south certainly a possibility of a chemic reaction on your confront between the acrid mantle and the oxides in your foundation.

It makes even more sense that the acid mantle is the culprit if a foundation oxidizes on you but non on your friend. Iron oxide is being exposed to the aforementioned air, then that's not the problem. But maybe your friend's acrid mantle has a pH of 5.8 (less acidic) and your acid drapery has a pH of 4.8 (more acidic). Y'all have more acid for metal oxides in your foundation to react with. Just a hypothesis.

Oils on Your Face

Oil bubbles on orange background — Source: @sharonp on Unsplash.

What happens if y'all open a pulverization compact and drip a few drops of oil in information technology? The powder will darken, right?

A similar thing can happen when your face up starts to go more oily. If y'all notice a synchronicity between the time your foundation starts to darken and when your natural oils starting time to come through, information technology may be that the foundation is changing because its ingredients are mixing with your oils.

However, if yous're not an oily-skinned beauty, your problems are probably related to the iron oxide reaction with oxygen or with your acrid mantle.

Make information technology Stop!

If y'all googled the why behind makeup oxidation, it probably isn't considering you're loving the results.

So let's talk about how to address these problems.

Addressing Fe Oxide Reacting to Oxygen

In that location aren't a lot of great ways to prevent fe oxide farther oxidizing. Avoidance and experimentation are the real solutions.

If fe oxide is anything but terminal on the ingredient list, meaning it's of least concentration in the production, I'd be more than cautious. Take a sample home, if you're at Sephora. Also, be wary if yous see something similar this on your ingredient list:

The ingredient list on Maybelline's Fit Me Matte + Poreless with lots of different possible iron oxides included — The ingredient list on Maybelline's Fit Me Matte + Poreless. Source.

It doesn't specify where these pigments are on the ingredient list; it just says that it may comprise them.

Perhaps you lot noticed that in that location were unlike fe oxides on that list, too. It may exist worth some experimentation, if you're getting samples. Take a picture of the ingredient list while you lot're waiting for your sample and encounter if it contains a specific iron oxide, like the "CI 77491" listed above. If that's the blazon of iron oxide in your foundation and you find yourself growing more orange with time while you wearable that sample, mayhap that's the specific fe oxide to blame. So, in the future, you tin can avoid foundations with that ingredient.

Addressing the Acid Pall

As far as the acid mantle goes, you'll desire to look to your skincare to make sure your bulwark isn't besides acidic. Wait for products that are pH balancing.

Now, any company can just say their product will help residual your pH. They don't take to bear witness it. And then you may desire to actually bank check the pH of the production.

Yous can read more about the ideal pH for the acid mantle on Blackball.com (I found this article fascinating) and the aforementioned "Skin Health, pH, and Dr. Bronner's Soap" from Lisa Bronner. You'll find not everyone agrees, and I would take to inquiry and write a whole new post to get over pH. Your all-time bet is to do a little digging yourself.

Note that oil doesn't have a pH, so oil cleansing volition never disrupt your acid mantle.

Addressing the Oils on Your Face

If you experience like your oiliness may exist due to skincare needing tweaking, I'd await into that first. But if you were born oily and will be forever so, in that location are a few arrows to put in your quiver.

Start, get a primer that puts a bulwark between your skin and your foundation. Don't get i that sinks in; this is the time to become for silicones (which, BTW, do not cause acne). We're talking Do good's POREfessional or my fave, Dr. Brandt'southward Pores No More Pore Refining Primer.

Pic of Benefit's POREfessional — She's here to assist with your foundation-darkening woes. Source.

This volition slow the process of your oils and your foundation blending.

2d, endeavor blotting and powdering before you get overly oily. Keeping your oils at bay the best you can will also assist put off the darkening that can come up with oils blending with foundation ingredients.

Summing Up and Recommended Read

So there we accept it! What does oxidize mean in makeup? Well, from my research, it ways that:

The foundation ingredient fe oxide is reacting to the oxygen in the air.
Foundation ingredients are beingness exposed to the acid mantle of your skin.
Foundation ingredients are being exposed to oils on your confront.

In this article, we discussed these three things in detail. And we also covered how to address them with abstention, experimentation, a skincare change up, and oil control.

I last thing, and information technology'due south a plug for another web log you lot may find helpful. During my research for this commodity, I institute myself on diverse pages on the Beautiful with Brains site. I highly recommend strolling around at that place. You lot'll get more info than what I shared here about all sorts of topics related to this commodity, like pH and oil cleansing. I too recommend reading this article from Project Vanity. You'll see a dissimilar opinion than mine at times, simply information technology's a good style to build on what you read hither and come to your own agreement.

Now go forth and banish the orange from your life!