The Usual Unusual Ingredients - Gemstones

Let’s face it. We are constantly surrounded by beauty products containing nourishing plant extracts and seed oils. We don’t blink when we see names like aloe vera, olive oil or wild roses. Resources from the sea and the soil such as sea salt and kaolin are nothing new. Neither are beeswax and royal jelly. Since time immemorial, natural resources have been used for healing and for beauty.

But wait. I spy something sparkly in the list of ingredients. Nestled somewhere between dimethicone and methylparaben are the words sapphire powder. Huh? Bling bling in my makeup??! That sounds really cool but I do wonder if this is all nothing but hollow marketing hype.

Well, the idea is hardly new though. Gemstones were already used by the ancient Egyptians not just for jewellery but also to make cosmetics. One of the gemstones used by them was malachite, a green ore of copper. Malachite is a mineral gemstone which is also called peacock stone because of the swirling concentric rings that look like the peacock eye. Grounded finely, it was used as green eyeshadow, known to the Egyptians as Udju. Lapis lazuli was also used for the same purpose by the wealthy upper-class.

As a slight digression from gemstones, I should add that the Egyptians also used galena, a dark grey ore of lead. Galena is actually an ore mineral and not a gemstone. It was grounded into a powder and was also used by the Egyptians as eye paint or kohl. This was given the name Mesdemet.

Back then with the eyes drawn almond-shaped and beguiling, it really wasn’t just because of pure vanity that they wore eye makeup. It was also out of spiritual belief and necessity. The Egyptians believed that by drawing a dark line around the eyes, they would be protected from the Evil Eye. Also, malachite was associated with Hathor (image left) who was a goddess of many things, one of which was Goddess of Love, Music and Beauty. She was also known as Lady of Malachite because malachite was mined in Sinai, which was Hathor’s spiritual domain. So, it was believed that anyone who applied powdered malachite would be placed under the protection of Hathor. On the practical side, galena was useful as a disinfectant and was good for deterring disease-carrying flies. The dark colour applied under the eyes also served as protection from the merciless Egyptian sun by absorbing sunlight and minimising reflection.

Fast forward a few millennia and beauty companies are now what I would call being forward-thinking-by-looking-backwards in offering consumers beauty products containing gemstones of all sorts. Take for example, Rituals Cosmetics. I mentioned before that it has an entire range of gemstone makeup, christened Pure Beauty. Under this concept, every Rituals makeup product (makeup brushes excluded, of course) contains elements of a gemstone. The face products contain amethyst, the eye makeup products have sapphire and the lip and nail products contain ruby. Physicians Formula has an exclusive blend of pink, orange and white sapphire, green tourmaline and citrine in its Mineral Wear 100% Mineral FaceBrightener. Aveda has a range of eye and facial creams containing tourmaline, this collection being aptly called Tourmaline Charged. Borghese’s nail lacquers contain what it calls micronised gemstones which include amethyst, citrine, tourmaline, rubiosa and aquamarine. I’ve also recently discovered a Dutch nail polish brand that includes topaz in its formula!

And then, there is the girl’s best friend. Sally Hansen has Diamond 12-hour Lip Treatment which literally contains microfine diamonds. Why, just last week, I purchased a nail product from the same brand, with a very mouthful name of Diamond Strength – Diamond Shine Base & Top Coat. I had to see the ‘D’ word for myself and so promptly scrutinised the ingredients list. There it was, the second last item on the list: Diamond Powder!! The image below is a snapshot of the ingredients list. Heck, even Madonna’s makeup artist used a combination of crushed diamonds and white Shu Uemura eyeshadow to give the star’s eyes extra sparkle during her Sticky and Sweet Tour. Oh, you can also take a shower with Nivea’s Diamond Touch Creme Oil Shower and wash your hair with Nivea’s Diamond Gloss Shampoo, both of which contain diamond powder (I kid you not!). I’m gobsmacked. I can actually buy a shower cream containing diamond powder for the same price as one that contains shea oil. Go figure!

So, what’s the deal? Why gemstones? Well, I suppose it depends on which gemstone you’re talking about. Sometimes, it is for their light-reflecting properties to give intense shine and radiance. The use of diamonds is a case in point, although I can’t help but wonder why one would shower with a product with diamond powder – it all gets washed down the drain pipes anyway! But according to Nivea, the fine diamond particles in its shampoo enable the hair to reflect light, thus leaving it looking glossy.

Tourmaline is often used because of its unique ionic properties. It has been scientifically proven that it can become electrically charged when heated, having positive charge on one end and negative charge on the other, and is therefore useful in hair styling tools like straighteners and hairdryers. The negative ions generated by tourmaline hairstyling tools help to remove static which causes hair to frizz and it also helps to close the layers of hair follicles, allowing the hair to look smooth and shiny. In cosmetics, tourmaline is used for its revitalising properties as it is said to be able to boost the skin’s energy and radiance.

With the other gemstones, well.....I think this is where the mysticism of gemstones comes into play. Ruby, for example, symbolises life and warmth and is therefore good for stimulating blood flow and detoxifying the body. Amethyst is good for the mind. It brings clarity of mind, calmness and soberness. Sapphire symbolises loyalty and fidelity. It is said to strengthen intuition. Topaz helps to heal wounds and can dispel anger and sadness. Etc, etc, etc.

It’s intriguing. I struggle with whether I should be a believer or a skeptic in the mystical powers of gemstones. But more importantly, how far would you believe the companies who claim to have gemstones in their products? I guess for me, it’s not a matter of “Does the product really contain gemstone?” but more a matter of “How much?”

How much gemstone does the product really have? I’ve been checking out the ingredients list of many of these products. Sometimes, the gemstone element is shown somewhere at the bottom of the list, before the preservatives and/or colour additives. With some other products, they could be item no. 7 in a list of about 40 ingredients. As convention goes, the ingredients are listed in descending order of predominance/concentration (with some exceptions). So, I suppose, in many cases, the gemstone element, while present, could be minimal. Another question: How much of a gemstone must there be in a product to bring forth its mystical benefits? Hmmm, who’s to know?

So, do these products contain only a token quantity of gemstone elements, just sufficient to qualify to be on the ingredients list? And if they are on the ingredients list, the name of the gemstone can then be flaunted on the front of the packaging. That would always help with publicity. I came across an eye-opening article the other day, entitled Are There Actually Gemstones in This Makeup?. Have a read if you have the time. Note: I’m not affiliated in any way to the writer of the article and the website.

I can’t pass judgement on the claims made by the beauty companies. I can only ask questions as I am no expert. I wouldn’t know if what I read is the truth or the twisted truth, so I would sum up my thoughts this way: I want to believe BUT I do not want to be fooled. These days, I try to take what I read with a pinch of salt. In my future reviews of beauty products containing mineral gemstones, I will review the products from the point of view of a layman. I will mention if it contains gemstones but that would be as far as it goes.

You would understand why, wouldn’t you?

The Usual Unusual Ingredients - An Introduction

Diamonds for dazzling lips, sapphire for a glowing face, pearls for smooth youthful skin and silk for shiny hair.

It used to escape my attention when I saw beauty products with phrases like diamond gloss, silky glow and pearl shine in the names. Firstly, this was for me the pre-beauty awakening era, an era of disinterest and ignorance. I would see the products on TV or in stores and then, I would move on without batting an eyelid. Secondly, I had thought that these were just concocted names to entice customers. If a nail polish brand promises to give you nails as shiny as diamonds, I thought it was just a figure of speech. Little did I know that it’s to be taken literally for many products these days!

Pardon my naivety, but I would much sooner associate diamonds, ruby, pearls and silk with jewellery and clothing or something that is used to slice through glass or to make parachutes. So, the idea of a run-of-the-mill face cream or a shampoo containing such ingredients which connote luxury and opulence seemed lost and rather far-fetched to me.....until quite recently when I started delving into this subject.

My curiosity was aroused when I discovered Rituals Cosmetics’ range of gemstone & mineral cosmetics called Pure Beauty (see image above). If you’ve been following my blog, you would know that I’ve become very interested in this brand and have made several purchases of its products. I have written a couple of reviews on its body care products and was going to post reviews on some of its makeup items. I’ve however decided to delay that so that I can first write about what I’ve learnt of this realm of gemstone makeup. Anyway, one thing led to another and I’ve ended up also finding out about other rather unusual ingredients that are infused into our cosmetics today.

All right, perhaps the word ‘unusual’ may seem exaggerated to some of you seasoned beauty afficionados but errr, please keep in mind that the tag line of my blog is My Beauty Awakening. It's a long road and little Miss Ignorant here is still learning something new everyday.

Lately, I’ve been paying more attention to what’s written on the product packaging, in particular, the list of ingredients (which I wish were in larger print as I’m rather sight-challenged!). Never mind the talc or propylene carbonate or the parabens. I’m talking about ingredients like sapphire, tourmaline and silk. It’s becoming more common now to see such items listed as ingredients of beauty products. Take a look at the beauty products that you have in your cupboard. You just might spot the word ‘diamond’ somewhere. I know I was stumped the first time I saw that word on the ingredients list of a shampoo in a drugstore. I had to blink and read it three times to be sure!

I confess that I’m overcome with fascination but hopefully I won’t be gripped with delusion. So it would be great if you could join me further in exploring the curious world of The Usual Unusual Ingredients. Posts coming up soon!

Rituals - More Acquisitions

I am slowly but surely encroaching into the realm called makeup addiction (cue: Twilight Zone theme music). I feel torn. On one hand I feel guilty, but on the other hand, I feel like a gleeful little girl with brand new toys. Lately, buying new makeup and even new lotions (!!!) has been giving me a high of the same magnitude as buying new shoes, new accessories and new clothes, all three already my long-time addictions. Hah, funny.

I was out window shopping (that’s always the original intention, isn’t it?) last weekend and I couldn’t resist walking into another Rituals store. It was a smaller outlet than the previous one I visited but it was doing brisk business. The sale was still on. I headed determinedly towards the makeup section like a missile homing in on a locked target. Even my husband had to dodge this missile with a mission!

So, yes, just a few more Rituals products to try out. I got more Pure Beauty gemstone makeup:

L: Lip Jewel No. 7164 (fuschia)
R: Lip Jewel No. 7104 (light coral brown)
Bottom: Open Up eyeliner No. 7057 (khaki green)

While waiting to pay, my eyes rested on two body care products that were strategically placed near the counter, not unlike confectionery enticing impulse purchasers at supermarket checkout counters. Of course, the weakling succumbed to the temptation:

L: Hand Therapy – scrubs & nourishes & softens (with ginseng & ginkgo biloba)
R: Eve’s Kiss – silkening lip treatment SPF 8 (with apple & karité a.k.a. shea butter)

I’m still trying out the products bought previously. Collective reviews for its makeup and body care products will be coming up in due course.

I leave you with a line borrowed from the Rituals website, on a page about making makeup application more of a conscientious ritual than just a hurried routine:

“…And if you apply your makeup in the spirit of awareness and with positive intentions, you don’t just look beautiful, you radiate beauty!”

That got me wondering. If all makeup addicts could see makeup in this light, perhaps, just perhaps, they could then expunge any guilt that they harbour about their addiction! Mwahaha!!! Agreed?

Rituals

The brand, that is.

Rituals is the brainchild of Raymond Cloosterman, a former bigwig in Unilever. Founded in 1998, it is a Dutch brand offering a wide range of luxurious products for the home and for personal care. Quality and luxury without the high price tag, I would say. The premise of this brand is to transform everyday routines into little self-pampering rituals. It has looked mostly to the East to learn about ancient traditional rituals such as bathing, washing, massage, grooming and tea drinking, and it then developed products revolving around these rituals.

As a result, Rituals products contain all sorts of natural ingredients, some exotic, such as ginseng, rice milk, China clay, sweet almond oil, Himalayan crystal salt and lotus flower, just to name a few. It doesn’t claim that its products are made from 100% natural ingredients though. On its website, it states that it strives to use natural, renewable and preferably organic ingredients and where nature can’t provide, they use safe synthetic alternatives developed through state-of-the-art technology and research. There is also a big emphasis on fragrance in Rituals and the company has worked with world reknowned perfumers to develop the perfect mix of fragrances for its products.

The reason I’m writing about Rituals today is because I was out shopping earlier this week and decided on a whim to visit the Rituals shop. I had only ever been in a Rituals shop once before a few years ago, but it was only for a casual browse. This time, I thought I would take a closer look at the brand and its products. Rituals reminds me a little bit of The Body Shop, only sleeker and having a more extensive concept and philosophy. I’m a sucker for interesting marketing concepts and I believe Rituals has a great unique selling proposition. Impressed, that’s what I am.

I found the interior of the shop very inviting. With the simple, dark furnishings and the back-lighting, there was a calming, warm and cosy atmosphere in the shop. I was quite overwhelmed at first seeing the wide range of products and even the men are not forgotten. There were hand creams, body lotions, shower gels, body scrubs, shampoos and conditioners, hair masks, shaving creams, deodorants, massage oils, lip balms and even bathrobes and wardrobe refreshers, all presented in very sleek and simple packaging. Rituals also has a facial care range and of course, makeup!

It was really the makeup that piqued my interest. In a brochure that I picked up from the shop, Rituals claims to be the first brand in the world to offer cosmetics that incorporates gemstones in its formula. The Pure Beauty cosmetics contain gemstones: sapphire for eye makeup products, ruby for its lip products and nailpolishes, amethyst in its foundations and powders and tourmaline in its foundations. It is said that these gemstones radiate energy and each has a unique effect on the skin such as promoting dermal circulation and improving skin elasticity. I had a look at the list of ingredients for the eyeshadows and indeed, sapphire powder was on the list!

Without any further ado, let me share with you my acquisitions. Call it a haul if you like, but here they are:

Makeup
Eyeshadows
L: Pure Color No. 7157 (turquoise)
R: Pure Color No. 7158 (medium pink)

Lipsticks
L: Lip Jewel No. 7163 (light pink/purple)
R: Ruby Lips No. 7174 Sheer (orange/brown)

Eyeliner
Star Secret No. 7217 scuba (deep turquoise)


Body care
L-R:
Mandarin Shake – energising shower gel (with sweet mandarin & fresh mint)
Massage From Heaven – hydrating & nourishing bodymilk for dry skin (with ginkgo biloba & frangipani)
Gingko’s Secret – extra rich & repairing hand balm (with ginseng & ginkgo biloba)

Your Mini Hammam giftbox comprising:
Hammam Body Mud – nourishing shower mud (with purifying China clay & fresh eucalyptus)
Hammam Olive Secret – ultra nourishing shower paste (with fresh eucalyptus & pure olive)
A Scrub glove
Touch of Hammam – whipped body cream, ultra rich (with fresh fig & rice milk)

I thought the prices were quite reasonable. The products that I bought were in the €6 to €20 retail price range. There was a sale going on, so I did end up paying less for some of the products.

I have been testing out some of the items and I hope to do a review on them in a few weeks.

In the meantime, do have a look at the Rituals website if you're curious to learn more. Besides the Netherlands, Rituals also has a retail presence in the UK, Belgium, Germany, Spain, Portugal and several other European countries. Mr Cloosterman has ambitious plans for Rituals, so I think it would only be a matter of time before Rituals reaches US shores, if not already!

Well, please excuse me, I’m off now to enjoy an energising shower with the Mandarin Shake!

Note: For the benefit of readers in the UK, besides having several stores in England and N. Ireland, Rituals UK also has an online store that you can check out here.