{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2022}} {{Short description|Cosmetic product applied to the face}} thumb|Loose face powder in three different shades|alt=|280x280px'''Face powder''' is a cosmetic product applied to the face to serve different functions, typically to beautify the face. Originating from ancient Egypt,{{cn|date=August 2022}} face powder has had different social uses across cultures; in modern times, it is typically used to set makeup, brighten the skin and contour the face. Face powders generally come in two main types. One type is loose powder, which is used to assist with oily skin in absorbing excess moisture and mattifying the face to reduce shininess. The other is pressed powder, which conceals blemishes and maximises coverage.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last=Kirk-Othmer.|title=Kirk-Othmer Chemical Technology of Cosmetics.|date=2012|publisher=Wiley|isbn=978-1-118-51898-4|location=Hoboken|oclc=823726450}}</ref>
The use of face powder has contributed to beauty standards throughout history. In ancient Europe and Asia, a whitened face with a smooth complexion signalled a woman of high status.<ref name=":8">{{Cite book|last=Stewart|first=S.|title=Painted faces : a colourful history of cosmetics|publisher=Amberley Publishing|year=2016|isbn=978-1-4456-5399-0|location=Stroud, Gloucestershire|pages=66|oclc=1021835636}}</ref> The prevalence of this trend was carried throughout the Crusades and Medieval era. During this time, women used harmful ingredients as face powder including bleaches, lead and lye.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Where Did Face Powder Come From? {{!}} Makeup.com by L'Oréal|url=https://www.makeup.com/product-and-reviews/all-products-and-reviews/history-of-face-powder|last=Kilkeary|first=A.M.|website=makeup.com|language=en-US|access-date=2020-05-22}}</ref>
== Early history ==
=== Egypt === thumb|A stone cosmetics jar retrieved from ancient Egyptian remains|alt=|280x280px Archaeological remains and chemical analyses indicate the use of face powder dating back from between 2000 and 1200 BC, and include lead fibres, a common cosmetic ingredient used in ancient Egypt.<ref name=":7">{{Cite journal|last1=Walter|first1=P.|last2=Martinetto|first2=P.|last3=Tsoucaris|first3=G.|last4=Brniaux|first4=R.|last5=Lefebvre|first5=M. A.|last6=Richard|first6=G.|last7=Talabot|first7=J.|last8=Dooryhee|first8=E.|date=February 1999|title=Making make-up in Ancient Egypt|journal=Nature|volume=397|issue=6719|pages=483–484|doi=10.1038/17240|bibcode=1999Natur.397..483W|s2cid=4422845|issn=0028-0836}}</ref> Kohl jars used to store eyeliner as well as stone containers holding face powder were discovered in graves as this promised the ancient Egyptians eternal beauty in the afterlife.<ref name=":7" /> Men and women used an early form of rouge powdered blush for their cheeks which was made from red ochre.<ref name=":10" /> Greek queen Cleopatra heavily influenced the ancient Egyptian beauty standard with a distinctive make-up style, inspiring the ancient Egyptians to paint their eyes with green and blue powders.<ref name=":11" /> Face powder was also considered to have medicinal purposes to protect people from illness.<ref name=":7" />
=== Greece === Ancient Egyptian beauty trends travelled across the Mediterranean and influenced cosmetic practices in Greece. Using similar ingredients, ancient Greeks used cinnabar as a powdered rouge for the face as well as brightening their complexion with white lead.<ref name=":10" /> While the desire for a white complexion represented social ideas about race superiority, skin tone also enforced gender as in ancient times, women were paler than men, due to having less haemoglobin.<ref name=":10">{{Cite book|last=Eldridge|first=L.|title=Face Paint : the story of makeup|date=2015|publisher=Abrams Image|isbn=978-1-4197-1796-3|pages=43|oclc=943052433}}</ref> A sign of belonging to the upper class was white, unblemished skin free from sun-exposure, as it was the life of wealthy women that involved staying indoors. Traces of the skin-lightening face powder made from white lead have been uncovered from the graves of wealthy ancient Greek women.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Håland|first=E. J.|title=Rituals of death and dying in modern and ancient Greece : writing history from a female perspective.|publisher=Cambridge Scholars Publishing|year=2014|isbn=978-1-4438-6859-4|location=Newcastle upon Tyne|pages=502|oclc=892799127}}</ref> The city of Athens was nearby the Laurion mines, from which the Greeks extracted vast amounts of silver and obtained a great deal of their wealth through trade. White lead was found in the mines as a by-product of the silver,<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Jones|first=John Ellis|date=October 1982|title=The Laurion Silver Mines: A Review of Recent Researches and Results|journal=Greece and Rome|volume=29|issue=2|pages=169–183|doi=10.1017/s0017383500027522|s2cid=162576196 |issn=0017-3835}}</ref> from which ancient Greeks produced face powder. The use of face powder also appears in the work of ancient Greek writers. Writer and historian Xenophon writes of women who "rubbed in white lead to the face to appear whiter".<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Bradley|first1=Patrick J.|last2=Xenophon|last3=Pomeroy|first3=Sarah B.|author3-link=Sarah B. Pomeroy |date=1999|title=Xenophon: Oeconomicus: A Social and Historical Commentary|journal=The Classical World|volume=92|issue=5|pages=477|doi=10.2307/4352336|jstor=4352336|issn=0009-8418}}</ref> In his book ''Oeconominicus'', Ancient Greek poet Eubulus in his play ''Stephanopolides'' compares lower class and upper-class women, declaring that poor women "are not plastered over with white lead".<ref>{{Cite book|last=McClure, Laura.|title=Courtesans at Table : Gender and Greek Literary Culture in Athenaeus.|date=2014|publisher=Taylor and Francis|isbn=978-1-317-79415-8|oclc=871224539}}</ref> While it was known the white lead was poisonous, the ancient Greeks were not deterred from applying the face powder to fulfil their beauty standards.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Panas|first1=Marios|last2=Poulakou-Rebelakou|first2=Effie|last3=Kalfakis|first3=Nicoalos|last4=Vassilopoulos|first4=Dimitrios|date=September 2012|title=The Byzantine Empress Zoe Porphyrogenita and the quest for eternal youth: Empress Zoe's quest for eternal youth|journal=Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology|language=en|volume=11|issue=3|pages=245–248|doi=10.1111/j.1473-2165.2012.00629.x|pmid=22938012|s2cid=25156633|doi-access=free}}</ref>
=== Rome === The ancient Roman use of face powder was centred around the Roman ideal of femininity and beauty standards, expressing signs of social and health status.<ref name=":13" /> The pale complexion was desired by Roman women and is frequently expressed in the poetry of ancient Roman poet Ovid.<ref name=":8" /> Small glass jars and brushes from archaeological remains suggest the storage and use of face powder.<ref name=":14">{{Cite book|last=Corbishley|first=M|title=Illustrated encyclopedia of ancient Rome|date=2003|publisher=J. Paul Getty Museum|isbn=0-89236-705-9|location=Los Angeles, CA|pages=46|oclc=54950064}}</ref> Ancient Roman poets Juvenal and Martial mention a mistress named "Chione" in their works, which literally translates to "snowy" or "cold",<ref name=":13">{{Cite journal|last=OLSON|first=KELLY|date=2009|title=Cosmetics in Roman Antiquity: Substance, Remedy, Poison|journal=The Classical World|volume=102|issue=3|pages=291–310|jstor=40599851|issn=0009-8418}}</ref> referring to the desired fair complexion of ancient Roman women. Skin whitening as well as sun-blocking were practiced by applying face powder in the form of ''cerussa'', which was a mix of white lead shavings and vinegar.<ref name=":13" /> Roman women wished to conceal blemishes and freckles, as well as smoothing the skin using this powder. Chalk was also used to whiten the skin, as well as powdered ash and saffron on the eyes.<ref name=":14" />
=== China === Ancient Chinese women desired whitened skin for beauty as their use of face powder dates back to the Spring and Autumn period from 770 to 476 BC.<ref>{{Cite web|title=How cosmetics were created in ancient China – Chinadaily.com.cn|url=https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/201804/21/WS5ada295aa3105cdcf6519a30.html|last=刘瑜芬|date=21 April 2018|website=www.chinadaily.com.cn|access-date=2020-05-22}}</ref> An early form of face powder was prepared by grinding fine rice which was applied to the face.<ref name=":15">{{Cite book|last=Sherrow|first=V|title=For appearance' sake : the historical encyclopedia of good looks, beauty, and grooming|date=2001|publisher=Oryx Press|isbn=1-57356-204-1|location=Phoenix, Ariz.|pages=75|oclc=44461780}}</ref> In addition, pearls were crushed to create pearl powder that improved facial appearance and was also used as a medicine to treat eye diseases, acne and tuberculosis.{{cn|date=August 2022}} Chinese empress Wu Zetian used pearl powder to maintain radiant skin.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Schafer|first=Edward H.|date=1956|title=The Early History of Lead Pigments and Cosmetics in China|journal=T'oung Pao|volume=44|issue=1|pages=413–438|doi=10.1163/156853256x00135|issn=0082-5433}}</ref> Lead was also a common ingredient used for face powder and remained popular for its skin-whitening properties.<ref name=":15" />
== Renaissance through 19th century == thumb|Portrait of Queen Elizabeth I with whitened, powdered skin|alt=|322x322px At a time of prevalent disease, beauty in the Middle Ages was characterised by having clear, bright skin that signalled fertility and good health.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Polack|first=G|title=The Middle Ages unlocked : a guide to life in Medieval England, 1050–1300|publisher=Amberley Publishing Limited|others=Kania, Katrin,, Chadwick, Elizabeth, 1957–|year=2015|isbn=978-1-4456-4583-4|location=Stroud, Gloucestershire|oclc=918398645}}</ref> Lead-based powders were continually used throughout the 16th century by the noble class as Queen Elizabeth I was known to use face powder to conceal her smallpox scars.<ref name=":11">{{Cite web|title=Arsenic Pills and Lead Foundation: The History of Toxic Makeup|url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2016/09/ingredients-lipstick-makeup-cosmetics-science-history/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200229001745/https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2016/09/ingredients-lipstick-makeup-cosmetics-science-history/|url-status=dead|archive-date=29 February 2020|last=Little|first=B.|date=22 September 2016|website=National Geographic News|language=en|access-date=2020-05-22}}</ref> The leading cause of her death was blood poisoning, primarily due to her cosmetic practices of using makeup containing toxic materials, including the lead-based face powder.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Little-Known or Unknown Facts Regarding Queen Elizabeth I's Death|url=https://www.rmg.co.uk/discover/explore/little-known-or-unknown-facts-regarding-queen-elizabeth-is-death|date=1 March 2018|website=Royal Museums Greenwich|language=en|access-date=2020-05-22}}</ref> Works of art from the Renaissance reinforced the idealised image of beauty and influenced the use of face powder. The social uses of face powder to maintain whitened, unblemished skin is visible in Renaissance art pieces including ''The Birth of Venus'' by Sandro Botticelli.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Haughton|first=Neil|date=13 December 2004|title=Perceptions of beauty in Renaissance art|journal=Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology|language=en|volume=3|issue=4|pages=229–233|doi=10.1111/j.1473-2130.2004.00142.x|pmid=17166111|s2cid=16948165|issn=1473-2130}}</ref> Shakespeare's works comment on femininity and the culture of cosmetic use at the time, specifically with his references to silver, indicative of the desired glistening complexion achieved with the use of pearl face powder.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Karim-Cooper, Farah|title=Cosmetics in Shakespearean and Renaissance drama|date=2006|publisher=Edinburgh University Press|isbn=978-0-7486-2712-7|location=Edinburgh|oclc=173357186}}</ref>
With the outbreak of smallpox in 1760, fewer women used face powder due to how it aggravated the skin and revealed facial scarring.<ref name=":16">{{Cite book|last=Hernandez|first=Gabriela|title=Classic beauty: the history of make-up|year=2011|isbn=978-0-7643-3690-4|location=Atglen, PA|pages=146|oclc=730404983}}</ref> During the Victorian era, noticeable make-up became less popular as women desired to look naturally beautiful and hence, powders derived from zinc oxides were used to maintain ivory coloured skin.<ref name=":16" />
== Recent history ==
=== 20th century === During the Edwardian era, makeup for women was used to enhance natural beauty and many young women applied light face powder on a daily basis.{{cn|date=August 2022}} Influenced by traditional beauty standards, women preferred pale, whitened and powdered skin throughout the early 1900s. However, in the 1920s, Hollywood became the main inspiration for beauty in America and powdering the face shifted from an upper-class practice to that of the social-class as the powdered face look became associated with prostitutes and movie stars.<ref>{{Cite web|title=What the ideal face of makeup looked like over the last 100 years|url=https://www.insider.com/ideal-face-of-makeup-throughout-history-2019-4|last=Krause|first=A|date=26 April 2019|website=Insider|access-date=2020-05-25}}</ref> Due to growing popularity, the end of the decade saw a rise of cosmetic brands with over 1300 brands of face powder, which eventuated in a 52-million-dollar industry.{{cn|date=August 2022}} Early makeup developers including Elizabeth Arden and Helena Rubinstein produced skin care products and powders that attracted an international market.<ref name=":9">{{cite book | last1=Blanco| first1=José F.|last2=Doering | first2=Mary D. | last3=Hunt-Hurst | first3=Patricia | last4=Lee | first4=Heather Vaughan | title=Clothing and fashion: American fashion from head to toe | publication-place=Santa Barbara, California | date=2016 | isbn=978-1-61069-309-7 | oclc=904505699}}</ref> Cosmetics for women of colour during this time were also in production, with the first face powder for African-American women created by Anthony Overton in 1898, called the High-Brown Face Powder.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Roberts, Blain.|title=Pageants, parlors, and pretty women : race and beauty in the twentieth-century South|year=2014|isbn=978-1-4696-1557-8|location=Chapel Hill|pages=77|oclc=873805982}}</ref> Overton made multiple darker tones of face powder with product names including "nut-brown", "olive-tone", "brunette" and "soft-pink",<ref name=":6">{{Cite web|title=Before Fenty: Over 100 Years of Black Makeup Brands|url=https://www.racked.com/2018/1/23/16901594/black-makeup-brands-history|last=Nittle|first=Nadra|date=23 January 2018|website=Racked|language=en|access-date=2020-05-27}}</ref> and by 1920, his sales earned him a Dun and Bradstreet Credit rating of one million dollars.<ref>{{Cite journal|date=11 February 1960|title=Everett Overto, Head of Oldest Cosmetic Co., Dies|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LK8DAAAAMBAJ&q=%22Overton+Hygienic+Manufacturing+Co.%22&pg=PA19|journal=Jet|volume=17|pages=19|via=Google Books}}</ref> Other African-American entrepreneurs also marketed cosmetics despite discrimination during the Jim Crow era, including Annie Turnbo Malone who sold face powder in darker shades which developed into a multi-million dollar business.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Meet Annie Turnbo Malone, the hair care entrepreneur Trump shouted out in his Black History Month proclamation|url=https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2019/2/15/18226396/annie-turnbo-malone-hair-entrepreneur-trump-black-history|last=Nittle|first=Nadra|date=15 February 2019|website=Vox|language=en|access-date=2020-05-27}}</ref> Businesswoman Madam C. J. Walker retailed face powders for African American women in drugstores despite the controversy caused as skin bleaching for fairer skin was a popular beauty trend at the time.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Davis|first=L. C.|url=https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=4215&context=etd|title=African American women's use of cosmetics products in relation to their attitudes and self-identity|publisher=Iowa State University|year=2013|location=Ames, Iowa|pages=10}}</ref> Hungarian-American businessman Morton Neumann established his own cosmetic company in 1926, Valmor Products Co., and marketed darker-toned face powders for black women which retailed for 60 cents each.<ref name=":6" /> thumb|270x270px|Pale compact face powder with a powder puff applicator from the 1930s|alt= In the 1930s, face powder remained a staple cosmetic product and its increased demand raised health concerns about lead based powders that were still in use.<ref name=":9" /> As a result, the Food, Drugs and Cosmetics Act was passed in 1938 to regulate the ingredients used in cosmetics and ensure they were safe for use.<ref name=":9" /> Due to World War Two rationing in the 1940s, cosmetics were not as widely available, yet a powdered, beautified face remained the desired beauty trend.<ref name=":12">{{Cite book|last=McEuen|first=Melissa A.|title=Making war, making women : femininity and duty on the American home front, 1941–1945|date=2011|publisher=University of Georgia Press|isbn=978-0-8203-3758-6|location=Athens|pages=46|oclc=740435950}}</ref> In 1942, the American War Production Board sought to conserve materials by placing restrictions on the production of certain cosmetics.<ref name=":12" /> Face powder was found to be a heavily used product by women and remained in production during wartime as cosmetics were considered essential products for women's self-expression and autonomy.<ref name=":12" /> The interwar period in Germany in 1935 also saw that cosmetics were on demand, accounting for 48% of magazine advertising with face powder being a staple item.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Ramsbrock|first=Annelie|title=The Science of Beauty|date=2015|publisher=Palgrave Macmillan US|isbn=978-1-349-50428-2|location=New York|pages=117|language=en|doi=10.1057/9781137523150}}</ref> thumb|430x430px|An advertisement for Max Factor's 'Creme Puff' face powder from 1954|alt=Following the Second World War, rationing in America had ceased and the cosmetic industry flourished.<ref name=":18">{{Cite book|last=Mulvey|first=L|title=Fetishism and Curiosity : Cinema and the Mind's Eye.|date=2013|publisher=Palgrave Macmillan|isbn=978-1-137-45113-2|edition=2nd|location=Basingstoke|oclc=927490893}}</ref> With the popularity of female Hollywood stars including Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn, American television culture influenced the 1950s beauty trend of clear, beautified skin.<ref name=":18" /> Max Factor, the leading cosmetic brand at the time, introduced the Crème Puff, the first ever multipurpose face powder that offered an all-in-one base, setting and finishing powder.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Marsh|first=Madeleine|title=Compacts and cosmetics : beauty from Victorian times to the present day|year=2014|isbn=978-1-4738-2294-8|location=Barnsley|pages=157|oclc=894638928}}</ref> The 1970s that saw a widespread inclusion of diversity with new cosmetic brands offering face powder with darker shades.<ref name=":23" /> By 1977, cosmetics for black women became a $1.5 billion industry, with darker shades of powders, foundation and lipsticks available in stores around the US.<ref name=":23">{{Cite news|last=Hyde|first=Nina S.|author-link=Nina Hyde |date=9 July 1977|title=The Beautiful Billion-Dollar Business of Black Cosmetics|language=en-US|newspaper=Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1977/07/09/the-beautiful-billion-dollar-business-of-black-cosmetics/5a690143-de1a-4778-900a-ac093ebe4e34/|access-date=2020-05-25|issn=0190-8286}}</ref> By the 1990s, face powder became a staple cosmetic product for not only concealing blemishes but setting makeup in place.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Where Did Face Powder Come From? {{!}} Makeup.com by L'Oréal|url=https://www.makeup.com/product-and-reviews/all-products-and-reviews/history-of-face-powder|last=Kilkeary|first=A. M.|date=27 June 2018|website=makeup.com|language=en-US|access-date=2020-05-28}}</ref> The Australian Government's National Industrial Chemicals Notification and Assessment Scheme was established in 1990 to ensure that industrial chemicals used in face powders and other cosmetics are safe for citizens to use.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The chemistry of cosmetics|url=https://www.science.org.au/curious/people-medicine/chemistry-cosmetics|last=mischa|date=27 April 2015|website=Curious|language=en|access-date=2020-05-25}}</ref>
=== 21st century === The changing conceptions of masculinity during the 2000s led to evolving beauty trends that saw cosmetic products sold to men including facial scrubs, face powders and eye shadow.<ref name="Oyster Stange Sloan p. ">{{cite book | last=Oyster | first=Carol K. | last2=Stange | first2=Mary Zeiss | last3=Sloan | first3=Jane | title=The multimedia encyclopedia of women in today's world | publication-place=Thousand Oaks, Calif. | date=2011 | isbn=978-1-4129-9596-2 | oclc=698749519|pages=346}}</ref> The use of face makeup has expanded to include males who desire an enhanced look, using face powder to achieve a chiselled complexion.<ref>{{Citation|last1=Gough|first1=Brendan|title=Straight Guys Do Wear Make-Up: Contemporary Masculinities and Investment in Appearance|date=2014|work=Debating Modern Masculinities: Change, Continuity, Crisis?|pages=106–124|editor-last=Roberts|editor-first=Steven|publisher=Palgrave Macmillan UK|language=en|doi=10.1057/9781137394842_7|isbn=978-1-137-39484-2|last2=Hall|first2=Matthew|last3=Seymour-Smith|first3=Sarah|url=https://eprints.lancs.ac.uk/id/eprint/71685/2/Book_Chapter_Pre_submission_draft.pdf}}</ref> As cosmetics in contemporary society are diverse in shade range options, modern face powder enhances natural skin tones and most brands cater for all skin types. 21st century cosmetic trends are heavily influenced by beauty icons and the face powder application technique known as ‘baking’ has been popularised by socialite Kim Kardashian West.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Everything you need to know about face powders|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/fashion/face-powder-should-you-use-how-to-makeup-guide-translucent-loose-pressed-nars-mac-a7594526.html|last=Young|first=S|date=22 February 2017|website=The Independent|language=en|access-date=2020-05-25}}</ref> Baking involves patting translucent face powder under the eyes, the 'T' zone, beneath the cheek bones, along the jawline and on the sides of the nose, allowing it to sit for a few minutes while the foundation is absorbed by the skin's body heat, then brushing it off.<ref>{{Cite web|title=What Is "Baking" and Do You Need It in Your Life?|url=https://www.glamour.com/story/makeup-artist-mario-dedivanovi|last=Shapouri|first=B|date=10 July 2015|website=Glamour|language=en|access-date=2020-05-28}}</ref> This technique creates a pore-less and creaseless look that is a desired make-up beauty standard in modern times.
== Modern uses == Modern face powders are currently available in different types to serve multiple functions. The six main types of face powder include loose powder, pressed powder, mineral powder, translucent powder, HD powder and finishing powder.
=== Loose powder === Loose powder can be translucent or coloured and is generally packaged in a jar.<ref name=":19">{{Cite book|last=Trotter-James|first=B|title=Facial Accents: The Awakening of a New You|publisher=AuthorHouse|year=2008|isbn=9781434397652|location=Bloomington, Indiana|pages=23}}</ref> It has a fine consistency with small particles and is used to give light coverage to the skin for a smooth, silky texture.<ref name=":19" /> Coloured loose powders work to minimise redness by colour-correcting.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title=Everything you need to know about face powders|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/fashion/face-powder-should-you-use-how-to-makeup-guide-translucent-loose-pressed-nars-mac-a7594526.html|date=22 February 2017|website=The Independent|language=en|access-date=2020-04-19}}</ref> Loose powder is also used to set make-up, meaning it locks in the foundation and concealer underneath to smoothen out the complexion and limit cracks and lines in the skin.<ref name=":1" />
=== Pressed powder === Pressed powder is available in different shades and is sold in a compound container. It is compressed to provide a travel-friendly product for on-the-go touch-ups.<ref name=":20">{{Cite book|title=Milady standard cosmetology|date=2012|last=Frangie|first=Catherine M.|publisher=Cengage Learning, Milady Publishing Company|isbn=978-1-4390-5930-2|edition=2012|location=Clifton Park, NY|pages=760–761|oclc=756742067}}</ref> Pressed powders give coverage to the face, concealing blemishes and discolouration, therefore can be used as a light coverage foundation.<ref>{{Cite book|author1=dela Cruz, T.V.|author2=Vicente, G.C.|author3=Basbas, L.D.|title=Learning and Living in the 21st Century|publisher=Rex Book Store|year=2007|isbn=978-971-23-4791-7|location=Manila, Philippines|pages=137}}</ref> The particles in pressed powder are larger than those in loose powder and can give off a thick, clotted appearance when overused.<ref name=":1" /> Pressed powder can also be used for setting makeup.thumb|Loose mineral face powder|alt=|270x270px
=== Mineral powder === Mineral powder can contain ground and milled particles of iron, talc, zinc and titanium dioxides. Mineral powders are usually fragrance and preservative free.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|title=What's Up With Mineral Makeup?|url=https://www.webmd.com/beauty/features/whats-up-with-mineral-makeup|last=Ricapito|first=Maria|website=WebMD|language=en|access-date=2020-05-26}}</ref>
=== Translucent powder === Translucent powder is available in both pressed and loose forms. Its use is to mattify the skin to reduce oiliness and shine.<ref name=":20" /> It can be used for the 'baking' application technique, by brightening up certain areas of the face, offering a long-lasting wear.<ref name=":3">{{Cite journal|last=Mohiuddin|first=A. K.|date=2019|title=Modern Age Cosmetics: An Extensive Review|url=https://zenodo.org/record/3340961|journal=Research and Advances in Pharmacy and Life Sciences|volume=1|pages=47–92|via=MAT Journals}}</ref>
=== HD powder === High definition powder is mainly used for people featuring in high-definition film and video to prevent camera flashback, which is the white patches of powdered areas that are highlighted by a camera flash.{{cn|date=August 2022}} Available in both pressed and loose forms, HD powder can reduce skin shininess, soften out the skin and mattify it.{{cn|date=August 2022}} === Finishing powder === Finishing powder is mainly used to minimise fine lines and pores. It can even out the skin texture and blur out imperfections, used as a final product to complete makeup.<ref name=":3" /> It is available in both pressed and loose forms.
==Ingredients== Toxic and harmful chemicals are rare in face powders today.<ref name=":22">{{Cite book|last=Winter|first=R|title=A consumer's dictionary of cosmetic ingredients : complete information about the harmful and desirable ingredients found in cosmetics and cosmeceuticals|publisher=Three Rivers Press|year=2010|isbn=978-0-307-49459-7|edition=6th|location=New York|oclc=427404453}}</ref> Modern powders contain ingredients that can conceal blemishes and smoothen out the skin due to their absorbency.<ref name=":4">{{Cite news|last=Blumenthal|first=Deborah|date=28 October 1984|title=Beauty; a Dusting of Powder|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/10/28/magazine/beauty-a-dusting-of-powder.html|access-date=2020-05-26|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> The most common ingredients used to make face powder include the following. {| class="wikitable" |+ !Ingredient !Component !Other names |- |Silica<ref name=":5">{{Cite web|title=Face Powders {{!}} Cosmetics Info|url=https://cosmeticsinfo.org/products/face-powders|website=cosmeticsinfo.org|access-date=2020-05-26}}</ref> |Silica oxide<ref>{{Cite book|last=Iler, Ralph K.|title=The chemistry of silica : solubility, polymerization, colloid and surface properties, and biochemistry|date=1979|publisher=Wiley|isbn=0-471-02404-X|location=New York|oclc=4492856}}</ref> |Quartz, Silicic oxide, crystalline silica, pure silica, silicea, silica sand |- |Starch<ref name=":0" /> |Polymeric carbohydrate<ref>{{cite book | last=Brown | first=William Henry | last2=Poon | first2=Thomas | title=Introduction to organic chemistry| publisher=Wiley | publication-place=Hoboken, NJ | date=2005 | isbn=0-471-44451-0 | oclc=57452895 | page=}}</ref> |Amylum |- |Talc<ref name=":22" /> |Silicate mineral<ref>{{Cite web|title=Talc|url=https://mineralseducationcoalition.org/minerals-database/talc/|website=Minerals Education Coalition|language=en-US|access-date=2020-05-26}}</ref> |French chalk<ref name=":22" /> |- |Dimethicone<ref name=":5" /> |Polymer, silicone<ref>{{Cite book|last=Stringer, D. A.|title=Linear polydimethylsiloxanes : (viscosity 10-10,000 centistokes) : CAS No. 63148-62-9|date=1994|publisher=ECETOC|oclc=31528853}}</ref> |PDMS, dimethylpolysiloxane, E900 |- |Zirconium silicate<ref name=":0" /> |Zircon<ref>{{Cite book|last=Patnaik, Pradyot.|title=Handbook of inorganic chemicals|date=2003|publisher=McGraw-Hill|isbn=0-07-049439-8|location=New York|oclc=50252041}}</ref> |Zircon, zirconium orthosilicate |- |Zinc oxide<ref name=":4" /> |Zincite<ref>{{Citation|last1=Völz|first1=Hans G.|title=Pigments, Inorganic|date=15 December 2006|encyclopedia=Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry|pages=a20_243.pub2|editor-last=Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA|publisher=Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA|language=en|doi=10.1002/14356007.a20_243.pub2|isbn=978-3-527-30673-2|last2=Kischkewitz|first2=Jürgen|last3=Woditsch|first3=Peter|last4=Westerhaus|first4=Axel|last5=Griebler|first5=Wolf-Dieter|last6=De Liedekerke|first6=Marcel|last7=Buxbaum|first7=Gunter|last8=Printzen|first8=Helmut|last9=Mansmann|first9=Manfred}}</ref> |Zinc white, calamine, philosopher's wool, Chinese white, flowers of zinc |- |Titanium dioxide<ref name=":4" /> |Rutile and anatase<ref>{{Cite web|title=Titanium Statistics and Information|url=https://www.usgs.gov/centers/nmic/titanium-statistics-and-information|website=www.usgs.gov|access-date=2020-05-26}}</ref> |Titanium oxide, titania, rutile, anatase, brookite |- |Kaolin<ref name=":5" /> |Silicate, oxygen, alumina octahedra<ref>{{Cite book|last=Deer, W. A. (William Alexander)|title=An introduction to the rock-forming minerals|date=1992|publisher=Longman Scientific & Technical|others=Howie, R. A. (Robert Andrew), Zussman, J.|isbn=0-470-21809-6|edition=2nd|location=Harlow, Essex, England|oclc=24108276}}</ref> |Kaolinite |- |Magnesium Carbonate<ref name=":5" /> |Magnesium and carbonate salt<ref>{{Citation|last1=Seeger|first1=Margarete|title=Magnesium Compounds|date=15 October 2011|encyclopedia=Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry|pages=a15_595.pub2|editor-last=Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA|publisher=Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA|language=en|doi=10.1002/14356007.a15_595.pub2|isbn=978-3-527-30673-2|last2=Otto|first2=Walter|last3=Flick|first3=Wilhelm|last4=Bickelhaupt|first4=Friedrich|last5=Akkerman|first5=Otto S.}}</ref> |Magnesite |}
==See also== * Foundation *Rouge * Baking *Compact *Sunscreen *Concealer *Borak (cosmetic) *Thanaka
==References== {{Reflist}}{{Cosmetics}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Face Powder}} Category:Cosmetics Category:History of cosmetics Category:Skin care Category:Cosmetic industry Category:Powders