Alima Pure

As part of my effort to learn more about the natural cosmetics industry and the products we carry on Natureofbeauty.com, I am conducting a series of interviews with the brands' founders. I have found these talks incredibly enlightening and want to share all I have learned with you as well! Below is an interview I conducted with the Kate O'Brien of Alima Pure mineral cosmetics.

 

 

K: When my daughter got to the age where she was starting to wear makeup, there was not much available that wasn’t pure. Or it was “natural food store� quality. We wanted to create something you would find in a department store.

 

 

K: I was always conscious about food, reading labels, careful about what I ate. When it was time to think about cosmetics, I started reading labels, and realized even brands that were trying to be natural had ingredients that were better off avoided.

 

 

K: We began creating the foundation a little over a year ago. It wasn’t attached to any particular outcome, it was just fun to see what would happen. Our popularity was mostly from word of mouth, with no hard sell involved. We wanted to create something that would sell itself.

 

 

K: Every batch is tested for safety. The FDA is famous for not regulating cosmetic chemicals, but they are fussy about pigments, and minerals are pigments. They keep a close eye on mineral pigments, so we have documentation for everything sent to us. There is a lot of processing of the minerals. They are all processed in countries with good environmental records. We are also certified by the BDIH. We wanted to show that we were working hard to keep our products natural and safe, even though it meant getting a higher-grade iron oxide than what we needed for approval in the U.S.

 

 

K: They have this wrong, as there really aren’t concerns about contamination due to regulation. My biggest frustration with Skin Deep is how they list Titanium Dioxide. There is some concern that nanoparticles can cause problems, because they are so small. But nano-sized Titanium Dioxide was created to go into sunscreens, and there was some concern that they were so small they could penetrate skin barrier. But as the research comes out, that is turning out not to be the case. Another concern is that they can go into the lungs which aren’t able to expel the minerals – the jury is still out on that, but it’s looking like that’s more of a concern for people working in the factories. In any case, any mineral makeup that is using Titanium Dioxide is using it for its opacity, so there is no reason to use nanoparticles as that would defeat the purpose.

 

 

K: Generally with mineral makeup, unlike with talc powders, you work it into your brush so you’re not sending it in big clouds. Using flocked sponge reduces it even more. If you search Pub Med, many, many studies have been done on the inhalation of Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide, and there is just no evidence that it’s problematic. Of course, it’s always good to be thoughtful when you’re around particles of any kind and not send big clouds flying. With mineral foundation, you use small amounts, so it’s not like fluffing it on with fluffy brush.

 

 

K: Our boxes are 100% recyclable and made from post-consumer paper. We have a recycling program for people who send jars back to Alima. Plus, the jars are recyclable. We just became a B-corporation – a certified sustainable business. We had to go through quite an extensive evaluation of our business practices.

 

 

K: We have fewer layers. We manufacture our own products, so we don’t have to pass through a formulator.

 

 

K: Lips are next on our list, and we’re evaluating lip products that would be made in Portland. We’ve not found anything we’re totally thrilled with. We love what we’re making now, but they’re pretty time consuming so we can’t distribute.