Fiercely dedicated to clean beauty and wellbeing, makeup legend Jane Iredale tells us her beauty secrets and gives advice on how to radiate from the inside out.
Twenty-two years ago, Jane Iredale founded Iredale Mineral Cosmetics, one of the first-ever clean makeup lines. Since then she has continued to revolutionize the beauty industry by creating skincare products that nurture, not irritate, our skin. After debuting her Naturally Glam line and skincare supplements, I caught up with Jane to discuss the future of beauty, the importance of transparency, and how to properly feed our skin for a glowing complexion.
[This article is edited for length and clarity.]
Donna Sozio: How do you define beauty in the world and in yourself?
Jane Iredale: There’s beauty everywhere you look if you want to see it. For me, the key to finding beauty every day is to appreciate your life and life in general. I can look at a flower and be overwhelmed with a sense of appreciation for its beauty. I know it does my heart good and that must impact my health.
DS: What do you think is behind women’s fascination with makeup?
JI: Women frequently seek options to cover what they consider to be visually frustrating conditions like acne, rosacea, and hyperpigmentation. Regrettably, they often make choices that are not effective and potentially make the problem worse. The most important thing for us has always been that our makeup looks so good on the skin but it doesn’t look like makeup. It looks like your skin, only better.
DS: How important are skincare supplements and how do they promote beauty from the inside out?
JI: It’s now understood that you can effect just as much change in the skin, if not more, by feeding skin from the inside as well as the outside. This means eating well and supplementing your diet with food that the skin loves. It will reward you in many ways: clearer, smoother skin at any age; reduced breakouts, irritation and sensitivity; the skin will strengthen its protection from UV damage and it will glow with health. We can help this entire process with our complete range of nutritional beauty supplements that support skin health. The success of Skin Accumax has paved the way for us with our consumer and partner base. They see how dramatic change can be with a supplement that specifically targets skin health. Our research-backed, ethically sourced ingredients which contain a synergistic blend of vitamins and plant nutrients perform at the very core of your skin, where topical creams can’t reach, leaving skin clearer, brighter, smoother and more youthful looking.
DS: What trends in natural beauty are you most excited about today?
JI: Right now there’s a large movement in “beauty from the inside out.” It’s not a trend, per se, but it’s an all-important and innovative advancement for the beauty world. We’re also seeing a rising consumer demand for transparency and understanding of ingredients used in makeup and skincare. This is a good thing, and I believe the mineral makeup category has helped to affect this change. We’ve listed our ingredients on our website from the beginning because we are very proud of our ingredients and the way we formulate. That sort of transparency is now very necessary.
DS: What do you wish conventional beauty companies would learn from clean and green lines?
JI: Mineral makeup is a healthy, skin-friendly alternative to traditional makeup. Not only does it provide superior coverage, but it is also UV protective, non-comedogenic and calms redness. Minerals allow the skin to breathe and function normally – a boon to all skin types but especially for those who are sensitive or suffer from acne or rosacea.
Furthermore, if it’s a good mineral makeup, it’s devoid of ingredients that sensitize the skin and cause problems such as blocking pores. True mineral makeup should have protective qualities such as sun protection and antioxidants. It will appear light on the skin but also give excellent coverage. We do far more testing on our products than is required. All of our products are tested for comedogenicity, sensitivity, and phototoxicity. They are also dermatologist and clinically tested. You can trust them. But not all mineral makeup is created equal. It’s important to look at the ingredients and the claims that are made.
DS: What are your summertime go-to products for a healthy sun-kissed look?
JI: Making healthy food choices are essential to achieving a natural glow. So I consider organic products an absolute must – preferably vegetables just picked from my garden. I don’t sunbathe so any sun-kissed look I have come strictly from my PurePressed Base Mineral Foundation and some Peaches & Cream Bronzer. Smooth Affair For Eyes in Gold on top of my cheekbones helps as well. I also place in the middle of my eyelids. In the summer, I like to fill my lips with pencil and put a gloss on top. I almost always use Tantasia on my legs and arms. It’s highly moisturizing, smells great and is streak-free. I can deal with the pasty look in the winter, but it has to leave for the summer.
DS: To you, what does it mean to be fearless?
JI: I suppose it means not allowing fear to hold you back from something that you want to do. I think everyone feels fear. he question is whether you allow the fear to get the better of you. Perhaps “fearless” should be defined as the ability to go beyond the feelings of fear.
DS: Rather than a “flawless look” how can we use makeup to bring out our best?
JI: Makeup is about self-expression. Use it to do just that. You will be at your best if you project to the world an image of who you truly are. Of course, that also means getting comfortable with who you truly are. That’s beyond the ability of makeup.
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