What Are Iron Oxides & Why Are They Used in Skincare?
Iron oxides are not only great for safe sun protection, but they also offer numerous skincare benefits. Most notably, they provide pigmented coverage while protecting the skin from harmful environmental stressors.
Incorporating this multifaceted ingredient into your routine can level up your beauty game, give you complexion protection, and enhance your overall skin care experience. Learn more about iron oxide's skin benefits and how to incorporate it into your regimen.
- What Are Iron Oxides?
- How Are Iron Oxides Used in Skincare?
- 6 Iron Oxide Skin Benefits
- Using Iron Oxide in Sunscreen to Protect Your Skin
- What Are Some of the Best Sunscreens with Iron Oxides?
What Are Iron Oxides?
You guessed it: iron oxides are compounds made of iron and oxygen. There are many varieties of iron oxides, with the most well-known being rust - but don't worry, your bronzing drops don’t contain rust. In nature, iron oxide compounds are formed by natural geological processes, but iron oxides in skincare are typically synthetic.
They are free of impurities typically found in the iron oxides formed in nature. These carefully crafted synthetic versions ensure consistent quality and safety for skincare products.
How Are Iron Oxides Used in Skincare?
Iron oxides are mainly used in skincare and cosmetic products for their pigments, as they provide a wide range of colors, including yellow, red, brown, and black. They are often essential in formulas for:
- Foundations
- Concealers
- Tinted moisturizers
In these products, iron oxides help create skin-matching shades while offering long-lasting coverage for skin imperfections. Iron oxides are also effective at blocking HEV (or blue) light and enhance overall sun protection when combined with other sun-blocking ingredients.
6 Iron Oxide Skin Benefits
Here are just a few of the reasons you might want to use skincare with iron oxides in it:
Enhanced sun protection
Iron oxides are complementary to ingredients like zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, and when used in combination, they strengthen each other and provide enhanced protection against sunburn.
Iron oxide can fill in the gaps where other sunscreen ingredients might be less effective, especially in the visible light spectrum.
Protection against visible light and blue (HEV) light
In a screen-heavy world, we can rejoice that we have ingredients like iron oxide because they help protect skin from high-energy visible (HEV) light, also known as blue light, which is emitted by laptops, tablets, etc.
This blue (HEV) light can contribute to skin damage and aging, but iron oxides are able to absorb, scatter, and reflect visible light, providing additional photoprotection beyond just UV filters.
Tinting & pigment
Iron oxide's widespread presence in skincare products is often due to the pigments they provide. You'll find iron oxide for skin used in all kinds of foundations, concealers, and tinted sunscreens.
They're especially helpful for reducing the white cast often left by mineral sunscreens. The range of colors available from iron oxides allows for a wide variety of skin-matching shades, making them invaluable in the cosmetics industry.
Prevention of hyperpigmentation
Iron oxides can reduce transmission of visible light by 90% and can protect patients from hyperpigmentation–especially in individuals with darker skin tones–when blended with mineral sunscreens.
They’re also great for treating and preventing melasma and other hyperpigmentation. This makes iron oxide-containing products particularly valuable for those with a history of or susceptibility to pigmentation issues.
Non-comedogenic
Iron oxides are non-comedogenic, meaning they won't clog pores or cause breakouts, which makes them suitable for acne-prone skin. This property is crucial for those who need sun protection but are wary of using products that might exacerbate skin congestion or acne.
Sensitive skin friendly
Iron oxides are generally well-tolerated by most skin types and considered safe for use in cosmetics and skincare products. Their gentle nature makes them an excellent choice for those with sensitive or reactive skin who might struggle with other sun protection ingredients.
Note that if you have sensitive skin or have never used a product including iron oxide before, you may want to patch test it before applying it all over.
Using Iron Oxide in Sunscreen to Protect Your Skin
Iron oxide is leveling up your sunscreen with qualities that can help your skin look its best in the present and years down the road. Above and beyond the benefits discussed above, we know it’s great for reducing the white cast that mineral sunscreens can leave on your skin and adding a nice pigment for cosmetic purposes. If you’re guilty of not wearing sunscreen because you don’t want to risk the ghostly mineral white cast, it’s time to give a sunscreen with iron oxide a try.
By choosing a sunscreen with iron oxides, you’re not just protecting yourself from UV rays; you’re getting all-around defense against different types of light damage while helping to keep your skin happy and healthy.
What Are Some of the Best Sunscreens with Iron Oxides?
Since we all know we should wear sunscreen daily, why not choose a sunscreen that gives us the most benefits possible? Since iron oxides not only enhance protection but also make sunscreens look better on your skin, choosing a sunscreen that includes them seems like an easy choice.
Whether you want a matte finish or a dewy glow, we can help find the right sunscreen for you. Here are some of our top recommendations from our selection of mineral sunscreens.
Sunforgettable® Total Protection® Face Shield Classic SPF 50
This broad-spectrum SPF 50 mineral sunscreen protects against UVA/UVB rays, pollution, blue (HEV light), and infrared radiation. Sunforgettable® Total Protection® Face Shield Classic SPF 50 provides lightweight, invisible coverage thanks to its hydrating, antioxidant-rich formula.
With a universal shade, this sunscreen works on all skin types and tones.
Sunforgettable® Total Protection® Face Shield Flex SPF 50
Sunforgettable® Total Protection® Face Shield Flex SPF 50 features flexible tinted coverage that adapts to different skin tones, and provides a hydrating formula enriched with hyaluronic acid.
This sunscreen offers broad-spectrum, SPF 50 protection while defending against environmental stressors like environmental pollution and blue (HEV) light. Sunforgettable® Total Protection® Face Shield Flex SPF 50 is available in multiple shades to cater to different skin tones.
Sunforgettable® Total Protection® Brush-On Shield SPF 50
Sunforgettable® Total Protection® Brush-On Shield SPF 50 is designed for easy reapplication throughout the day, thanks to its built-in brush. It provides broad-spectrum, SPF 50 protection and is water-resistant for up to 80 minutes, making it ideal for sports and other outdoor activities.
This sunscreen is available in various shades to suit different complexions. For those who prefer a sheer option, try Sunforgettable® Total Protection® Sheer Matte SPF 30 Sunscreen Brush.
Natural Finish Mineral Foundation SPF 20
The Natural Finish Mineral Foundation SPF 20 is an excellent foundation for enhanced sun protection. This is a powder foundation that offers buildable coverage with a lightweight, natural-looking finish and contains SPF 20 for added sun defense.
This mineral foundation is available in multiple shades and can be used alone or layered over sunscreen.
Dye-Free, Lengthening Mascara with Iron Oxides
Keep your lashes healthy with Total Lash™ Mascara, an all-in-one eyelash serum + conditioner + mascara. Total Lash™ Mascara has been clinically proven to increase lash length, nourish, and strengthen.
In addition to peptides and botanical extracts, this lengthening mascara also includes iron oxides. The iron oxide mineral pigments achieve a rich black mascara that provides immediate long-wear color and defined lashes that stand out. Since this mascara features dye-free color, it’s ideal for sensitive eyes.
An Essential Ingredient in Your Skincare
Are you ready to add a daily sunscreen with iron oxides into your routine? It’s great at absorbing and blocking visible light, which is helpful for individuals with darker skin tones since it can help prevent hyperpigmentation and other skin damage. When you pair iron oxide with mineral sunscreen ingredients like zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, you get even better protection, including blue (HEV) light.
Plus, having iron oxide in your sunscreen doesn’t just mean broad-spectrum protection against UVA and UVB rays; it also helps shield your skin from environmental stressors like pollution and infrared radiation. This all-in-one approach to sun protection is really important these days, especially since we’re constantly exposed to different light sources all the time.
To experience these protective benefits for yourself, try our mineral sunscreens that include iron oxides, like the Total Protection® Face Shield Collection. These innovative formulas provide excellent skin protection while looking great on a variety of skin tones and types.