
Highlights
WHAT IS IT?
Healing powder for blemishes with 3 key ingredients
FEATURES
Rapid healing, matte finish, redness reduction, oil control, blemish concealment
BEST FOR
all skin types
CHECKS
Free of talc, paraben
Who Is It For?
All Ages With Acne-prone SkinWhat Does It Help With?
Popped Pimples Healing Oil Control Redness Reduction Blemish ConcealmentBudget
Affordable (under $30)How To Use
Which routine should it be used in?
Instructions:
Key Information
What Mario Badescu Says
Product Description:
Heal popped pimples faster with this super-powder that accelerates recovery, keeps skin matte, and reduces redness throughout the day
About the Brand:
Ingredients Overview
Ingredients List
Arrowroot Powder, Bismuth Subgallate, Kaolin, Zinc Oxide, Calcium Carbonate, Magnesium Carbonate, Zinc Stearate, Sulfur.
Key Ingredients
Kaolin, Sulfur, Zinc Oxide
Ingredients Details
Kaolin
Common Name(s): China clay,kaolinite,white cosmetic clay
CAS Number: 1332-58-7
DESCRIPTION
What It Does: Provides oil absorption and matting from the fine platelet clay structure.
Why It's Used: Most versatile cosmetic clay โ gentle enough for sensitive skin while providing effective oil absorption, matting, and mineral conditioning.
How It Works: 1:1 layered silicate clay platelets absorb oils via capillary action in inter-platelet spaces. very mild ph (6-7). white colour from al-o-si lattice. fine particle size (0.5-4ฮผm) provides gentle exfoliation and smooth texture. negative surface charge provides light skin conditioning.
Typically Found In: Masks,foundations,dry shampoo,mattifying products
TECHNICAL DETAILS
Primary Category: Functional ingredient โ white clay mineral
Secondary Functions: Skin conditioning
Application Areas:
Facial Skincare
Body Care
Hair Care
Beard Care
Color Cosmetics (Makeup)
Dietary/Oral Supplements
Typical Concentration Range: 0.1%โ50%
SOURCING & ETHICS
Vegan Status: Yes โ natural mineral
Halal Status: Yes
Source Notes: Commercially produced for cosmetic use. verify vegan/halal status with supplier.
SKIN COMPATIBILITY
Irritancy Rating: 1/5 โ very low
Comedogenicity Rating: 0/5 โ non-comedogenic
Sensitivity Concerns: Well-tolerated by most skin types.
Safe for Sensitive Skin: Yes
SAFETY & COMPATIBILITY
Safety Profile: Good safety profile at recommended concentrations. ewg score: 1โ2.
Works Well With: Standard skincare actives
Avoid Combining With: No known significant incompatibilities
SCIENTIFIC NOTE
Kaolin's oil absorption mechanism involves genuine capillary condensation of oils into the inter-platelet micropores between its layered silicate sheets. the surface area of cosmetic-grade kaolin (10-30 mยฒ/g) provides thousands of square meters of oil-adsorbing surface per gram โ explaining its exceptional mattifying efficacy despite its inert mineral composition.
Last Verified: Cosing database,cir safety assessment
Primary Sources: 2026-03-12
Sulfur
Common Name(s): Sulfur
DESCRIPTION
What It Does: Delivers targeted skin-conditioning or bioactive benefits through a specific mechanism of action suited to the formulation's intended purpose.
Why It's Used: Specialty actives address specific skin concerns through targeted molecular mechanisms, providing efficacy beyond what base formulation ingredients alone can achieve.
How It Works: The bioactive compound interacts with specific molecular targets in skin cells or the extracellular matrix โ enzymes, receptors, structural proteins, or signaling molecules โ triggering beneficial biological responses.
Typically Found In: Serums,treatments,moisturizers,specialty products
TECHNICAL DETAILS
Primary Category: Specialty actives
Secondary Functions: Skin-conditioning,anti-aging
Application Areas:
Facial Skincare
Body Care
Hair Care
Beard Care
Color Cosmetics (Makeup)
Dietary/Oral Supplements
Typical Concentration Range: 0.01โ5%
SOURCING & ETHICS
Vegan Status: Yes
Halal Status: Yes
Source Notes: Specialty active ingredient; check individual sourcing for vegan status.
SKIN COMPATIBILITY
Irritancy Rating: 1
Comedogenicity Rating: 0
Sensitivity Concerns: Low sensitization potential at recommended use concentrations.
Safe for Sensitive Skin: Yes
SAFETY & COMPATIBILITY
Safety Profile: Well-characterized cosmetic ingredient with established safety profile. generally non-irritating at typical use concentrations. suitable for leave-on and rinse-off cosmetics.
Works Well With: Niacinamide,hyaluronic acid,vitamin c,peptides
Avoid Combining With: Incompatible with oxidizing agents; check ph stability
SCIENTIFIC NOTE
Specialty actives typically work through enzyme inhibition (e.g., tyrosinase inhibition for brightening, mmp inhibition for anti-aging), receptor activation (e.g., retinoid receptors, ppar-ฮณ for barrier genes), or transcription factor modulation (e.g., nrf2 for antioxidant gene upregulation). structure-activity relationships determine potency and selectivity.
Last Verified: Cosing eu database; pcpc cosmetic ingredient safety reviews; ingredient-specific safety and efficacy literature
Primary Sources: 2025-01-15
Zinc Oxide
Common Name(s): Zinc white,chinese white,calamine component
CAS Number: 1314-13-2
DESCRIPTION
What It Does: Physically reflects and scatters uv radiation while providing antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and wound healing benefits.
Why It's Used: Multi-action mineral uv filter that simultaneously provides sun protection and skin-therapeutic benefits โ the cornerstone of physical sunscreen formulations.
How It Works: Wide bandgap semiconductor physically reflects and scatters uv radiation (uva 320โ400nm and uvb 280โ320nm). dissolves to znยฒโบ providing antimicrobial activity, inhibiting bacterial and fungal growth. anti-inflammatory via inhibition of 5-lipoxygenase and il-8 production.
Typically Found In: Sunscreens,baby products,diaper creams,wound care,anti-acne formulations
TECHNICAL DETAILS
Primary Category: Active ingredient โ mineral uv filter / antimicrobial
Secondary Functions: Broad-spectrum uv filter,anti-acne,diaper rash treatment
Application Areas:
Facial Skincare
Body Care
Hair Care
Beard Care
Color Cosmetics (Makeup)
Dietary/Oral Supplements
Typical Concentration Range: 1%โ25% (spf products: 10โ25%; eu max 25%)
SOURCING & ETHICS
Vegan Status: Yes โ mineral/inorganic
Halal Status: Yes
Source Notes: Produced from zinc metal oxidation or chemical synthesis. nano zinc oxide (<100nm) improves aesthetics.
SKIN COMPATIBILITY
Irritancy Rating: 1/5 โ very low
Comedogenicity Rating: 0/5 โ non-comedogenic
Sensitivity Concerns: Non-irritating; recommended for sensitive, baby, and rosacea-prone skin.
Safe for Sensitive Skin: Yes at recommended concentrations
SAFETY & COMPATIBILITY
Safety Profile: Excellent safety profile. fda category i generally recognized as safe and effective (grase) for sunscreen. eu cosmetics regulation: max 25%. ewg sunscreen score: 1.
Works Well With: Niacinamide,salicylic acid,other actives
Avoid Combining With: No significant incompatibilities at standard concentrations
SCIENTIFIC NOTE
Zinc oxide's broad-spectrum uv coverage extends into the uva1 region (360โ400nm) more effectively than titanium dioxide, making it preferred for photoaging protection. nano zinc oxide (<100nm) achieves transparency on skin while maintaining uv protection efficiency.
Last Verified: Cosing database,fda sunscreen grase ruling,ewg sunscreen database,eu cosmetics regulation
Primary Sources: 2026-03-12