Do you often realise that a pretty pink blush turns orange on you after applying on your skin? This could be due to the oxidation of the iron oxides used in mineral blushes. Oxidation happens when the natural oils from our skin get in contact with the iron oxides used in the cosmetic product and turns a shade darker.

So why does it happen more often for mineral blushes?

Many traditional cosmetic blushes uses synthetic lake dyes (commonly known as FD&C colours), or carmine for the pretty dolly pink blush. Whereas most pure mineral makeup brands choose to use only natural iron oxides in their blushes, without any of the synthetic lake dyes. Iron oxides are earthy in hues and when oxidised, red/pink hues turn orangey. Especially if your skin type is oily, you may face this problem more often.

One method to counter the orange hue is to apply a lavendar colour corrector before your blush. Lavendar neutralises the orange tone, so your blush stays pink. Another way is to use a blush that has a slight purple hue. Oxidation will turn the purple hue lighter, making it more of a natural pink instead of a orange hue.