I am a Benetint-a-holic. For those of you who are unaware of Benetint’s magic powers, it’s a cheek stain from Benefit Cosmetics. This company makes more “traditional” cosmetics than the ones I normally review here, by which I mean that they’re choc full of nasty chemicals. Normally I would have tossed a product like Benetint out of my regimen years ago, but… Benetint? It’s AWESOME.
Ah, Benetint, such a guilty little pleasure
This lovely little cheek stain has been my secret weapon for many years. I can leave the house wearing not a stitch of makeup except for Benetint and face powder, and I look polished enough for most days. The tint gives me a glow, like I’ve been sitting in the sun enjoying margaritas, or like I’ve been busy doing other, naughtier, things. Benetint makes me look fresh during the winter and sunkissed during the summer; it’s a year-round makeup bag companion.
Now, if only Benetint were as clean as it is effective. Alas, the tint has a list of ingredients that, while short, may be potent: Water, Rose Water, Glycerin, Quaternium-15, and Carmine. I’ve broken this list down into its individual ingredients so you’ll see why you SHOULD NOT buy this gem of a product.
Water: Not bad in and of itself, though who knows where they get it from?
Rose Water: Same as above.
Glycerin: With a 0.1 rating on Skin Deep, this moisturizing ingredient seems fairly harmless. One thing that gives me pause are the recent warnings about glycerin imported from China being mixed up in a scandal where a cheaper, more toxic chemical was sold as if it were the real deal; maybe I should find out where the company sources their glycerin from. Think they’ll tell me?
Quaternium-15: With a Skin Deep rating of 1.2, this ingredient concerns me the most. This preservative is known for its annoying tendency to release formaldehyde, and it is a known allergen. I haven’t personally had a reaction to this product, but that’s not especially comforting at the moment.
Carmine: This is another ingredient with a Skin Deep rating of 0.1. The only concern raised by the site is that carmine, a synthetic red dye, hasn’t been assessed for safety in the US, so I’ll have to look into what the EU standards have to say about the ingredient.
And there you have it. Benetint may smell like a rose, but its ingredient list stinks. If the above breakdown hasn’t turned you off of your own Benetint habit, you can always get your fix at Sephora or department stores. My hope, though, is that most of you will be grossed out by what I’ve written about my favorite conventional indulgence. Below is a list of cleaner blush products, and while some of them may not be perfect, you can bet they’re better than rubbing several dots of future formaldehyde into your sweet cheeks. Here’s the list, and if you find that one of them is as good or better than Benetint, for sweet crap’s sake, let me know.
Bare Escentuals: loose blush powder
Burt’s Bees: blushing creme
Dr. Hauschka: pressed rouge powder
Jane Iredale: PurePressed blush (I use this company’s face powder)
{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
Krista 05.07.07 at 9:44 pm
I used to wear Benetint all the time as well. The habit stopped when I dropped it on the bathroom floor and it broke - what a mess! I have yet to buy a new one and after reading your post I may try something else. I love Jane Iredale face powder! I have been using it for years.
katherine 11.26.07 at 1:36 pm
I feel y our pain… I love Benetint, too. I just checked the ingredients on Skin Deep and have noticed tht they’ve updated the rating of QUATERNIUM-15 from a fairly benign 1.2 to a 6. Boo…. I still don’t think I’ll be able to kick the habit…
jadunham 04.26.08 at 5:28 pm
Do y’all know of a good mineral foundation? I’ve looked this up on the EWG cosmetic database, but am hesitant to purchase the ones listed as 1.0, mostly because the websites are so…for lack of a better word…homemade. Any recommendations?
Jane 06.21.08 at 6:35 pm
It’s my understanding that Carmine is made from ground insects; it is the same as Cochineal.
See: http://www.inchem.org/documents/jecfa/jecmono/v46je03.htm
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~lrd/fr060130.html
and
http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB113833159673257881-7aQTK755ykjASE3hGnfjQrjZlSk_20060203.html
Elvie 06.25.08 at 4:28 am
I have mixed feelings about this article.
For one, what’s the problem with water? They use distilled water, so there’s no concern there. I mean, you can always say “god knows where they get anything from”, but that’s not really an argument.
As for glycerin, these “warnings” simply don’t sound true, just one of those scare stories. Glycerin is dirt cheap. I get it for about a dollar for 100 grams. Why would anyone want to substitute a dirt cheap ingredient for another dirt cheap ingredient; what’s the point, where’s the profit?
As for carmine, it’s not a synthetic dye. It’s a pigment made from crushed dried female insects. Probably less hazardous than any other synthetic dye, it’s been used throughout history and it’s becoming more popular in recent years, substituting other problematic synthetic dyes.
I really don’t see a problem with Benetint, except maybe with the preservative. In fact, I could probably make this at home - it has few ingredients, they’re cheap (except rosewater, but you probably don’t need much), it doesn’t pose a significant risk for allergy or irritation… Actually, the only thing is that it’s way overpriced.
Emily 10.05.08 at 5:56 am
I also love benetint and still use it from time to time even though I own a natural beauty store. That tiny bottle lasts forever! Elvie is right, the preservative is the problem- the rest of it is really benign unless crushed bugs freak you out. Carmine is a really common cosmetic ingredient in natural cosmetics because the color range of natural pigments is limited, especially in that nice “pink” family. The mineral colors tend to be more brown/earth based, and if they aren’t, they probably have added synthetic dyes (check the label! I was shocked. Look for “lake” colors- most are petroleum derived). You could try to make a benetint type product at home and keep in in your fridge. Once you have water or other non-oil liquid in a product, you have to add some kind of preservative if you are planning to keep it on a shelf or carry it around in your bag. I am on a personal quest to figure out how to make a good clean substitute- maybe some kind of solid balm?
Jadunham, the best mineral makeup for loose powders is from Alima. They are a very professional company, use no fillers (talc, bismuth) and the product is lovely and reasonably priced for a high quality product (less than Iredale, which is also good). You can order from their website (tiny samples available). I should tell you I sell it in my Portland boutique, but I don’t sell it online so I won’t benefit from this plug. It is great stuff.
Geeta 11.13.08 at 7:49 pm
I was shocked to read this article…Im surprised aprt from the ablove 2 posters the rest havent commented on this. Rose wtaer is good for you. Water, rose water, glycerine and carmine concerns sound ridiculous except if your vegan…then carmine would be a problem. The only valid concern here is for the preservative. The rest of it just seems to come from a very biased outlook!
Lisa 03.18.09 at 3:20 pm
I was researching Benetint and came across this article. I called Benefit and requested an ingredient list for Benetint. Their email to me is pasted below. The actual ingredients are much more alarming than those listed in this article. Here’s what they sent me:
Here’s the product information you requested:
Benetint
Water (Aqua)
Polysorbate 20
Phenoxyethanol
Sodium Hydroxide
Carmine (CI 75470)
Methylparaben
Fragrance (Parfum)
Tetrasodium EDTA
Geraniol
Linalool
Hexyl Cinnamal
Citronellol
Maltodextrin
Benzyl Salicylate
BHT
Usage:
Use the brush to apply the rosy tint to the center of your lips and blend outward using fingertips. For a sexy blush, apply 3 dots of the rosy tint to the apples of your cheeks and blend quickly in a circular motion. For added shine, try our Lip Gloss in Crystal to top off lips for a flirty fabulous finish!
Thank you for shopping at Benefit Cosmetics.
Think Pretty,
Angelica G.
Benefit Cosmetics Customer Service
Amy 06.15.09 at 12:26 pm
Hi,
You can actually make your own ‘Benetint’ from water(rose water, or plain old tap!), medical glycerin (available from any chemist), and red food colouring containing carmine (get the ‘natural’ one), which is a colouring derived from the shell of the cochneal beetle. It’s the exact same colour as the carmine benefit uses, and you can source an organic, chemical-free one if you like, too. I suspect that it won’t last for years without all the preservatives, but if made in small enough batches and kept in the fridge (I apply mine only once, in the morning), it shouldn’t be a problem… This way you can source ingredients that you would be happy to put on your face (my rule is, if I’d EAT it…), and I suspect however much you spend on food colouring and rosewater (and maybe a drop of your favourite esssential oil for a pretty scent), you STILL wouldn’t be spending NEARLY as much per 25ml bottle, or however big it is, which is a bonus!
The second list of ingredients seems to me to be for the Bentint lipbalm/gloss product, as it contains an emulsyfier as the second ingredient.
Perhaps you could investigate vitamin e as a preservative, although I have just ordered some pure shea butter from the site below (fair trade, organic, unrefined, etc…), and intend to experiment making a ’solid benetint’ from this (also to replace Urban Decay’s Lube-in-a-Tube, in NYC, which I wear CONSTANTLY, and was discontinued!).
I hope this gives you some ideas for your own version of Benetint, -let me know how you get on!
Amy
http://www.akamuti.co.uk/products/new/shea-butter-cut-and-wrapped-various-sizes/?osCsid=4594653b81893c4194b74659045a769f (is the link for the shea butter vendor)
Vicky 10.31.09 at 10:42 am
You can actually create a natural cheek tint. These ingredients sound scary.
http://www.virtualrecipes.com.au/recipe~num~2922.asp
Rikke 11.21.09 at 8:12 am
Hi,
I’ve been using Smashbox’ O’Glow since it came out, and allthough I haven’t tried Benetint, it sounds to me like the effect of these two products is the same? The ingredients listed on Smashbox’ website for this product are as follow:
Cyclomethicone, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Isononyl Isononanoate, Safflower Seed Oil, Punica Granatum, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Polysilicone-11, Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract, Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Plankton Extract. May Contain: Red 27
Allthough I haven’t researched every ingredient in O’Glow, at least it doesn’t contain any parabenes or allergenic ingredients (as far as my little EU-list tells me).
I love the way it gives me a rosy freshness - when I put it on, I look like I just went for a walk on a nice winterday, and I don’t feel ‘made-up’.
I read above listing with great interest, as I’d considered trying Benetint, but I think I’ll just stick to my O’Glow. :o)
Lydia 11.21.09 at 8:43 am
I just made a natural version of benetint using beetroot and vegetable glycerine from a recipe printed in the independant. GORGEOUS! Slightly different texture from the glycerine but colour and effect are exactly the same. I even decanted into an empty benetint bottle. I have yet to see how it lasts without preservatives though..
layla 01.26.10 at 1:23 am
Hi everyone. I’m new to this website, and just looking into natural cosmetics.anybody have any links for the recipes above? Thanks!