Make-up Maestro: Pauline Youngblood

Post-treatment your skin is often raw and inflamed and you may feel desperate for a little cosmetic help. Mainstream cosmetic brands can often make your skin worse, so Cosmetic Surgery Magazine UK chats to Pauline Youngblood who spearheaded the growth in mineral cosmetics that allow the skin to breathe and heal while providing you with the cover you need.

What is your background in terms of aesthetic medicine?

As a licensed paramedical aesthetician in the Beverly Hills offices of dermatologists and cosmetic surgeons, I specialised in the treatment of problem skin. I was in daily contact with people with severely traumatised skin, from harsh laser or chemical treatments, acne, rosacea, and cosmetic surgeries.

What appeals to you about the industry?

I love helping women feel better about themselves! I had very painful cystic acne as a teenager, so I know what it feels like to be embarrassed about your appearance. So to take that embarrassment away, to give a woman confidence, is to empower her. That’s a beautiful thing.

Why did you move into mineral make-up?

When I had patients with severely traumatised skin, they’d take up to six months to heal, and were told they couldn’t wear make-up. Can you imagine having red, raw, inflamed skin, and being told to just go out in public looking like that? And I just was not satisfied with the cosmetic options available, so I began working with chemists to develop something suitable – a cosmetic that would cover raw, inflamed, or discoloured skin, but allow it to breathe and heal.

The products available at the time contained fillers and talc – a trend that continues to this day – which irritate and clog skin. The colours were also too purple or orange. I knew we could do better, so we came up with our Natural Mineral Foundation, and that’s when a funny thing happened – long after many of my patients were healed, they wanted to continue using the product. They urged me to make it commercially available, so we founded Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics in 1996.

What makes the products different?

We don’t have junk in our products! There are no petroleum dyes, alcohol, artificial fragrances, fillers or talc. Our products were born in a medical environment, and we continue our tradition of offering only healthy cosmetics. Other mineral lines have a ‘glittery’ sparkle to them, whereas ours provides a very smooth, sophisticated radiance. Our product is also ultra silky, not gritty and has a selection of the most natural-looking shades, and our packaging is cool, like our magnetic closure compacts. But don’t take my word for it – try it for yourself!

How soon after a cosmetic treatment can you begin to wear your make-up?

We use only the highest, purest grade ingredients, free of fragrance, chemicals and irritants, our products are gentle and allow the skin to breathe and are safe to use on even the most sensitive and damaged skin. Depending upon the procedure it’s generally OK to wear Youngblood Cosmetics immediately after, as long as there are no open wounds but ALWAYS check with your physician.

For what skin conditions can you recommend Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics?

Youngblood originally began in a medical context, to be used by patients with skin traumatized by acne, rosacea, and harsh medical procedures such as laser, chemical, or cosmetic treatments. Developed with leading doctors, Youngblood provides healing and camouflaging properties ideal for covering any condition resulting in erythema (redness) while feeling like you’re wearing no make-up at all. Due to the high level of titanium dioxide, a natural sun blocker, it also offers essential sun protection for those patients taking antibiotics and/or recovering from cosmetic surgery.

Does it differ from commercial make-up brands in terms of application?

Youngblood Loose Foundation and compact both provide excellent coverage and a natural appearance but are very concentrated and a little goes a long way. Since you may need more coverage immediately after a procedure, it’s good to remember that post procedure skin is very sensitive so apply with a soft flocked sponge. But, once the skin has thoroughly healed, you might decide to use less makeup and a silky flat top brush may be your best choice.

How do you provide such an extensive range of colour options without using the dyes in commercial makeup?

Our cosmetics are made from naturally occurring mineral elements that are mixed with other inorganic pigments to produce true, subtle colors with healthful qualities. We never use FD&C dyes that are derived from petroleum or coal tar. Petroleum clogs the pores and does not allow the skin to breathe (crucial for healing of the skin), and coal tar can be a source of allergic reactions. Our pigments are made from micronized mineral elements only.

Mineral make-up is becoming increasingly popular; what is it about your product that makes it stand out from the competition?

Youngblood has risen to be considered among the most luxurious  cosmetics in the world because of our standards. I have a passion for providing the healthiest, highest quality cosmetics and empowering women to look and feel their best. And you can see it immediately in the payoff. In the colours, pigments, silkiness and unrivaled quality of our products.
CSMUK  This post was from Cosmetic Surgery Magazine UK