A makeup sponge is one of the most universally utilized and recognized beauty products. "If a woman were to ask any straight man to go into their room and get their makeup sponge, he is going to come back with their makeup sponge. That's not going to be so true when you ask for your angled eyeshadow brush or your foundation brush," says Rea Ann Silva, the makeup artist who invented the Beautyblender, arguably the most popular makeup sponge around. "The makeup sponge is the primary tool of every makeup artist, yet it never evolved."
In , Silva made it her quest to create what she considered the perfect makeup sponge, and the Beautyblender was born. The teardrop-shaped fuchsia sponge is now used worldwide by professional makeup artists and regular makeup fans alike. To date, 6.5 million Beautyblenders have been sold, making it the number-one-purchased tool at Sephora. So what is it about this sponge&#;which seems pretty simple from the outside&#;that makes it so important in the makeup world?
Silva spent five years developing the Beautyblender to be the perfect applicator and was painstakingly detailed about every single aspect of it. The idea for the Beautyblender came to her over a decade ago, when she was watching a prolific makeup artist talk about the origins of makeup. Two points from the lecture stayed with her. "She talked about how she would always custom-cut sponges because makeup artists' hands are bigger than women's faces, so she would take these blocks of foam and cut them into shapes to fit the client's face and the assignment," says Silva. "The makeup artist also said she always used a wet sponge for better application. I realized that great makeup artists always cut the edges off of the sponge to create a certain touch on the skin that looks natural. So I wondered if I could use that technique and that concept, along with the sponge being wet, to create a tool that would make artists happy."
It's the Beautyblender's unique edgeless shape that makes it remarkable. "Before the Beautyblender, I was always buying those white triangular sponges in bulk," says Mary Phillips, a makeup artist who works with Jennifer Lopez and Chrissy Teigen. "The edges of older sponges would allow for more crease marks on the face. Since the Beautyblender is edgeless, it eliminates room for error." In her research, Silva realized that not much thought had been given to the creation of those white, triangular sponges. "Historically, the cosmetic sponges that everybody used were complimentary, supplemental products. You would get a little slip of some sort of sponge material with a foundation purchase. The problem was that no one would ever explain to you how to use it or what it was even for," says Silva. "Those sponges were designed to fit into a compact, and disposable so you could go buy another bag of 30 and pollute the earth. And they were designed to look like a pizza wedge, because straight lines are easier to cut than curved ones."
If consumers have long been concerned about the composition of the beauty products they buy, more and more of them are also examining the materials used in the manufacture of their applicators. This can quickly become problematic for makeup sponges and puffs, which have been produced from petroleum-derived ingredients for decades.
The first cosmetic sponges in history were natural:
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&#; derived from sea sponges : prone to the development of bacteria and hardening over time
&#; or made from natural latex: intended for disposable products because they are not very resistant and can cause allergies.
To solve these matters, Taiki - allergen-free and reusable - to improve the application of makeup. Since then, most beauty sponges are made of NBR (Nitrile Butadiene Rubber) or PU (polyurethane). These materials are very efficient for the application but come from fossil resources.
How then to improve the composition of sponges to move towards eco-designed applicators, without compromising on performance and safety? Taiki Cosmetics Europe, supplier of custom beauty accessories and application expert, has been working for years on different alternatives to traditional materials.
NBR (synthetic rubber) is the most standard material used for universal makeup sponges, suitable for all types of formulas. &#;Thanks to the exclusive &#;TBS Cellfine&#; production process, Taiki has mastered the integration of fine air bubbles, allowing the quantity of petrochemical ingredients to be reduced by 28% in a Taiki Beauty Sponge compared to the same standard NBR sponge. This specific method even improves the properties of the sponge with a softer touch and a more uniform application,&#; explains Alix Bellanné, Marketing & Communication Director of Taiki Cosmetics Europe.
The 2nd material widely used in the cosmetic sponge industry is polyurethane. Luxurious and ultra-soft touch, superior application performance, it makes up premium makeup sponges as well as cushion puffs because it can be welded. To improve its environmental footprint, Taiki now offers Ecoporous 70, a PU composed of 70% biosourced ingredients. Reducing the proportion derived from petrochemicals, the materials used come from renewable resources such as corn and castor oil plant. The premium biobased makeup sponges produced in this material retain their properties in terms of makeup result, durability, and great softness.
3D makeup sponges are made of hydrophilic PU, which allows them to swell when wet. To offer more natural applicators, the eco-designed blending sponges range &#;Blooming Blenders&#; incorporates up to 30% plant powder replacing part of the PU. Among the standard references, rose, green tea, lotus and lavender bring a natural smell and a unique coloring depending on the season. Coix, a white Asian grass associated with natural dyes allows perfect reproducibility of the chosen shade. Finally, bamboo known for its ecological culture (low water consumption and depolluting the soil) and non-food resource, is available in black (charcoal) or beige (stem), allowing a specific color matching.
It is also possible to upcycle brand production waste by incorporating their own plant powders.
These eco-designed blending sponges keep all the expected properties: soft, resistant, washable and flawless makeup results!
Plant-based biodegradable makeup sponges have been around for a few years. Experience has shown that the life of these sponges is rarely satisfactory. After a few uses, the applicator that has been in contact with the skin microbiome develops mold and must be thrown away, leading to overconsumption of the product. &#;Considering the total life cycle of makeup sponges, at Taiki we choose washable and reusable!&#;, concludes Alix Bellanné.
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