Ionizers Air

Any ingredient marked in bold contains a non-pure, non-earth mineral. Some even worse: parabens are preservatives that are thought to be linked to breast cancer and early aging of the skin. Bismuth oxychloride is a filler that is a by-product of lead and copper processing and is irritating to the skin.

Purely Products

This is lengthy, but you'll find some real eye openers. Your favorite mineral makeup is most likely listed here, as I've compared Bare Escentuals, Jane Iredale, GLO Minerals, Sheer Cover, Laura Mercier, Youngblood, PUR Minerals, L'Oreal, and Neutragena to Purely Cosmetics.

NOTE ABOUT MICRONIZED PARTICLES: The use of micronized titanium dioxide is controversial. Some research indicates that micro-size particles do stay on the surface of the skin and do not enter the bloodstream, while others question the long-term safety of using nanoparticles. Studies have shown that it is possible for micronized titanium dioxide particles to penetrate cells and eventually lead to DNA damage following sun exposure. Asthmatics and others with repiratory problems should be cautioned about using loose powders with micronized ingredients as they are easily airborne. Micronized particles are liked by some mineral makeup companies because they provide a smooth coverage and adhere easily. The smaller the particle, the more sheer and natural looking the application. On the flip side, micronized particles cannot provide medium to full coverage for those who need to cover life's imperfections.

PURELY COSMETICS: (PurelyCosmetics.com):

Net weight: 6gm Cost: .00 Cost/Gram: .00

Ingredients: Mica, titanium dioxide, iron oxides, zinc oxide. May contain ultramarine.

Net weight: 8.5gm Cost: .00 Cost/Gram: .94

Ingredients: Titanium dioxide, bismuth oxychloride, mica, iron oxide, zinc oxide. Products have expiration dates.

Net weight: 10.5gm Cost: .00 Cost/Gram: .00

Ingredients: Titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, mica, bismuth oxychloride, zinc stearate, dimethicone, boron nitride, stearic acid, pomegranate extract, may contain iron oxide, carmine, ultramarine. Uses micronized particles.

Net weight: 10gm Cost: .00 Cost/Gram: .70

Ingredients: Phytonadione, green tea extract, tocopherol acetate, retinyl palmitate, ascorbyl palmitate, ethylparaben, propylparaben, methylparaben, mica, titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, bismuth oxychloride. May contain iron oxides.

Net weight: 1.5gm & 4gm Cost: .00-.00** Cost/Gram: .67-.00

Ingredients: Zinc oxide, boron nitride, bisabolol, aspalathus linearis leaf extract, bismuth oxychloride. May contain titanium dioxide, mica iron oxides.

** Only sold in kits; priced based upon going eBay bids. Products have expiration dates.

Net weight: 9.6gm Cost: .00 Cost/Gram: .65

Ingredients: Zinc oxide, pearl powder, mica, bismuth oxychloride, titanium dioxide, iron oxides. Uses micronized particles.

Net weight: 10gm Cost: .95 Cost/Gram: .50

Ingredients: Titanium dioxide, bismuth oxychloride, mica, iron oxides. Uses micronized particles.

Net weight: 10gm Cost: .99 Cost/Gram: .50

Ingredients: Titanium dioxide, talc, boron nitrate, dimethicone, carnaba wax, cetyl dimethicone, trimethyloxysilicate, trisocetyl citrate, alde baradensis leaf juice, tocopheryroyl, panthenol.

NEUTROGENA MINERAL SHEERS:

Net weight: 5gm Cost: .00 Cost/Gram: .60

Ingredients: Mica, bismuth oxychloride, iron oxides, titanium dioxide, polymethylate, retinyl palmitate, tocopheryl acetate, ascorbic acid, pantothenic acid, soybean flour, silk powder, zinc stearate, sodium dehydrocetate, methylparaben, propylparaben.

Jamie Reynolds has been in the medical and cosmetics fields for over 10 years. After comparing many different mineral makeup products, she decided to start her own product line, Purely Cosmetics to provide both quality and value to the customers.

Despite the universal, and often false, "quiet" claim by air purifier manufacturers, "Noisy on the high speed" is by far the most frequent consumer complaint.

Surround Air XJ-3000UV

The real issue is not how loud a purifier is on high, but how much sound it makes while cleaning meaningful amounts of air.
Several premium air purifiers are loud on high, but offer as many
as six speeds for useful quiet air purification.

The Decibel (dB) scale measures noise in objective terms.

On the Decibel scale, each 10 points [dB(A)] added represents 10
times as much sound. For example; 70 dB(A), is not 17% louder,
but ten times as loud as 60 dB(A). With many purifiers topping out in the low 70's, louder than normal conversation, sound levels are a major consumer concern.

A few Decibel ratings;

Threshold of human hearing: 0 dB(A)

Quietest air purifier: 15 dB(A)

Soft whisper: 20 dB(A)

Good air purifier on low: 32 dB(A)

Ordinary air purifier on low: 36 dB(A)

Refrigerator: 50 dB(A)

Normal conversation: 60 dB(A)

Dishwasher running: 55-70 dB(A)

Typical air purifier on high: 66 dB(A)

Busy street traffic, loud air purifier: 70 dB(A )

Car interior: 75 dB(A)

Vacuum cleaner: 80 dB(A)

Common home stereo: 80 dB(A)

Lawn mower: 90 dB(A)

Rock concert: 110 dB(A)

The air purifier industry has no standards for noise levels. Only a few vendors voluntarily reveal actual decibel sound emissions.

Many people will find equally noisy machines are not equally distracting. This is because the combination of sounds is different, more harmonious.

The notion that a quieter air purifier produces less stress and improved health is confirmed by scientific studies. Prolonged exposure to noise levels above 70 dBA can cause hearing loss. Noise levels greater than 50 dB(A) can make quiet conversation impossible.

Most air purifiers have a fan to move air. Nobody has found a way to clean air without moving it. Moving air makes noise.

We are told to make a purchase based on the largest room size an air purifier can clean. Manufacturer's room size recommendations are based on full time high speed operation. This is not acceptable to most users, who will turn the purifier down or off.

A bigger air purifier can clean the smaller room on lower speeds,
often quietly. Many air purifier buyers make the mistake of saving money by selecting a less expensive purifier when the most powerful model in that same vendor's product line is maybe only higher.

A smaller unit will have to run on high continuously, and most smaller air purifiers are noisy on high. A bigger air purifier can run for a few minutes on high, and then be turned down to a quiet level.

Noise levels in decibels are not useful without associated airflow data. If it isn't moving any air, who cares how "quiet" it is? Reviews should cite a noise level with a related Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) or airflow rate in cubic feet per minute (cfm). For example: 40dB(A)@212cfm is pretty quiet for the air being cleaned.

Well engineered backward curved fan blades and sealed ball bearing motors are less noisy. They cost more.

Noise can also develop when bearings or bushings wear out on cheaper motors, allowing side play of the fan shaft. When slack allows fan blades to rub housings, vibrations increase.

Consumers can avoid "quiet air purifier" disappointment by demanding true sound data from manufacturers, and installing a larger model than builders recommend for their room.

The author, Ed Sherbenou, has experience with air purifiers dating back to 1977. His air purifier reviews leave no stone unturned, and few questions unanswered. Ed is an opinionated critic, not a seller, of air purifiers. Indoor air quality and air purifier technical details, often missing from seller's websites, can be found at: http://www.air-purifier-power.com