# Red Ochre

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-ochre/727770>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 13, 2015, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-ochre/727770 "2015-08-13T20:37:07Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Zohayer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Zohayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zohayer)\
**Post date:** [August 13, 2015, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-ochre/727770/1 "2015-08-13T20:37:07Z")

</div>

Hi!

Recently read somewhere to use red ochre with olive oil and rose water for a smooth, clear and fair skin.

Until I goggled red ochre I thought it was a vegetable or something. Now I have two questions.

1. Could this hurt my skin because after all it’s sand that I would be rubbing my face with?

2. Secondly, after a little research I have realized that this is must frequently used by painters and so where (online) can I manage to find the natural mineral?

Regards.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\
**Post date:** [August 13, 2015, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-ochre/727770/2 "2015-08-13T20:43:43Z")

</div>

Used as a pigment it should be a very fine powder. You have to make sure you’re getting something made of iron oxide and not some other substance like lead acetate. I do know it’s available as a masonry supply, but that may not be the kind of grade you’re looking for. I would look at art supply sites, are you not finding anything at those?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\
**Post date:** [August 13, 2015, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-ochre/727770/3 "2015-08-13T20:48:51Z")

</div>

[Here’s an old thread on the topic.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=385499)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\
**Post date:** [August 13, 2015, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-ochre/727770/4 "2015-08-13T22:46:29Z")

</div>

Many artists’ paint manufacturers sell pure pigment powder. Red iron oxide, in its many forms, trends to be among the least expensive, because it’s dirt. The texture will be more like fine, soft dirt than sand. If you want really fine, look for “transparent red earth” ground super extra fine to reduce the pigment’s natural opacity.

Maybe the Hawaiian red dirt shirt people will send you some of you ask.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\
**Post date:** [August 14, 2015, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-ochre/727770/5 "2015-08-14T11:28:56Z")

</div>

> [@Zohayer](#):
>
> 1. Could this hurt my skin because after all it’s sand that I would be rubbing my face with?

No, it’s much finer than sand. Think “mudpack”. Particles that are less than 0.0015 in. in size.

> [@](#):
>
> 1. Secondly, after a little research I have realized that this is must frequently used by painters and so where (online) can I manage to find the natural mineral?

You can get it [from Amazon](http://www.amazon.com/Red-Iron-Oxide-Natural-Pounds/dp/B004OKDTX2).