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Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Mineral oil in cosmetics - good or bad?

Mineral oil is a clear, colorless and odorless liquid obtained as a byproduct of   the distillation of petroleum to produce gasoline and other petroleum-based products from crude oil. Chemically speaking refined mineral oil is a mixture of two types of saturated hydrocarbons (alkanes) in the C15 to C50 range. Parraffinics are branched-chain alkanes, and naphthenics are alkanes which contain one or more saturated cyclic structures. Parraffinics are characterized by a higher viscosity than naphthenics, which have a non-waxy nature. The ratio of parraffinics to naphthenics determines the physical properties of a mineral oil. It may be worth keeping in mind that mineral oil is known under many different names including liquid paraffin, paraffin oil, parraffinum liquidum, liquid petrolatum, petroleum oil, white mineral oil, and white oil.

A wide variety of cosmetics, such as cold creams, lotions, makeup products, baby oils, shampoos, hair conditioners, bath oils, soaps, lip balm, gloss, and lipsticks contain mineral oil. Some of the reasons why it is so widely used in cosmetics are that it is cheap, has a nice feel to the skin, and unlike vegetable oil will not spoil. Probably the most common function of mineral oil in cosmetics is moisturization. The term ‘moisturization’ means that water loss is reduced (even though no water is added to the skin). Mineral oil is known to have low stickiness, high absorption time, good slip and smoothness. Knowing all of this it seems logical why mineral oil is used so widely in the production of cosmetics.

Recently it has become a widely discussed topic whether mineral oil is safe for our skin. Since ingredients of products we put on our skin are absorbed into our body we should be aware what products we use and how they can affect our health and wellbeing. I have come across many pro as well as anti mineral oil articles and have started to wonder myself where the truth lies.  For example according to http://www.paulaschoice.com:

“Cosmetics-grade mineral oil and petrolatum are considered the safest, most nonirritating moisturizing ingredients ever found (Sources: Cosmetics & Toiletries, January 2001, page 79; and Cosmetic Dermatology, September 2000, pages 44–46). Yes, they can keep air off the skin to some extent, but that’s what a good antioxidant is supposed to do; they don’t suffocate skin! Moreover, mineral oil and petrolatum are known to be efficacious in wound healing, and are also among the most effective moisturizing ingredients available (Source: Cosmetics & Toiletries, February 1998, pages 33–40). Mineral oil is not an ingredient to avoid unless you have oily skin, in which case the somewhat greasy texture of mineral oil won't feel the best (but again, mineral oil doesn't clog pores or suffocate skin).”

On the other hand we read disturbing information such as those I found on http://www.herballuxuries.com:

“Mineral oil acts as a thin layer on the skin. It is difficult to absorb and clogs the pores, which slows the skin’s ability to eliminate toxins. Remember, the skin is the body’s largest organ and plays an important role in maintaining overall health! Once the oil is absorbed, it is broken down by the liver and passes through the intestinal tract, it will absorb all of the fat-soluble vitamins found there. It is essentially stealing important vitamins from the body, which the body will not be able to replace. This can eventually lead to nutritional deficiencies. Studies have also shown forms of pneumonia caused by mineral oil decreasing lung function, known as lipoid pneumonia.

Sounds disturbing, right? So who should we believe? I started searching through some scientific journals, trying to find information whether mineral oil is really ‘evil’ for our skin. What I found was articles rather praising the effect of mineral oil and trying to convince me that mineral oil is beneficial for my skin.1,2 Somehow I am still not convinced. I read the scientific facts, but then again I am a scientist myself and I know better than to believe everything I read in articles. For the moment I cannot say I found any hard facts that mineral oil is bad for you. What I do know is that you cannot expect from it anything more than moisturizing your skin as mineral oil does not contain any nutrients or minerals. Unlike for example almond oil which not only works as a moisturizer, but is also rich in vitamins C and E.

I make a lot of my own cosmetics and when I choose an oil for my products I want it to be more than just a moisturizer. Even if it’s not harmful  I want it to have minerals and vitamins which are beneficial for my skin. Therefore I do not use mineral oil in the creams and lip balms that I make and I advise you to chose products with a different moisturizer as well.

1. A. V. Rawlings, K. J. Lombard, Int. J. Cosmetic Sci., 2012, 34, 511-518.

2. D.S. Morrison, J. Schmidt, R. Paulli, J. Appl. Cosmetol., 1996, 14, 111-118.


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