Is Mineral Oil Content In Skincare Safe To Use?

Mineral oils have been used in cosmetics for over 100 years. But most people today, hesitate to use products containing mineral oils because of its bad reputation in the recent years (i.e they cause acne, clog pores and other skin problems) and that, according to supporters of “natural” cosmetics vegetable oils are much safer and better for the skin, together with the growing number of cosmetic brands that market their products labelled “without mineral oil”. So, is mineral oil content in skincare safe to use? Let’s check out below..

Is Mineral Oil Content In Skincare Safe To Use?

Contents

What is mineral oil?

Mineral oil is a hydrocarbon derived from petroleum. Hydrocarbons are derivative products of petrochemicals (fossil fuels) also known as paraffin oil. Hydrocarbons consist of carbon and hydrogen that moisturize and soften the skin but have the potential to be harmful to the skin. Mineral oil is referred to as a safe ingredient to use, but some experts mention that mineral oil can clog skin pores.The function of mineral oil is to reduce the release of water in the skin and keep the skin moist. Mineral oil is also often referred to as liquid petroleum, paraffin oil, mineral paraffin, and white mineral oil. Mineral oil is commonly used in baby lotion products, creams, ointments, and cosmetics.

It is obtained by distillation of crude oil and, from a chemical point of view, is similar to Petroleum jelly.

Although it is called mineral oil, the level of technology of refiners is different due to the complexity and variety of the composition of oil. The composition of mineral oil produced varies greatly from region to region and from manufacturer to manufacturer. Mineral oils also vary in quality. Mineral oils in the cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries are highly refined and purified and are high-quality mineral oils.

Mineral oils for the skin

Mineral oil is an integral part of the various products used in anti-aging skin care products. Mineral oil is also a major ingredient in various skin oils, lotions, creams and makeup products. The main reason for such massive use of mineral oil is its quality to act as a barrier between the skin and its surroundings. As a result, the skin gets less susceptible to external factors including dust, pollutants, harmful sunlight and other things that may cause damage to the skin. Learn more about mineral cosmetics.

As a matter of fact, mineral oils are the essential thing that we see in all baby oils. It would not be wrong to say that baby oils are made from mineral oils only. It is also used as a key ingredient in various rash creams maintaining hemorrhoid medications and eye care products as well. Apart from all this it is used as an internal laxative and is also used in many antacids as well. There are many other mineral oils used regardless of its use for the skin.

Mineral oil inertness is relatively high, will not react with the skin, will not penetrate into the skin, not absorbed by the skin, can form a stable protective film on the surface of the skin. Although it does not supplement the skin like vegetable oil, it does not irritate the skin and cause skin irritation. So mineral oil is often used in many sensitive skin and baby cosmetics.

Mineral oils and side effects on the skin

Now, we are all aware about the uses and benefits of mineral oils for the skin. But there is a lot of controversy involved when it comes to mineral oils for skin care and their side effects. There is a lot of criticism about the use of mineral oils for the skin. First, Many researchers doubt it due to it being oil and crude oil products. According to them, there is always a chance of mineral oils being harmful if they are used for longer periods of time, as it clogs the pores of the skin and tightens the noose on them. This way the skin is not able to breathe, and this all increases the oil secretion process and the formation of acne. Thus, some experts point out that mineral oils are not good for the skin.

So far, there have been no studies showing that mineral oils stimulate skin acne. However, due to the mineral oil texture being greasy, the use of products containing mineral oil, may lead to oil secretion resulting in skin suffocation.

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Another interesting thing that many researchers say is that mineral oil interferes in the easy absorption of vitamins in the skin , which are very necessary for the health of the body and skin, such as vitamin D. As it creates a layer on the surface of the skin, it prevent vitamins from entering the skin, which can be harmful in the long run.

According to some researchers, mineral oils are carcinogenic, which means there is a potential threat to cancer, but this is not conclusively proven. This statement stems from the fear of some petroleum products, some of the oil component polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are indeed carcinogenic, but the cosmetics industry uses mineral oils, are refined and purified, have been removed from these ingredients, and has been recognized by national regulators. There is no data to suggest that mineral oils used at cosmetic levels can cause cancer, and there are numerous tests that have shown no correlation between the two, and we have not seen any literature on the association between these mineral oils and various types of cancer in the literature of skin and pharmaceutical-related journals.

Disadvantages of using mineral oil in cosmetics:

1- Mineral oil is not cosmetically elegant

The thicker the consistency of mineral oil added to the product, the less pleasant it is on the skin, however lighter ones retain less moisture, even if they are more pleasant to use.
Vaseline jar

2- Mineral oil may retain excess hydration

It sounds strange, but mineral oils can retain moisture so effectively that the skin becomes too wet. Luckily this can be avoided by carefully examining the skin. If you have very dry skin, no problem. If it is not so much, it can then be dispensed with products with high concentration of mineral oils.

3- Mineral oils only retain moisture

That is, they do not contain any active substances that have any other benefit to the skin. Therefore, if you use any cream that contains exclusively mineral oils you will miss some element necessary for good skin care. Therefore, check the active ingredients that accompany the mineral oil.
*Trick: If the skin is excessively dry, it is advisable to apply a cream with active ingredients and then apply the mineral oil. In this way, the active ingredients are able to penetrate the skin more easily and do their job

Are there alternatives to mineral oil?

Of course there is, but the idea that mineral oil is a chemical that causes cancer and obstruction of the pores of the skin and etc. are myths created by certain companies to highlight the natural appearance of their products.

If you have doubts about the safety of any component ask your dermatologist or cosmetology expert and you will most likely get a different answer than that offered by natural products companies.

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To summarize, high-quality mineral oil is safe, can be used with confidence. High-quality mineral oil is mild in nature, has strong water locking ability, good moisturizing effect and texture is somewhat greasy. It is great for people with dry skin and to be used in winter season due to its high moisturizing quality. Oily skin people need to use it caution though.

Is Mineral Oil Content In Skincare Safe To Use?