Slippery Facts about Mineral Oil

I was snooping around in the batching area yesterday as they were working on a super secret recipe for a sporting good manufacturer for whom we are making a new wonder product and I saw the boys put in some Mineral Oil.  And while the product they were making was not a cosmetic, I thought I would address the issue of Mineral Oil in cosmetics. 

Mineral oil provides many benefits for skin and hair. . Is mineral oil safe for cosmetic use?

Mineral oil is a common cosmetic ingredient that can be found in many skin and hair products. Over the years as natural products have grown in popularity, a number of beauty experts have criticized the ingredient and questioned its safety.  Misguided thinking.

Cosmetic Grade Mineral Oil

Mineral oil is a derivative of petroleum that is clear and odorless. The cosmetic grade mineral oil has been refined into a substance that is hypoallergenic, noncomedogenic (your new word for the day, means won't clog pores) and has many conditioning properties. After refinement, it does not resemble the same properties as petroleum or industrial mineral oil.

Cosmetics expert and beauty journalist, Paula Begoun, wrote on her website that cosmetic grade mineral oil is "one of the safest and most nonirritating moisturizing ingredients ever found." She points out that many of the critics of mineral oil are misinformed about cosmetic mineral oil and are also selling a natural alternative product. She also questions their motives.

The beauty industry often uses mineral oil as a conditioning ingredient because it is well-tolerated by people with sensitive skin, is noncomedogenic, and seals moisture into the skin effectively. Many of the most moisturizing body lotions contain mineral oil.

According to the Beautifulwithbrains.com site, many critics of mineral oil called it pore clogging and claimed it could suffocate skin. The site points out that cosmetic grade mineral oil will not clog pores and is nothing like the highly comedogenic (pore-clogging) industrial mineral oil.

Cosmetic grade mineral oil is occlusive and forms a barrier on the outside of the skin to hold moisture in. It does not suffocate skin. However, mineral oil shouldn't be used in a product that has pore-clogging ingredients because it could seal them in. There are also people who frequent acne boards, like acne.com, who experienced break-outs from using products with mineral oil in them

You are in safe hands with us!

The Pied Piper