Is mineral oil really bad for your skin?

Kragey

Well-known member
Lately I've been reading tons of conflicting stories about mineral oil. Some people say it clogs your pores and causes breakouts, others say that it's just fine and will not clog your pores. To be quite honest, I never thought a whole lot about it; I know that my Mehron makeup remover has mineral oil in it, but I wipe it away with a dry towel, then immediately jump in to the shower and cleanse afterward. Hence, it's not exactly sitting on my face.

However, I've noticed that my current moisturizer--the St. Ives Collagen Elastin one in the gigantic tub--has mineral oil listed as its second ingredient. Speaking as a new user of this product, I am suddenly in a mild panic! Which side is telling the truth?!

For the record, I would just ask my dermatologist (who I see for a strange skin problem on my ankle), but I won't be seeing him until summer, and I've been paranoid about this for the past 2 days now.
 

SakurasamaLover

Well-known member
Well I have the most sensitive dry and acne prone skin in the world and I use Embryolisse lait creme concentré as a moisturizer since a month now and my skin as never been better, and it does contain mineral oil.

On the other hand, stuff that contains some other oils, like the 2in1 makeup remover from MAC does break me out.
 

Honey xOo

Well-known member
It always breaks me out. I 100% avoid it for my skin and hair. I won't buy bodywash, lotion, anything that contains it. It depends on the person though, some people are fine using it. Try it for a week or two and see what happens. Stop using it if u notice ur skin breaking out.
 

mern

Well-known member
First of all it damages the skin. It is a humectant oil, made from petroleum. Crude oil goes through a refinement process and one of the products that comes from that is mineral oil. Because it is a humectant oil it seals the skin and does not allow nutrients to penetrate or toxins to come out of the pores. It is too large to penetrate the skin. However it does draw moisture to itself and will dehydrate the skin with continued use. That's why people are addicted to chapstick. It is 42% petrolatum, another by-product of crude oil and a humectant.
 

shatteredshards

Well-known member
I stay the heck away from it. Why? Because I became allergic to it about 4 years ago. I blister and scar wherever I apply it.

Mineral oil, petroleum jelly, whatever...as mern said, it's a byproduct of crude oil production. It's not purposefully made, it just happens when they mine all that oil to make fuels, and it makes them money to sell it off rather than dispose of it.

I'm dead serious, it's all about money. When they can either pay to dispose of it as industrial waste, or they can get paid by companies who put it in soap, lotion, hair products, lip products, makeup, medical products (Neosporin, believe it or not, is glorified Vaseline, nothing more)...which do you think they will choose?

Another fun fact: your body cannot absorb mineral oil in any way, not just through the skin, but even by ingestion, in which case it passes through the body entirely, untouched.

In short, your moisturizer is not a good moisturizer, rather, it's going to cause your skin to be addicted to the product, forcing you to apply it more because your skin isn't improving, and consequently making them more money because you go through the stuff faster.
 

Jinni

Well-known member
Quote:
Originally Posted by mern
First of all it damages the skin. It is a humectant oil, made from petroleum. Crude oil goes through a refinement process and one of the products that comes from that is mineral oil. Because it is a humectant oil it seals the skin and does not allow nutrients to penetrate or toxins to come out of the pores. It is too large to penetrate the skin. However it does draw moisture to itself and will dehydrate the skin with continued use. That's why people are addicted to chapstick. It is 42% petrolatum, another by-product of crude oil and a humectant.

What are your sources for this? Just because something comes from crude oil does not mean it's automatically bad for your skin.

Paula Begoun can be sort of wack at times, but she does cite her sources which appear to be written by people who are knowledgeable: mineral oil: Cosmetic Ingredient Dictionary: Cosmetics Cop: Skin Care & Makeup Tips & Reviews

I admit that I haven't tried to research this in detail (peer reviewed journals etc.) but I'm not sure the mineral oil is supposed to be absorbed. It acts as a barrier preventing evaporation from the skin.

In general, mineral oil does seem to have a bad rep, but I haven't really seen any credible sources. Usually it's "ZOMG IT'S MADE FROM CRUDE OIL!!11!"
 

ThePowderPuff

Well-known member
Absolutely not! It's one of the safest most well-researched ingredients in cosmetics. It's aboslute nonsens that it should be damaging.

But like any other oil you should be carefull with it, fi you get breakouts. But dry skin will benefit from it definitely.

I will recommend the same link as Jinni.
 

Kragey

Well-known member
Quote:
Originally Posted by shatteredshards
I stay the heck away from it. Why? Because I became allergic to it about 4 years ago. I blister and scar wherever I apply it.

Mineral oil, petroleum jelly, whatever...as mern said, it's a byproduct of crude oil production. It's not purposefully made, it just happens when they mine all that oil to make fuels, and it makes them money to sell it off rather than dispose of it.

I'm dead serious, it's all about money. When they can either pay to dispose of it as industrial waste, or they can get paid by companies who put it in soap, lotion, hair products, lip products, makeup, medical products (Neosporin, believe it or not, is glorified Vaseline, nothing more)...which do you think they will choose?

Another fun fact: your body cannot absorb mineral oil in any way, not just through the skin, but even by ingestion, in which case it passes through the body entirely, untouched.

In short, your moisturizer is not a good moisturizer, rather, it's going to cause your skin to be addicted to the product, forcing you to apply it more because your skin isn't improving, and consequently making them more money because you go through the stuff faster.


See, that's what confuses me. My skin appears MUCH better after a month of use. I use a much smaller amount when I get out of the shower now (not like it was a GLOB to begin with, but still), and my skin feels great all day. I really only plan on using this in the winter when my combo skin gets Hella dry in places, but all of these differing opinions are still REALLY confusing me.
 

rocketqueen

Well-known member
I think there's so many different cosmetic grades of mineral oil, that ingredient can vary so much in quality. If mineral oil would actually be the devil some people think it is, many women in their 70's today would have no skin left if you were to believe the rumours that are going on about mineral oil.

I know women who has been using vaseline (!) and nothing else on their skin for 50 years and they are beautiful, with perfectly glowing skin. While some people can get perfect results from it, that method would mess up other people's skin. All I want to say is that I don't think that a common used ingredient like mineral oil is 100% bad for everyone. Heck, use common sense and try what works for you - trust yourself and the results you see for yourself! If it doesn't work, than just stay away. If it works, then go ahead and use it, a face cream won't kill you.

Mineral oil isn't particularly beneficial for Mother Nature though, as it is much more non-biodegradable than, say, plant oils. But that is definitely another discussion...
 

elektra513

Well-known member
Quote:
Originally Posted by rocketqueen
I think there's so many different cosmetic grades of mineral oil, that ingredient can vary so much in quality. If mineral oil would actually be the devil some people think it is, many women in their 70's today would have no skin left if you were to believe the rumours that are going on about mineral oil.

I know women who has been using vaseline (!) and nothing else on their skin for 50 years and they are beautiful, with perfectly glowing skin. While some people can get perfect results from it, that method would mess up other people's skin. All I want to say is that I don't think that a common used ingredient like mineral oil is 100% bad for everyone. Heck, use common sense and try what works for you - trust yourself and the results you see for yourself! If it doesn't work, than just stay away. If it works, then go ahead and use it, a face cream won't kill you.

Mineral oil isn't particularly beneficial for Mother Nature though, as it is much more non-biodegradable than, say, plant oils. But that is definitely another discussion...


Thanks so much for saying the bold.
yes.gif
If a product has poorer quality "ingredient x", you can't overgeneralize and say that all products containing "ingredient x" suck.

Some of the best moisturizers contain petroleum/mineral oil. It's an occlusive, so it's great for sealing moisture in. I apply my moisturizers on damp skin for this very reason. My skin has never been more moisturized and supple.

I think that if something clogs your pores its moreso one's cleansing method/practice that is to blame, not necessarily the ingredients (case in point, MAC foundations)...
 

shatteredshards

Well-known member
I may seal moisture in, but, since it does, also seals moisture out - why do you think it's the main ingredient in diaper rash cream? Keep that in mind.

We know the FDA approves some things that really probably shouldn't be approved, and that they're not entirely upfront. Having said that, I don't believe mineral oil's use in cosmetics has been as extensively researched as we would think. If you look up petroleum jelly's history (remember, mineral oil is just the liquid form of vaseline), you'll find that older magical medical uses for petroleum jelly/mineral oil have been debunked, and have even been proven as harmful, in more modern times. If we're still disproving original uses of the product, isn't it quite possible that we have yet to discover other things about it?

I know this is internal vs external use, but an example against mineral oil's alleged perfect safety is located at the American Cancer Society website.

Quote:
Don't take mineral oil longer than a week. It blocks absorption of certain nutrients, including vitamins A, D, E, and K. It can also build up in the tissues and cause problems.

Now, keep reading, to the bottom of the page.

Quote:
FDA approval
This drug appears to pre-date the current FDA approval process, which would mean it was not required to get formal FDA approval.

Now, meet benzene, a known carcinogen. Benzene occurs naturally in crude oil...which is what mineral oil is made from.

The CDC on benzene.

The Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry's take on benzine.

Yeah, OSHA's got a page on benzine, too.

And so does the US Envoronmental Protection Agency.

Do we want to bet that the purification process is perfect and they're getting all of the benzene out? Considering we can't even manage to keep from screwing up peanut butter, I'm not about to.
 

elektra513

Well-known member
Quote:
Originally Posted by shatteredshards
I may seal moisture in, but, since it does, also seals moisture out - why do you think it's the main ingredient in diaper rash cream? Keep that in mind.


True. But sometimes having excess moisture available isn't a good thing. Perfect example--frizzy hair is a result of too much moisture in the air. What can temporarily fix this? Smoothing products that are occlusives on damp hair
smiles.gif
 

Jinni

Well-known member
Quote:
Originally Posted by shatteredshards
Now, meet benzene, a known carcinogen. Benzene occurs naturally in crude oil...which is what mineral oil is made from.

The CDC on benzene.

The Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry's take on benzine.

Yeah, OSHA's got a page on benzine, too.

And so does the US Envoronmental Protection Agency.

Do we want to bet that the purification process is perfect and they're getting all of the benzene out? Considering we can't even manage to keep from screwing up peanut butter, I'm not about to.


Benzine are Benzene is not the same. I don't think anyone is arguing that benzene isn't toxic.

I'd definitely be willing to bet that the removal of benzene is sufficient. I did my dissertation on petrochemical catalysis, though I am not familiar with peanut butter manufacturing. I am not sure they are comparable.

Chemical derivatives of benzene is used in plenty of other products. We don't go around worrying about those all the time.

Any litterature suggesting that benzene should be present in commercially available mineral oil?
 

shatteredshards

Well-known member
Look, my point is that just because the government says it's okay, or says it isn't an issue, or says it isn't there, doesn't make it true. The government is full of people who aren't so bright and are liars.

There are FD&C colorants made from coal tar, that are being researched as carcinogens. You know what one of the most common products with those colorants is? Kraft macaroni & cheese dinner. You know what another product is? Mountain Dew.
 

Jinni

Well-known member
Quote:
Originally Posted by shatteredshards
Look, my point is that just because the government says it's okay, or says it isn't an issue, or says it isn't there, doesn't make it true. The government is full of people who aren't so bright and are liars.

There are FD&C colorants made from coal tar, that are being researched as carcinogens. You know what one of the most common products with those colorants is? Kraft macaroni & cheese dinner. You know what another product is? Mountain Dew.


I'm not saying it's safe because it's FDA approved. Though I have a lot of respect for the FDA auditors I have met; there is quite a bit of lobbyism going on. There are also significant differences between EU and FDA regulations; so clearly these issues are not always agreed upon.

I've never eaten a Kraft macaroni and cheese, and I don't drink soda. I don't understand why we are bringing all this food into a discussion about mineral oil. I'm not arguing that any of these is safe. I don't think I've even encountered them here so maybe there is legislation preventing them from being sold.

I have still to see a source that documents the dangers of mineral oil.
 

shatteredshards

Well-known member
I was using it as an example to my point. I thought that was pretty obvious?

Mineral oil is made from something that contains at least one known carcinogen. I've provided the references on that already. It is pretty close to impossible for a purification process to remove all traces of that carcinogen from mineral oil. I'm not saying there's no way whatsoever, but I'm pretty firm in my belief that trace amounts are left and left that way, because regulations (and I say this is for a fact in the US) tend to have a maximum amount on a lot of carcinogens and harmful things that can still legally be in a product, meaning they limit your exposure to a certain amount, but you're still exposed. Perfectly fine and legal by the US FDA.

I'm looking for medical texts to reference, but while we're all waiting, how about some source that documents the benefits of mineral oil? Something credible, perhaps?
 

Jinni

Well-known member
Quote:
Originally Posted by shatteredshards
Mineral oil is made from something that contains at least one known carcinogen. I've provided the references on that already. It is pretty close to impossible for a purification process to remove all traces of that carcinogen from mineral oil. I'm not saying there's no way whatsoever, but I'm pretty firm in my belief that trace amounts are left and left that way, because regulations (and I say this is for a fact in the US) tend to have a maximum amount on a lot of carcinogens and harmful things that can still legally be in a product, meaning they limit your exposure to a certain amount, but you're still exposed. Perfectly fine and legal by the US FDA.

Well, the issue here is that so many things are made from crude oil. Should we start being afraid of plastic as well since most plastic is made from oil? Synthetic clothing, rubber, fibers and many wound care items are made from crude oil. Other chemicals derived from petrochemical catalysis are used in medicine and other everyday items.

I am very aware of the carcinogens we expose ourselves to every day. I avoid pesticides like the plague, and I try to prepare my food in a way that prevents carcinogens from forming. I try to cut out products with chemicals with hormonal effects. I'm not blind to the fact that we expose ourselves to a lot of chemicals every day. I'm just not worried about mineral oil.

Quote:
I'm looking for medical texts to reference, but while we're all waiting, how about some source that documents the benefits of mineral oil? Something credible, perhaps?

Some peer reviewed journals:
Wiley InterScience :: Session Cookies
Wiley InterScience :: Session Cookies
A toxicological review of topical exposure to whit... [Food Chem Toxicol. 1996] - PubMed result
http://jdr.sagepub.com/cgi/reprint/51/6/1672.pdf
http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=3097361

Others that don't seem to be available online:
Klingman, A. Regression method for assessing the efficacy of moisturizers. Cosm Toiletr 93:27, 1978
Spruitt D. The interference of some substances with the water vapor loss of human skin. Dermatologica 18:433, 1971.

Text book:
http://books.google.com/books?id=JpfgVgb62nsC

This page looks like it has a lot of references for more reading (I haven't read through it, so some might not be relevant): Gaia Research - Mineral Oil Vs Plant Oil
 

shatteredshards

Well-known member
Plastics are a load of awesome in themselves, since it's already been discovered that they can leech chemicals into the water, juice, food you keep in them.

But, in response to your references:
1. What may not bother one person can bother another in the case of something being comedogenic. It really depends on the person. We know this.
2. It protected the skin from another chemical. Yes, because it's essentially wrapping yourself in plastic wrap. That still doesn't mean it's good for your skin in itself.
3. They explain it's not bad for you, even though people are paranoid, but they avoid the fact that it's actually good for your skin completely. "It's been used safely for a long time" doesn't even come close.
4. I think the only reason why this is true is because the petroleum base in such products traps the active ingredients in the wound - they have no choice but to absorb into the skin. The study was done with "petroleum ointments," not plain, unaltered petroleum jelly. Personally, I can't use Aquaphor, Neosporin, etc because it will cause my wound to take longer to heal and scar pretty badly.
5. See #1.
 

Latest posts

Top