Mineral oil is a
commonly used ingredient in skin care products, but it often gets a bad rap. Separate fact from fiction with a little help
from our Educator and Artistic Direction, Alejandro Falcon.
Fact or Fiction: Mineral Oil causes acne.
Answer: FICTION
Slathering a heavy
mineral oil all over the face may exacerbate the condition for some acne-prone
individuals. However, most people will
not experience any problems. In fact, a
2005 study reported in
the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology found that the type of highly refined and
purified Mineral Oil found in cosmetic and skincare products is non-comedogenic, meaning
it does not clog pores which can lead to blackheads and acne.
Fact or Fiction: Mineral Oil
causes cancer.
Answer: FICTION
A highly refined and
purified form of Mineral Oil is used for Cosmetic products. Its purity is regulated
by the United States FDA and other international regulatory agencies. There
is also absolutely no evidence that cosmetic grade Mineral Oil causes cancer and
there has been plenty of testing done to ensure that fact. There are no
published reports in any of the dermatological or medical journals
indicating a link between Mineral Oil and any forms of
cancer.
Fact or
Fiction: Mineral Oil is a skin irritant.
Answer: FACT & FICTION
It is the unrefined
and less expensive formulas, which in the past several decades, were used in
cosmetics and led to some irritations. That is because they were not purified
so they contained other irritating ingredients that caused issues on the skin. Purified
Mineral Oil will not cause any irritation on the skin. The nature of Mineral
Oil, topically, is to lubricate and prevent moisture loss. Molecularly it is
too big in size to penetrate or be absorbed by the skin.
Mineral Oil History
Most often, Mineral
Oil is a liquid by-product of the distillation of Petroleum. Petroleum, a
natural ingredient that comes from the Earth, is a naturally occurring
flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various
molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds that are found in
geological formations beneath the Earth’s surface. It is formed when large
quantities of dead organisms, usually zooplankton and algae, that are buried
underneath sedimentary rock, undergo intense heat and pressure. When the first
oil rigs were used to extract Petroleum from the ground, workers disliked the
paraffin-like material
forming on rigs because it caused them to malfunction but they noticed that,
when used on cuts and burns, it hastened healing. It also prevented the skin
on their hands from cracking. As we now know
that algae is full of antioxidants and healing properties. It was one of the
reasons the workers cuts were healing so rapidly.
A young chemist by
the name of Robert Chesebrough took the unrefined black "rod wax", as the
drillers called it, back to his laboratory to refine it and explore potential
uses. Chesebrough, traveled around New York demonstrating the
product to encourage sales by burning his skin with acid or an open flame, then
spreading the ointment on his injuries and showing how his past injuries
healed, he claimed, by his miracle product. He patented this product and opened
a store in 1870 using the name Vaseline. After petroleum jelly became a
medicine-chest staple, consumers began to use it for myriad ailments and
cosmetic purposes, including chapped hands and lips, toenail fungus. Swimmers used it all over their bodies to
keep warm in the water and maintain buoyancy when training, doing channel crossings
and long, ocean swims.
What exactly IS
Mineral Oil?
When distilling Petroleum, we can obtain Mineral Oil. It is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless liquid that has
hydrophobic qualities much like many other hydrocarbons derived from crude oil.
Mineral Oil is mostly found in ointments, baby skin products and creams for
cosmetic uses. It’s most well known as baby oil that is used by many mothers to
treat diaper rashes. Extremely pure Mineral Oil is also often used in cellular
applications such as In Vitro Fertilization, where it can be used to suspend
several oocytes and embryos on a single Petri dish while still being able to be
worked on and observed separately. It is also used on burn victims to prevent
their skins from cracking and promote healing.
The denser form of
Mineral Oil we know as Paraffin Wax. It helps
to seal moisture on the skin and is used in Pedicure and Manicuring treatments
to lock in moisturizers or serums.
Little Known Fact
Food-grade paraffin
wax (a denser form of Mineral Oil) is used in the following items:
·
Any Shiny coating
used in candy-making; although
edible, it is nondigestible, passing right through the body without being
broken down
·
Coating for many
kinds of hard cheeses, like Edam cheese
·
Ice cream topping
·
Sealant for jars,
cans, and bottles
·
Chewing gum additive
We actually ingest
more Mineral Oil, in its many forms, daily then the products we apply on our
skins. Since many natural ingredients are purified and processed to be safe for
skincare products. We have to keep in mind that Mineral Oil is
“Natural”. It is pulled right out of Mother Earth and purified for use in
Cosmetics. There is no synthetic process, just simple distillation of naturally
occurring oil. Even an ingredient like Panthenol requires some chemical
modification. For Mineral Oil, it is just natural purification.
Conclusion
At Osmosis use the highest grade and purified ingredients available
in our products. While we do not use
Mineral Oil in most of our products, Mineral Oil is used in our number one
selling Colour item, Age Defying Treatment Concealer. It is used in the color component of the concealer
to provide emollience for the pigments to cover evenly and completely when used
for camouflaging. Many of you have told us how much you love how this Concealer
covers so well and does not look caked or heavy under the eyes to accentuate
fine lines and wrinkles. This is due, in
part, to the mineral oil used in the concealer.
Even though mineral oil is listed in the top 5 ingredients of the
concealer, the amount used is a very small ratio within the formula. We hope this article
helps you feel safe using our most popular Colour product, the Age DefyingTreatment Concealer.
