Mineral Oil - Safe for Babies, Massaging & Me?

We assume so much when we shop. That everything on sale is safe, that things for babies are especially safe, and that big business and the government have our best interests at heart and will protect us from unscrupulous products or manufacturers. Take mineral oil, for example. I mean, they sell it for babies as “Baby Oil”, so it must be OK, mustn’t it?

Common Question: “I use baby oil sometimes for my legs as they are very dry. I am thinking maybe I should just get some almond oil or something else? I have a small bottle baby oil and have just been using it. Is it good or is it not so good? My legs seem drier after using it for a week.”

And the rather complex answer?

The name mineral oil by itself is deliberately vague and sounds innocuous enough. If you try to identify the correct chemical name, you’ll learn there actually isn’t one. Other names/synonyms for mineral oil are: Paraffin oil; Heat-treating oil; Hydraulic oil; Cable oil; Lubricating oil; Oil mist, refined mineral; mineral oil mist; oil mist, mineral, severely refined; Uvasol; Paraffin oils; Mineral oil hydrocarbon solvent (petroleum); Mineral oil (saturated parrafin oil); oil, petroleum; Nujol; liquid paraffin; white mineral oil; clearteck; drakeol; hevyteck; filtrawhite; frigol; kremol; kaydol; alboline; paroleine; Saxol; adepsine oil; glymol; lignite oil; blandol white mineral oil; carnea 21; Ervol; gloria; hydrocarbon oils; peneteck; primol; triona b; blandlube; crystosol; Molol; protopet; bayol f; crystol 325; fonoline; bayol 55; kondremul; neo-cultol; oil mist; penreco; perfecta; petrogalar; primol 355; primol d; tech pet f; Petroleum hydrocarbons; jute batching oil; paraffin oil (class); petrolatum, liquid; white oil; Mineral oil, aromatic; Mineral oil, paraffinic; Mineral Seal Oil; Electrical Insulating Oil; OIL MIST, MINERAL (MINERAL OIL)

Now that’s reassuring and all very natural-sounding, isn’t it? Especially when you consider that mineral oil is the primary ingredient for a number of leading brands of “natural” cosmetics. Not to mention baby products.

So what do the people who sell it have to say? The statement on the website of a major petroleum oil product supplier: “Pharmaceutical white oils are generally recognized as safe. The products are not known to have any allergenic, skin irritation or toxic side effects.” Do you believe that? If I buy a 50kg drum of “white oil” here in Thailand from the chemical supplier, it comes complete with a Hazchem warning, reminding me to use it in a well-ventilated space (it can cause and trigger asthma) and cautioning me that it cause skin dryness and irritation.

Negative Effects of Mineral Oil in Skin Care

A liquid produced by the distillation of petroleum, mineral oil is odorless, tasteless and inexpensive. It is a common ingredient in baby lotions, cold creams, ointments and cosmetics. Its slippery quality helps products spread easily across the skin; however, the Environmental Working Group lists mineral oil as a potential hazard due to its link to skin irritation, allergic reaction and cancer.

Stops skin “breathing” naturally.

Mineral oil coasts the skin with an impermeable layer that inhibits the skin's natural ability to breathe. Although product manufacturers claim that this helps locks moisture in the skin, opponents of mineral oil caution that this film interferes with the skin's ability to eliminate toxins through sweat. Mineral oil can also block pores and cause acne, potentially leading to long-term scarring. According to Mercola.com, this effect also prevents the absorption of any healthful ingredients in your moisturizers or skin treatment products.

Accelerates Drying.

Because mineral oil pulls moisture away from the skin, it can contribute to dry skin and chapping, even though it is sold to alleviate these skin conditions. According to Positive Health Online, this effect also robs newly formed cells of moisture, which interferes with normal cell development, slowing down the cell renewal rate and contributing to premature aging of the skin. While the sun is the number one cause of skin damage and premature aging, skin care products with mineral oil aren't helpful and may contribute to the damage.

Causes Skin Rashes.

According to Drugs.com, common side effects of mineral oil and petroleum jelly include mild itching, burning, stinging or dry skin. Severe side effects, in those who are allergic, may include rash, hives, difficulty breathing, or swelling of the face, lips, mouth or tongue.

Linked to Cancer. 

According to the National Toxicology Program, unrefined or mildly refined mineral oil is a known carcinogen due to the presence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which naturally occur in coal and petroleum. PAHs have been linked to various cancers, including scrotal, gastrointestinal, sinonasal, bladder and lung cancer. (reference 5) Mineral oil used for cosmetic purposes is highly refined to remove PAHs, but the U.S. Food and Drug Administration requires that some over-the-counter products containing mineral oil now display a warning label. Consumer advocacy groups such as the Environmental Working Group advise exercising caution when using products containing mineral oil until more conclusive research is available.

And why is that research not being conducted? Start looking around and reading labels and you will find mineral oil is in the vast majority of all cosmetics, soaps and personal care products. Why? It’s cheap. Let’s just delicately say that the political will is simply not there to conduct research that would jeopardize the profits of the big players in the cosmetic and personal care product business.

The conclusion? If your health matters to you, choose only personal care products using natural plant-based oils. Read widely and make good, environmentally sustainable choices when you shop.

References:

Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database: Mineral Oil
Positive Health Online: Mineral Oil Petroleum Derivative in Beauty Products
Mercola.com: Traditional Tanning Oils Contain Harsh Chemicals and Potentially Dangerous Ingredients
Drugs.com: Mineral Oil Side Effects
National Toxicology Program: Substance Profiles: Mineral Oil

Essential Oils Can Make Me More Beautiful?

Essential oils are about smell, aren’t they? Natural healing aromas from Mother Earth.  Sure they can help you relax, sleep better, feel less nauseous, boost your mood.  But that’s not “beauty” – I want to LOOK good as well as feel good and be well.  That’s mostly how the masses think about essential oils – a fragrant add-on to the way we feel and experience health, but not relevant to beauty or looks.  Actually, that thinking is quite wrong.

Did you know essential oils work and have therapeutic benefit even when you can’t smell them? A 2009 study on rose oil deprived subjects of their sense of smell and applied the essential oil directly to the skin only.  Even without all the gorgeous memories and associations with the divine smell of blooming summer roses, the measured relaxation effect on the test group (as opposed to the clinical control group) was significant. (1) 

So, essential oils are not really about smell per se at all, and effective even when we’re not blissing out on their magnificent natural aromas.  What are those benefits and how do they contribute to beauty and the way I look? 

Essential oils trigger parts of the brain and limbic system that contribute to relaxation, better sleep, improved mood, better blood circulation, improved immune response and optimal hormonal function.  Better sleep equals less sags and bags and optimal production of human growth hormone for cell repair and healthy new skin.  Improved mood means less frown lines and sags around the mouth, and more smile lines (which are gorgeous!).  Better blood flow means better waste removal, better detox and improved oxygenation of the tissue cells and skin, which helps to give that hard-to-define “radiant glow” that truly beautiful people have.  Reduced stress and improved relaxation leads to an overall letting go in the body, face, jaw and shoulders, which leads to softer muscles and better movement of blood.  Improved hormonal function directly leads to less blemishes, better mood, more smiles and yes, even more love-making (and that makes everyone look and feel more beautiful too!).  And improved immune response keeps us well – we all know that looking and feeling sick does NOT make us beautiful.

Think for a moment of the most aggressive, stressed out, sleep deprived person you know: all frown lines, pursed lips, locked jaw and tight.  Not beautiful.  When the myriad of tiny muscles of the face are contracted through stress, worry or anger, the skin pulls differently and blood flow is constricted, which in turn impedes natural skin detox and leads to blemishes, pallor and a loss of skin elasticity.  Consider that prolonged stress makes it harder to sleep and, in time, will make us sick.

 

Using essential oils as part of your daily health and body care routine contributes to the way you feel, look and to your natural beauty.  You don’t have to sit hovering next to an oil vaporizer to achieve this – I mean, who has time for that?  You can use natural body oils blended with essential oils as part of your daily after-shower or before-bed routine – gorgeous silky smooth skin as well as an essential oil health treatment.  You can spritz on essential oils in natural sprays during the day or just whenever you need a “boost”.  You can plan for a hot herbal ball treatment after a great massage – as the hot herbs release their healing benefits to your muscles through the essential oils they release, your whole being will respond.  You could even simply add a few drops of essential oil to a handkerchief and put in your clothes drawer or cupboard – that way even hurrying to dress for work is taking care of yourself.

 

Be aware that products containing essential oils must contain ONLY essential oils and not additional synthetic substances or fragrances – these synthetic additives are incredibly harmful to your health (read Essential Oil + Fragrance = Something Stinks! to understand this issue better).

 

Celebrate the magnificent essential oils Mother Earth has blessed us with and indulge yourself daily for not only better health, but for a soft, radiant, natural beauty that shines like nothing you can ever buy in a bottle.

 

¹Hongratanaworakit, T. Relaxing effect of rose oil on humans. Natural Product Communications, 4(2), 291-6.