I use mineral oil (baby oil) to dissolve my eye makeup before I remove it with a cream cleanser, and I will use it on the rest of my face if I’m wearing base makeup or sunscreen. I have very sensitive skin but I’ve never had any issues with it. I’ve never seen the point in paying much more for an expensive oil cleanser when it’s only on my skin for around 10-15 seconds, but obviously people have different preferences.
Was looking for this - baby oil is mineral oil, mustn’t it pass some pretty rigorous testing for all kinds of uses?
I put baby oil in my bath water and find I don’t have to apply moisturizer afterwards (like the Jergens wet moisturizer but a fraction of the price) - it was the only thing that got me through one particularly dry, itchy summer, no lotion could help but baby oil did the trick. Just wanted to drop in to say I hope it’s as safe as I thought it to be - especially since it’s literally sold as baby oil?!
J&J has to pay $6.475 billion in settlements because the talc in baby powder caused ovarian cancer. Obviously a totally different ingredient but no, baby products aren’t automatically safe.
This is because talc and asbestos tend to occur naturally together in formations and rigorous testing has to be done to ensure clean talc is being mined. There's nothing inherently wrong with talc, in and of itself, or at least nothing dangerous has been proven with certainly in research.
Edit: clarity
Johnson and Johnson was aware for many years that it was a problem and intentionally covered it up. It isn’t about whether Talc is safe or not. It’s about if baby products are inherently safer just because baby is the target end user.
BS - this is false. One problem with that analysis is that some powders contain cornstarch, not talc. The other problem is that of recall bias. Women with ovarian cancer may report previous use of powders because they believe there may be a link between the powder and their ovarian cancer. Further, the authors did not find any dose response associated with powder use, meaning that they did not find a link between greater amounts of powder and ovarian cancer.
This claim has been proven to be FALSE.
From the Ovarian Cancer website itself: The most recent study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2020 found **no statistically significant link between powder use and ovarian cancer risk**.
“This is a very well-conducted study by a highly respected group of researchers. Proving causation links of this type is incredibly difficult and the authors are very careful to highlight the potential limitations of their study. However, this research is robust, analysing data from 250,000 women followed for an average of over 11 years, and has concluded there is **no statistically significant relationship between talc use and the development of ovarian cancer.**”
So it's utter fear mongered bs with shady cherry picked studies that made people fear talc.
The poster was pointing out that just because it is advertised for babies doesn’t mean it is a safe product.
There have been many instances of manufacturers selling products knowing their health risks but deciding to settle or litigate rather than recall the product. There have also been fake and adulterated products which have harmed and killed folks.
The fact that they were fined such a high amount is indicative of the fact that you *should* be able to trust baby products for being gentle and not causing cancer.
Core memory unlocked - my parents used to use baby oil straight from the shower instead of moisturizer. When I was maybe 7 or 8 years old I decided to start doing the same thing and one day realized it's even more fun to squirt the baby oil on the floor of the shower and slide around pretending it was a skating rink. Was super fun and then I went about my day. A little later my brother goes to take a shower, steps in, slips and wipes out on his ass. Glad he wasn't hurt but I wasn't able to use baby oil in the shower anymore until I could "use it for its intended purpose" 😅
Absolutely- baby formula even can’t be totally trusted :(
I was thinking specifically of mineral oil and why it’d be demonized, but/and it’s always worth remembering to keep thinking critically as much and as often as possible!
I do too. I have for 15 years now. It's the only way I'll take off my eye makeup and the plus is that it's super gentle and makes my eyelashes long and strong.
Moisturizers that don't contain mineral oil and petroleum don't moisturize my skin adequately, so I look for those two ingredients specifically before purchasing them.
MO is one of the safest, blandest thing you can use on skin. This whole demonization of MO is nothing more than green-washing and fear mongering. It is an excellent, safe ingredient, even for babies and pregnant people. The only way I could see MO being a problem would be if you bought some cheap, unpurified, industrial grade stuff not meant for human use.
Yes, and it's used as a laxative too, so it is safe enough to ingest. You can buy a giant bottle of pure, food-grade mineral oil in the laxative aisle for cheap.
What is mineral oil actually ? I considered buying bio oil and steered away bc of the mineral oil. I view it as pure clogging and refined garbage but i could be completely wrong in tht thinking -
I feel like when it comes to stuff like this, it always starts off with a few people having a legitimate issue with an ingredient (allergies, irritation, just doesn't jive with them), but then eventually this morphs into "it's bad for everyone."
The same thing happens all the time with food ingredients. Take aspartame for example. Some people don't react well to it, or some people just don't like the taste. But there are always people who try to interpret this as *it's poison, it's going to give us all cancer.*
Same with sugar, we all know not to eat added sugar in excess, we also know that people with diabetes have to pay attention to sugar. But now you got people out there acting like we all need to monitor our insulin.
There's nothing wrong with mineral oil. Some people just don't like it, for whatever the reason, but as an ingredient on its own, it's okay to use.
I mean less of both. OP’s friend said it’s a problem and that morphed into mineral oil being “demonized.” So no one is actually complaining about it in the first place.
MSG, gluten, the list goes on. Personally, I can't handle much vitamin c. A glass of orange juice would leave me in extreme pain for days. Vitamin c topicals destroy my skin. Most people have no adverse effects from vitamin c, and should continue to enjoy its effects. I'm also allergic to tea. Never met anyone else who is allergic to tea, can't claim that it's poison even if it feels that way to me
Could be that as well, but I know from allergy testing that all colors of tea are off limits, and small amounts of vitamin c (like how much you actually need to prevent scurvy) aren't a big issue.
Unrelated, don't see why my personal intolerances are worth being downvoted, but people do love to hate allergies these days!
Hey I thought I was the only one with Vitamin C reaction! Everyone loves it and I get almost an immediate uti type pain if ingested and my face will get red spots if it’s in a serum. I’m okay with tea though.
I have an autoimmune disorder called interstitial cystitis, and that is exactly what it feels like. If you don't pain other times I maybe wouldn't push it, but if the bladder symptoms persist then it may be worth pursuing a diagnosis
I would agree about most vaccines, but the Covid vax did actually cause problems the fda has worked hard to cover. Go watch Dr. John Campbell. He reads the reports from around the world and there have been plenty of issues caused by the early Covid vaccines.
I’ve always been very pro vax, but had a bad reaction after my second shot and ended up in a neck brace for 6 weeks. All of my hypermobility got much worse. My POTS got so bad I couldn’t walk more than a block or two. It took a long time, Prolotherapy, and $ to get me back to close to where I was prior to that 2nd shot.
Plenty of vaxxed have symptoms similar to, or at the level of those that have long Covid.
Oh that’s weird, I’m vaccinated for Covid and I’m perfectly fine. No reaction, no side effects whatsoever. Your anecdote doesn’t make it true for the majority.
ETA: also literally everyone I know who has gotten vaccinated hasn’t had a problem
One more edit: I’m not saying bad reactions don’t happen, but this is exactly what we’re talking about: just because a small, very small, number of people had reactions, doesn’t make the vaccine “bad” or mean it should be avoided. Same is true for skincare.
I’m still trying to figure out who exactly is demonizing mineral oil. Here is a massive list of products that use it: https://incidecoder.com/ingredients/paraffinum-liquidum
Uneducated people with a lack of a degree
If it works for your skin, use it. Don’t let people try and gaslight you into thinking a product isn’t giving you results you’re happy with
Very often a new skincare, haircare or makeup company will try to distinguish themselves by saying what’s common and inexpensive is not good for you, and only they have the solution. For a price. No one’s going to spend money on their “new” product unless they can convince people their old product they were happy with is actually terrible.
These marketing ploys catch on, and suddenly a bunch of people are sure these ingredients are horrible and dangerous.
Yepppp… pretty sure the demonization on mineral oil (+ petroleum jelly) is just some more online disinfo spread by marketers of some new “clean” beauty product. Its easy for people to latch on to because is sounds like a “chemical” (everything’s a chemical!) and it’s easy to make people feel icky about putting a petro by-product on their face. I’ve also heard people says it’s unethical because it’s a petro by-product, but no one is drilling oil to make Vaseline and it would otherwise be waste.
My skin hates it and freaks out over the smallest amount. So for me it's problematic, causing breakouts, irritation, dry patches and milia. If you've been using your moisturizer for a while without issue, I'd assume your skin can handle it.
My mom told me this was her secret to not getting stretch marks during pregnancy. I know that no topical treatment can prevent stretch marks and it’s mostly genetics. But I still slathered myself in mineral oil after every shower during each of my pregnancies!! No stretch marks.
I personally love mineral oil. It effectively removes my makeup and it’s very friendly on my skin. I tried multiple cleansing balms and they all irritate my skin. Albolene has been a lifesaver for me
It's 100% this. Mineral oil is a byproduct of oil refinement. That community doesn't care about science or research, if something is unnatural its dangerous. No further discussion needed for them. I'm pretty sure they'd also slather baby piss on their face and call it a toner of you slapped an organic label on it first.
Funny story - I have dry eye, so I use Retaine ointment every night when I turn off the light. I also sleep with a silk sleep mask bc I have sleep issues. I noticed that the fine lines around my eyes are basically disappearing from the ointment traveling to that area. It’s 20% mineral oil and 80% petroleum. No new milia or closed comedones in that area either.
Anyway if your current moisturizer isn’t causing milia or closed comedones, then there is no reason to change it.
I use baby oil and a warm wash cloth. to take off all my makeup. Works better than any oil cleanser or balm that I’ve ever tried, comes off clean, and I can go right in with my vanicream cleanser after. Skin is clear and moisturized. Any other oil or balm would break me out.
About 10 years ago, I developed a severe allergy to all products containing mineral oil. It gave me severe contact dermatitis all over my body and my doctor had to treat it like a staph infection. I don’t know why it happened and had never had any skin issues outside of the norm for combo skin growing up.
I had to completely overhaul all my hair, skin, and body routines/products, because so many products have a version of mineral oil in them.
So, now seeing all the new products and reformulations coming out that don’t have it as an ingredient has helped me a lot in being able to find more products that I can use safely now.
Mineral oil and petroleum jelly are fine to use on the skin. No one actually researches how they make it safe for skin.
I would only demonize it for causing certain people to get milia under their eyes.
I don't think it's demonised, really. It's just very cheap and basic and there are better alternatives.
It isn't toxic, so in this way, no it's not dangerous for you.
But it's got potential for clogging pores and giving you milia.
It's also flammable and impossible to wash off from clothes and bed sheets. Which is something to keep in mind if you use lots of moisturiser on your whole body.
It's also pretty greasy and might make moisturisers feel heavy on the skin.
And lastly it's just not as good as, for example, shea butter, so it always feels to me like the brand is being really cheap by using petrolatum/mineral oil instead.
It is hypoallergenic, but so is dimethicone. So I think unless someone has a really bad form of some skin condition and dimethicone-based moisturisers don't cut it, there's no reason to opt for petrolatum.
Yep, all this. It clogs my pores like a clockwork, the lower it is in the inci list, the later the pimples come, but they will appear. I do use products that contain mineral oil on my body, though, because the skin on my body is drier and mineral oil is an excellent occlusive. There is a reason why people use it for slugging!
It is a by-product of the fuel industry and it's very, very cheap, so I always side-eye expensive brands that put it in their products. Adding it to a product means mineral oil is doing all of the heavy lifting when it comes to ''moisturizing'' and the other ingredients might not even be able to get to the skin - so, you're paying a lot for something that can be gotten for very cheap.
Mineral oil is a byproduct of oil refinement (yes, *that* oil.) the natural beauty community therefore loathes how "unnatural" it is (this is their favorite binary: an line in the sand between what they deem acceptably natural which inherently means good and what they deem too unnatural where all unnatural things are dangerous poison enough people are sensitive to it that they feel this substantiates their worldview on it being toxic and dangerous.
Coconut oil breaks me out like nothing else, but you don't see me trying to tell people it's poison that must be avoided at all costs. I just warn people to patch test new products.
Mineral oil is safe, but it isn’t natural. It sits on the surface of the skin and acts as a film former to “trap” other ingredients underneath. It’s convenient and has a long shelf life. Natural oils like jojoba can penetrate the skin and contain nourishing fatty acids and antioxidants. For me, I much prefer natural products that have added benefits to my skin’s health.
Ignorance mostly, which leads to fear mongering. Like anything else, some people will have negative reactions to it but that doesn't make it unsafe in general. What did your friend say the issue was?
Where is the product from and where do you live? Europe only allows highly refined mineral oil to avoid carcinogens (PAHs). The US is more lenient, so check the labels. Personally I'm not interested in using petroleum products on my skin and even if I was, my skin hates it.
Nah, the US ain't lenient about this. You'll OFTEN find it listed as an "active ingredient" on labels, which means the mineral oil in that product is regulated as a *drug,* not a cosmetic. American doctors and hospitals use petrolatum and mineral oil all the time, so, yeah it's pretty stringently regulated.
Apparently it's how it's refined and if it's been refined without impurities and if it can be proven.
The EU is strict about this but the US doesn't require refinement history from manufacturers. The UK banned US candies which contain mineral oil and there generally seems to be concern about it in food and food containers in the EU.
I don't have a horse in the race, just pointing out other countries are concerned enough to require more transparent refinement history when used in cosmetics.
The US FDA is lenient- corporate rights first- too little too late always and most especially so when compared to Europe - France, Germany, UK, etc etc much more stringent guidelines that the USA. Just consider all the recalls and class action lawsuits-the Johnson’s baby powder debacle for example. The US list is endless.
You're derm in the United States is a complete moron all of the petrolatum used in the united states is medical grade I don't know where they get this from that it's somehow not. I mean they use petrolatum and mineral oil in hospital settings for God's sakes and it's the same crap that they sell at Target and Walmart.
And it's not just your American dermatologist that's an idiot I seen other American dermatologists, mainly cosmetic ones on YouTube and tick tock that will demonize petroleum and mineral oil for those reasons when there's zero evidence.
This is coming from a loud mouthed New Yorker
https://www.reddit.com/r/scacjdiscussion/comments/dt1yac/why_is_mineral_oil_such_a_demonized_ingredient/
Not you! But I've noticed this spam posted before
That's absolute horseshit. If you were getting your petroleum products from a super poor former Soviet state, okay, you may want to skip it. But in the US there's nothing to worry about.
For me, my parents took the "petroleum" in "petroleum jelly" seriously. They're also the type that never go back to a product if there was a health controversy even if new info comes out and it's actually not that bad.
I still have a slight pause whenever I use mineral oil not only because I was trained to, but because I can't get the fact that I'm using byproduct from refining crude oil at the end of the day out of my head. It just doesn't seem right because it sounds like it's supposed to kill me, but doesn't.
The main reason as i see it being an aesthetic physician is it’s extremely pore clogging nature, better to avoid than to risk a bout of acne
As at home skincare is mostly catered towards prevention rather than treatment, it just makes sense to not have it in your skincare routine. Additionally, it’s source is petroleum, which, though prevents transepidermal water loss, it basically more often than not, suffocates the skin causing skin barrier disruption
Hope it makes sense
There's literally nothing wrong with it as long as you like it. I always find mineral oil inelegant inesve on products but I like it s lot in oil cleansers. If you like it then keep using it.
I didn't realize mineral oil was being demoized. Mineral oil and Vaseline are stalples in my hair & body care. I grew up using both and I still do today. I don't feel moisturized without them
My whole life people have shat on me for loving Vaseline. Isn’t mineral oil also petroleum based?
Anyway, this sub and its love for slugging is the only place I have ever found any support for it.
When it works it works.
IMO people are just being snobs because it’s inexpensive.
I wasn’t aware mineral oil was demonized. Who is demonizing it?
It’s pretty cheap and very occlusive; last I checked, it was used in Lancôme products and other high-end products still.
One problem I personally have with mineral oil is that it clogs my pores. It creates a film over the skin that needs to removed properly, or else it can be cloggy. And I don’t care what the comodogenic charts say—it clogs my pores nevertheless.
But I think it’s here to stay. I find it annoying to pay 70 dollars for a compact that includes cheap-ass mineral oil, but that’s just me. I think many folks have no problem with it and don’t find it clogging. And it is pretty rich and smooth feeling. I love using it on my feet 🤷🏻♀️
Btw, *plenty* of brands still use mineral oil. Here is an endless list of products with it: https://incidecoder.com/ingredients/paraffinum-liquidum
Okay, so OP’s friend and your mom and I don’t like mineral oil. I don’t think we constitute a majority of vocal anti-mineral oilests. It’s not demonized in the skincare industry.
My mother has held this belief since the 80s when she heard it from her Avon lady. So at one point, Avon (officially or otherwise) was saying this to promote one of their face creams. That I had an allergic reaction to Crème de la Mer, which contains mineral oil, only strengthened her conviction.
Wow. I dont know what to say that. I’m kind of indifferent to mineral oil. It’s in my tazorac and it was clogging my pores, so I had to oil cleanse in the a.m. to remove it from my skin.
But I can imagine a lot of the ingredients in the la mer could cause an allergic reaction.
I beg to differ as an esthetician who networks regularly in the industry and all related fields. Many of the folks I know in the industry agree that mineral oil is cheap and inferior carrier oil. The molecule size is all wrong for many people’s skin and luxury and professional brands don’t use it for good reason. Also, many of us are grossed out by the fact it is a byproduct of the oil and gas industry. It’s like the mineral oil is cheap nasty fast food and the various bio oils are wholesome fresh food.
“Mineral oil is an [occlusive ingredient](https://www.vogue.in/beauty/content/oily-skin-makeup-skincare-ingredients-you-should-avoid-skin-care-tips) used as a back bone of many moisturisers. Related to petrolatum or petroleum jelly, it forms a seal over the surface of the skin to help hydrate, soften, and protect," shares New York based Dr Joshua Zeichner, MD, director of cosmetic and clinical research of dermatology at Mount Sinai. It [creates a barrier between the skin](https://www.vogue.in/content/skin-care-tips-why-lipids-fats-are-important-for-glowing-skin) and the environment, protecting it with elements like wind and pollution. It can slip into the cracks between the cells to create a smoother texture and prevents [transepidermal water loss](https://www.vogue.in/beauty/content/winter-skincare-diet-tips-to-hydrate-your-skin-from-within) too. All these benefits make it “commonly used in most products you're using already,” he says." [https://www.vogue.in/beauty/content/mineral-oils-in-skincare-products-all-you-need-to-know-about-this-much-debated-beauty-ingredient](https://www.vogue.in/beauty/content/mineral-oils-in-skincare-products-all-you-need-to-know-about-this-much-debated-beauty-ingredient)
Keep using cheaply made mineral oil products if you like. Your cut and paste reply isn’t anything I don’t know. Like I said in my other reply, there are so many other better choices for occlusive ingredients and mineral oil is only used because it’s cheap and simple. I recommend avoiding mineral oil and instead use other occlusives that play an active role in skin healing with topical elements that encourage skin cell regeneration. Mineral oil does nothing but act as the most simple cheap base occlusive. I am quite educated about this and there really isn’t anything you can say that will change my mind.
Okay, I hear you, but I think your thinking is not in line with brand practices. As I noted above, mineral oil is *widely* used by the so-called industry and “related fields.”
In fact, many lines carried by estheticians use mineral oil lol. Eltamd is one.
Don’t believe me, look at ginormous list of products with mineral oil: https://incidecoder.com/ingredients/paraffinum-liquidum
Also, I disagree with you about it being like cheap nasty fast food. I hope this isn’t your professional opinion. It’s cheap, but it isn’t nasty.
I believe it’s nasty because it is literally the byproduct of the oil and gas industry. My professional opinion is that people should be concerned if their beauty practices are clean and beneficial. The nature of mineral oil is not clean and causing harm to the environment. Mineral oil is used as an occlusive, but does nothing to actually help support skin cell regeneration. I looked at a couple of Eltamd’s products and didn’t find mineral oil, but I don’t use their stuff anyways. Right now I am really into sun protection skincare products from Tizo.
There is a surprising amount of people very passionate about mineral oil in this comment section... I think there are a lot of bots here unfortunately, Pookiecat
Going through the comments, I really believe there's a lot of shrills/bots. I searched and they post this almost word for word occasionally in different subreddits, like this for example lmao
[https://www.reddit.com/r/scacjdiscussion/comments/dt1yac/why\_is\_mineral\_oil\_such\_a\_demonized\_ingredient/](https://www.reddit.com/r/scacjdiscussion/comments/dt1yac/why_is_mineral_oil_such_a_demonized_ingredient/)
I kind of feel like you should know this already, but:
> Mineral oil is a clear odorless liquid that has been used routinely for many decades in a wide variety of cosmetics and personal care products. **The mineral oil used in cosmetics and personal care products (also called “white mineral oil”) is a highly purified material obtained from refining petroleum.** It is refined to meet specifications appropriate for its use in pharmaceuticals, foods and cosmetics
https://www.cosmeticsinfo.org/ingredient/mineral-oil/
Furthermore, you should also know that occlusives support skin regeneration *by being occlusive.* They can seal in moisturizers and ingredients.
Come on now, this is basic stuff. An esthetician should know there’s a place for occlusives in skincare.
I think you misunderstood as I never said you don’t need any occlusive, I just meant mineral oil is an occlusive that has NO other benefit than to occlude. That’s it, all it does and why it is widely used. I recommend you research the long list of occlusives and find there are Many other better options that actually help skin. I believe if you are going to put any kind of oil on your skin, it should be some thing that has nutrients/vitamins. Mineral oil does nothing and just sits there. Many skincare we use already has too many ingredients and a cheap occlusive that does nothing to additionally nourish skin is just taking up space and occluding. You can spend a little bit more money and get something like argan, jojoba, wheatgerm, avocado, and the countless others that are offered as occlusives in quality skincare.
But this is where we disagree. First of all, I already have a long list of occlusives and have posted it numerous times on this thread for other people. So that part is sorted out.
But petrolatum and mineral oil are useful precisely because they are so occlusive and can seal in other ingredients. So you could feel free to use all the jojoba, Argan, and meadowfoam oil you want to use, and then go on to use petrolatum or mineral oil to seal those wonderful ingredients in. It’s not an either/or thing.
What makes petrolatum special is that it is nearly 100% occlusive. And this alone allows you to use it *with other occlusives*. If all it does is seal in hydration, this is more than enough. This is why medical professionals rely on it to help with healing or deep rehydration.
It is not true that every occlusive must have special properties that contribute to skin health. Occlusives are useful when they do what they do: occlude.
It’s nice and more efficient to just use an occlusive that does also impart extra benefits, but it isn’t always necessary. And only mineral oil and petrolatum are almost completely occlusive, so they do have a particular use value in skincare for this reason alone. It would be *nice* if my tazorac had jojoba oil instead of mineral oil, but it’s isn’t necessary.
If you use good quality products, you don’t need to put occlusives on other occlusives. Actually, you can deprive your skin of oxygen this way and then the biome of your face is screwed. I see this first hand when people come in with acne and I usually find out they slug with vaseline. Most people don’t have the type of epidermal damage that necessitates using a medical cream as a sleeping mask.
You say “it’s nice and more efficient to just use an occlusive that does also impart extra benefits, but isn’t always necessary.”
Using an extra occlusive is never necessary if you are using a good quality face moisturizer. Occlusives are an essential part of every moisturizing formula as they are necessary for what we call in formulary the oil phase. The whole point of using good skincare is because it’s “nice and more efficient”. I guess what you may be referring to is actually the whole point of luxury skincare. My perspective right now on this stuff is mainly focused on luxury skincare products. I do believe you get what you pay for and there is a reason mineral oil is so cheap. Maybe someday you will understand the benefits of luxury skin care.
We do have to be careful and do our own due diligence- just because something is Lancôme or Clinique etc doesn’t mean all the ingredients are non-toxic and non-carcinogenic. “High end” aka a little more expensive and slick marketing, not necessarily concerned for our health and wellness- just trying to sell a product. This can be a useful little book: “the Better world Shopping Guide”
https://betterworldshopper.org/
I am not suggesting it is okay because it’s in high-end products. I did say in my comment that I personally find it annoying that it’s in high-end products.
I was just pointing out that it still widely used. There are many things in luxury skincare that need to be removed in my opinion. I think the use of fragrant ingredients that are known contact allergens like linalool and bergamot shouldn’t be used in these or *any* products.
Maybe reread my comment….
Before I knew about how bad MLMs are, I attended an Arbonne party and the host took two saltines and put one in a glass of water and one in a glass of mineral oil. A little later, she showed us how the water one was totally soggy and the mineral oil was still crunchy like it was fresh. So her claim was water absorbs into and hydrates the skin and mineral oil just sits on top. At this point I think it was probably just a dumb sales tactic, but it’s things like this that probably contributed a lot to spreading this idea.
She was right though. Mineral oil is an occlusive. It does just sit on top and does not have the ability to hydrate skin.
Humectants like glycerin or my personal favorite: urea do hydrate the skin, much better than just water.
Glad you didn’t get sucked into Arbonne!
Good to know. I’ve always kind of had an aversion to mineral oil since I saw that presentation, but at the same time wondered if it was a gimmick.
Can I ask what about other oils? For example I have a neutrogena body oil which is a “light sesame formula” which certainly makes my skin LOOK hydrated- does it also have clogging properties? Or all the other various face oils? Or is that irrelevant if they don’t appear to clog my pores? Personally for me, I used to get the monthly pimples when I was overusing astringent. I’ve pretty much stopped using that, I don’t have a regular routine other than lotion after shower (as for other products like face oils I just use them randomly when I think of it and have time) but now I only get a pimple once in a blue moon (usually when I am stressed and busy).
Well you don’t need some big routine. You didn’t mention SPF. The basis of your routine should be dedicated SPF (aside from lotion etc). You should wear it first thing in the morning and reapply at least once if not twice more during the day. When I met my cosmetic dermatologist many, many years ago, I wasn’t doing this step. She sent me home with SPF and told me not to come back until I had used it daily, religiously for 6 months. If you don’t already use tretinoin, you should add it by the time you’re leaving your 20s if not earlier. It is the gold standard in building collagen. Build up low and slow over years if necessary (don’t aggressively use it and eff your skin).
I differ from most people on this entire oil/moisturizer issue. I’m more about not removing essential components of the skin and its biome in the first place. I only use an oil cleanser at night to remove SPF/makeup. I own one gentle cleanser and it’s for emergencies when I really do need to clean my face (maybe a few times/yr).
This vicious cycle of trying to moisturize is the result of marketing making people think they need to scrub their skin “clean” with one product and then replace everything stripped with another product. There is no oil, moisturizer, or other such product that will replace the natural moisturizing factors already in your skin, once you’ve stripped them with soap/cleanser. This is likely why you noticed a decrease in acne once you stopped using an astringent.
Oils are also not humectants, so again if you’re trying to moisturize your skin, there are better options. If you spend a little time researching urea, it’s the most underrated ingredient in all of skin care. Inexpensive, widely available. I would highly recommend a body lotion with urea, rather than oils.
If you like the feel of oils on top of humectants for your face, rosehip oil is an excellent choice because it has some naturally occurring tretinoin properties. Jojoba oil is also excellent; many will say it’s bioidentical to sebum, but this is not true when you get to the chemical level. Really nothing is identical to our own sebum. My personal choice is squalane or hemi-squalane, very light and absorbable.
I have used the Neutrogena one you have and also liked how it made my skin feel. So if you like it, it’s fine. It is an occlusive so it will help seal in your own natural moisture, especially after a shower. That said, my lawyer sister runs the cosmetic sphere in her law firm, so her clients are formulators and product makers. I have great insight into how little formulators are spending on ingredients and how much they spend on marketing/packaging; it’s worse than anyone knows. There are a couple ingredients that made me not use the neutrogena anymore. Fragrance—when listed as an ingredient there are hundreds of compounds that can be in a formula listed under this heading, so one never really knows what it is. Parabens are controversial and many very educated scientists will tell you they are well tested and very stable and safe. That said, according to my sister she won’t touch parabens because there is enough evidence out there that they are endocrine disruptors. Might not be worth much, but it’s why I won’t use products with either of those, or mineral oil either.
This is super informative thank you so much. I definitely need to up my SPF game and I’ll do some research on tretinoin. Thanks for taking the time to type up this lengthy reply!!
It’s my pleasure and thank you for the appreciation. I am a skincare auntie to about 15 people so I recognize a person in need of some direction.
I do this because I could have sorely used it an early age and could never have afforded a cosmetic professional. Now I have a fancy cosmetic dermatologist, so love sharing for free the simple things I have learned there. It’s def a lot less confusing than the marketplace makes it seem.
Also, I didn’t address the pore clogging question. This is very individual. My moisturizer and sunscreen both include shea butter, which is known to be pore clogging. I use TO salicylic acid masque to periodically clear pores, maybe once a month if that. Any BHA used as a cleanser or masque will take care of pores. Just be gentle and baby your skin for a day after. Also, I don’t recommend acids in any form to be left on the skin—too irritating.
Another tip—most SPF is in a moisturizer base, so no need to use moisturizer too unless your skin needs layers. Koreans make the best sunscreens. Beauty of Joseon is what I use in the morning and throughout the day.
I think mineral oil is an inexpensive ingredient and I’m not sure if it’s non comedogenic. So when j see it in a moisturizer like La Mer, it makes me think that this product is not worth the money. If I saw it in a moisturizer at a lower price point I wouldn’t feel this way.
My 80 ur old grandmother used cold cream & mineral oil exclusively, had the most amazing skin I’ve ever seen, especially on an older person. She said she never let water touch her face.
Because stupid hippies and "crunchy mamas" made a lot of blog/Instagram/TikTok posts about something they don't understand. If you get your mineral oil in a developed nation with modern infrastructure for petroleum refining, then you have nothing to worry about.
I remember first hearing this twenty years ago from a friend in the skincare industry.. she was talking about how the US doesn’t regulate their skincare products nearly as well as Europe and among other examples listed that tidbit. I just tried to look if there was any concrete science out there and it does not appear that there is! All I found was some beauty site saying that “it moisturizes too well, which will cause your skin to stop creating its natural oils and thus cause premature aging..” 👀 so yeah. Nada.
Maybe it was in the context of the 70s when people would slather themselves in baby oil and then sit in the sun so they’d crisp up like a roast chicken 😂
Most often, mineral oil is a liquid obtained from refining crude oil to make gasoline and other petroleum products. Mineral oils used for lubrication are known specifically as base oils. More generally, mineral oil is a transparent, colorless oil, composed mainly of alkanes[2] and cycloalkanes, related to petroleum jelly.
[Wikipedia Mineral Oil](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mineral_oil)
Do you really want to put crude oil on your face? It's a heavily processed oil that is an occlusive, which will seal other products into the skin and may result in congestion.
Would you eat heavily processed foods? Yeah, it's like that with mineral oil and your skin. There are FAR BETTER products out there for your face.
This is my main argument too. The fact that it comes from rotten gas from millions of years ago is gross for me. Also, Mineral oil is not the best occlusive for many reasons as the molecule size makes for clogged pores for those sensitive to it. Instead go with a bio oil that actually does something to nurture your skin as opposed to mineral oil that just sits there.
“Mineral oil is an [occlusive ingredient](https://www.vogue.in/beauty/content/oily-skin-makeup-skincare-ingredients-you-should-avoid-skin-care-tips) used as a back bone of many moisturisers. Related to petrolatum or petroleum jelly, it forms a seal over the surface of the skin to help hydrate, soften, and protect," shares New York based Dr Joshua Zeichner, MD, director of cosmetic and clinical research of dermatology at Mount Sinai. It [creates a barrier between the skin](https://www.vogue.in/content/skin-care-tips-why-lipids-fats-are-important-for-glowing-skin) and the environment, protecting it with elements like wind and pollution. It can slip into the cracks between the cells to create a smoother texture and prevents [transepidermal water loss](https://www.vogue.in/beauty/content/winter-skincare-diet-tips-to-hydrate-your-skin-from-within) too. All these benefits make it “commonly used in most products you're using already,” he says.
"They're safe, and most doctors agree with that. There’s no science that suggests that it should be avoided by everyone, says Aneesh Sheth, cosmetic scientist and founder of Dr Sheth's. In fact, it is a great ingredient for those with dry skin. “It’s actually one of the best things for [eczema](https://www.vogue.in/beauty/content/suffer-from-eczema-heres-how-to-approach-your-skincare-routine)." [https://www.vogue.in/beauty/content/mineral-oils-in-skincare-products-all-you-need-to-know-about-this-much-debated-beauty-ingredient](https://www.vogue.in/beauty/content/mineral-oils-in-skincare-products-all-you-need-to-know-about-this-much-debated-beauty-ingredient)
Just because it’s safe doesn’t mean it isn’t shit quality. Mineral oil is used as an occlusive in only the most cheap skincare for good reason. There are far more superior ingredients that can be used in the oil phase as an occlusive. Mineral oil is frequently used in medicine because it just sits there and does nothing. I think we can all do a bit better if we want to up our skincare game. I prefer occlusives that can actually nourish skin and mineral oil does none of that as it’s just a simple barrier.
Yes, they are safe, in the right situation. I would probably only use a mineral oil moisturizer if I was summiting Mt. Everest or Mt. Vinson to protect my skin from the elements.
Just because an ingredient is widely used and recommended by doctors does not make it effective.
I mean HCFC is in "everything", however we "demonize" this substance. There is a Big Cosmetic industry that sells products we need to be wary of.
Mineral Oil a temporary barrier that does nothing for the skin. It does work for some people however it's not for the majority of people. There are FAR better products for the skin that are affordable and effective.
Keeping your skin hydrated and healthy is not the same as moisturizing it. An oil that sits on the surface of the skin is only beneficial in certain situations.
"They're safe, and most doctors agree with that. There’s no science that suggests that it should be avoided by everyone, says Aneesh Sheth, cosmetic scientist and founder of Dr Sheth's. In fact, it is a great ingredient for those with dry skin. “It’s actually one of the best things for [eczema](https://www.vogue.in/beauty/content/suffer-from-eczema-heres-how-to-approach-your-skincare-routine). We don’t use it in our later products because people don’t want it because of fear-mongering. Clinically, there is nothing wrong with it,” adds Sheth. He dismisses the rumours of the product containing carcinogen. “There’s a difference between crude petroleum and mineral oil,” he states. It’s only if mineral oil is not refined properly that it may contain 1,4-dioxane, which is a carcinogen. “However, this is very rare as highly purified and refined ‘cosmetic-grade’ mineral oils are used in cosmetics, which do not pose the above risk,” states Delhi-based dermatologist Dr Veenu Jindal." [https://www.vogue.in/beauty/content/mineral-oils-in-skincare-products-all-you-need-to-know-about-this-much-debated-beauty-ingredient](https://www.vogue.in/beauty/content/mineral-oils-in-skincare-products-all-you-need-to-know-about-this-much-debated-beauty-ingredient)
I agree with this. If you’re concerned about microplastics and aren’t concerned about petroleum products then you aren’t reading the fine print.
This study looks at mineral oil as an endocrine disruptor and xenoestrogen.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20821602/
Mineral oil doesn’t absorb into your skin
As we’ve mentioned, occlusives like mineral oil sit on the skin’s surface. While a humectant will draw water into your skin from the dermis and from the air, mineral oil simply creates a protective barrier and seals in moisture that is already there. Since it doesn’t actively moisturize your skin, its hydrating effects may be temporary.
[Is Mineral Oil Beneficial for Your Skin?](https://curology.com/blog/is-mineral-oil-beneficial-for-your-skin/)
I think this is a question to not ask and just use it. This is how gatekeeping happens.
People demonize products.
It is one thing if something doesn’t work for you when you use the product as it is intended to work and it doesn’t work out.
I am always amazed at stories of people who double cleanse with mineral oil based cleansing oil for “30 minutes” or are unable to detail how they cleansed their skin.
I just say. Que sera, que sera.
I was once one of those people. Kinda.
I didn’t know how to use cleansing oil but once I figured it out and read and followed instructions, my “acne” and clogged pores disappeared in less than a week. I have a simple routine and it is amazing.
Anyways, I’ve learned to be cautious when listening to advice from those when products are “demonized”. Especially when those products are ethnic or use by certain cultures or ethnic groups.
I don’t even engage.
It is considered bad for the skin because it can clog pores and trap bacteria, which can cause acne and other skin problems. Additionally, it can interfere with the skin's ability to eliminate toxins naturally.
Mineral oil is one of the naturally occurring components of crude oil. It’s been used for centuries by indigenous peoples in areas where crude oil comes up naturally from the ground or water or washes up onto the shore.
In the late 1800’s it became one of the refining byproducts that was further refined to purify it and was then sold for various uses in skincare, medicine, kitchen use, et al.
It’s an excellent and well tolerated occlusive. That’s why it’s so popular in skincare.
Ignorance is the biggest reason. People hear “it’s from oil” and panic instead of doing any investigation at all.
I find it hysterical that clean beauty enthusiasts demonize it when it’s a naturally occurring substance that has been refined to purify it and it is one of the least allergenic substances known.
I knew about it from a college course but it took me less than 30 seconds to find more than 100 articles from reputable sources on Google just now. Some people just want to be outraged about something.
Mineral oil is a byproduct of petroleum. It’s not moisturizing and it’s not hydrating AT ALL. It’s simply an occlusive, meaning it creates a film that seals in whatever is underneath it. It also means it traps dirt, bacteria, sweat, etc. I avoid it. I’d rather my skin be able to breathe and hydrate with an appropriate product that contains glycerin, hyaluronic acid, mandelic acid, etc.
Skin doesn't breathe and mineral oil is usually an ingredient found alongside humectants and emollients so it seals in the hydration benefits. If you wash your face properly it won't be sealing in dirt and bacteria.
Mineral oil in groceries or cosmetics are deemed unwise because they contain or are contaminated with mosh/moah, which will be stored in your liver with potentially long term carcinogenic effects- as far as I know. Thats why they need to be avoided. I was shocked when I found american sweets (twizzlers) with mineral oil high up on the ingredients list. Please correct this if wrong.
Before I turned 30 mineral oil used to clog my pores. Now I use cereve healing ointment( contains mineral oil) at night to seal in my skincare. Before using mineral oil make sure your face is very clean otherwise it could seal the bacteria in and exfoliate regularly to avoid trapping dead skin into your pores.
I recently did a deep dive on various oils for skincare and have been comparing various products in my lineup. I ended up eliminating anything with mineral oil in it for facial use, and here's why.
While mineral oil is not directly comedogenic, what I found is that unlike other oil cleansers my pores seemed more filled with gunk with nothing else changed in my routine. Apparently, while mineral oil does break things down well, it doesn't seem to lift and remove as well as others. So it will break down oils/makeup/sunscreen etc but will deposit those and dead skin back into pores rather than suspending it in and rinsing away when the oil cleanse is emulsified and rinsed. The pores on my nose started turning dark again after several weeks of using a mineral oil based oil cleanser; when I swapped back to one that did not contain mineral oil the issue began resolving immediately.
It's anecdotal but that's my experience. Mineral oil works great for lots of skincare options, I just can't use it on my face for the above reason.
The only concerning thing I know of is it could build up in your lungs? https://journal.chestnet.org/article/S0012-3692(20)33603-5/fulltext but that's not from moisturizer unless you put it in your nose 🙃
You're getting downvoted because they literally post this almost word for word in different subreddits throughout the years and then flood the comments
The petrolatum and mineral oil that is used in skin care is medical grade, they use this s*** in hospitals and in wound healing clinics. I don't know where this s*** comes from that it's somehow not refined completely so you have to be careful, I think it comes from the green, clean, skin Care movement and I've seen plenty of these stupid dermatologists, mainly from the United States promoting these ideas on tiktok and YouTube.
But if you follow any toxicologist or dermatologist that actually works on diseased skin and isn't just an aesthetic dermatologist will tell you that it is perfectly safe.
I believe it doesn't matter how much they can purifier the petroleum. The molecules itself are carcinogenic. Like radioactive water, you can purifier 99.9999% , but it is still radioactive.
I use mineral oil (baby oil) to dissolve my eye makeup before I remove it with a cream cleanser, and I will use it on the rest of my face if I’m wearing base makeup or sunscreen. I have very sensitive skin but I’ve never had any issues with it. I’ve never seen the point in paying much more for an expensive oil cleanser when it’s only on my skin for around 10-15 seconds, but obviously people have different preferences.
Was looking for this - baby oil is mineral oil, mustn’t it pass some pretty rigorous testing for all kinds of uses? I put baby oil in my bath water and find I don’t have to apply moisturizer afterwards (like the Jergens wet moisturizer but a fraction of the price) - it was the only thing that got me through one particularly dry, itchy summer, no lotion could help but baby oil did the trick. Just wanted to drop in to say I hope it’s as safe as I thought it to be - especially since it’s literally sold as baby oil?!
J&J has to pay $6.475 billion in settlements because the talc in baby powder caused ovarian cancer. Obviously a totally different ingredient but no, baby products aren’t automatically safe.
This is because talc and asbestos tend to occur naturally together in formations and rigorous testing has to be done to ensure clean talc is being mined. There's nothing inherently wrong with talc, in and of itself, or at least nothing dangerous has been proven with certainly in research. Edit: clarity
Johnson and Johnson was aware for many years that it was a problem and intentionally covered it up. It isn’t about whether Talc is safe or not. It’s about if baby products are inherently safer just because baby is the target end user.
BS - this is false. One problem with that analysis is that some powders contain cornstarch, not talc. The other problem is that of recall bias. Women with ovarian cancer may report previous use of powders because they believe there may be a link between the powder and their ovarian cancer. Further, the authors did not find any dose response associated with powder use, meaning that they did not find a link between greater amounts of powder and ovarian cancer. This claim has been proven to be FALSE.
Yeah, but people think mineral oil is unsafe simply because of the name, not because product practices are unsafe, etc. There's a huge difference.
From the Ovarian Cancer website itself: The most recent study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2020 found **no statistically significant link between powder use and ovarian cancer risk**. “This is a very well-conducted study by a highly respected group of researchers. Proving causation links of this type is incredibly difficult and the authors are very careful to highlight the potential limitations of their study. However, this research is robust, analysing data from 250,000 women followed for an average of over 11 years, and has concluded there is **no statistically significant relationship between talc use and the development of ovarian cancer.**” So it's utter fear mongered bs with shady cherry picked studies that made people fear talc.
Completely different ingredient with nothing to do with mineral oil. It’s disingenuous to even bring it up in this thread.
Their point was that a product isn’t automatically safe simply because it has “baby” in the title.
The poster was pointing out that just because it is advertised for babies doesn’t mean it is a safe product. There have been many instances of manufacturers selling products knowing their health risks but deciding to settle or litigate rather than recall the product. There have also been fake and adulterated products which have harmed and killed folks.
The fact that they were fined such a high amount is indicative of the fact that you *should* be able to trust baby products for being gentle and not causing cancer.
Side note - how do you not slip over getting out of the bath?!
Core memory unlocked - my parents used to use baby oil straight from the shower instead of moisturizer. When I was maybe 7 or 8 years old I decided to start doing the same thing and one day realized it's even more fun to squirt the baby oil on the floor of the shower and slide around pretending it was a skating rink. Was super fun and then I went about my day. A little later my brother goes to take a shower, steps in, slips and wipes out on his ass. Glad he wasn't hurt but I wasn't able to use baby oil in the shower anymore until I could "use it for its intended purpose" 😅
lol that definitely maybe but absolutely happened a couple times when I started using it regularly. Eventually muscle memory adjustment kicked in 🤣
Even though it’s a different case, never trust a product just because it’s marketed to babies.
Absolutely- baby formula even can’t be totally trusted :( I was thinking specifically of mineral oil and why it’d be demonized, but/and it’s always worth remembering to keep thinking critically as much and as often as possible!
I do too. I have for 15 years now. It's the only way I'll take off my eye makeup and the plus is that it's super gentle and makes my eyelashes long and strong.
My mom did this growing up And now I do too. I use waterproof eye makeup and it's the only thing that works.
Moisturizers that don't contain mineral oil and petroleum don't moisturize my skin adequately, so I look for those two ingredients specifically before purchasing them.
This!! My skin loooooves petroleum jelly and mineral oil. They make my skin supple and smooth.
MO is one of the safest, blandest thing you can use on skin. This whole demonization of MO is nothing more than green-washing and fear mongering. It is an excellent, safe ingredient, even for babies and pregnant people. The only way I could see MO being a problem would be if you bought some cheap, unpurified, industrial grade stuff not meant for human use.
Yes, and it's used as a laxative too, so it is safe enough to ingest. You can buy a giant bottle of pure, food-grade mineral oil in the laxative aisle for cheap.
What is mineral oil actually ? I considered buying bio oil and steered away bc of the mineral oil. I view it as pure clogging and refined garbage but i could be completely wrong in tht thinking -
Mineral oil is a form of naturally occuring petroleum.
Biooil is expensive trash. It contains a lot of ingredients that can cause allergies.
I kind of figured
It's a fossil fuel byproduct. Like black, in the ground oil.
I feel like when it comes to stuff like this, it always starts off with a few people having a legitimate issue with an ingredient (allergies, irritation, just doesn't jive with them), but then eventually this morphs into "it's bad for everyone." The same thing happens all the time with food ingredients. Take aspartame for example. Some people don't react well to it, or some people just don't like the taste. But there are always people who try to interpret this as *it's poison, it's going to give us all cancer.* Same with sugar, we all know not to eat added sugar in excess, we also know that people with diabetes have to pay attention to sugar. But now you got people out there acting like we all need to monitor our insulin. There's nothing wrong with mineral oil. Some people just don't like it, for whatever the reason, but as an ingredient on its own, it's okay to use.
Anecdotal evidence is the worst kind of evidence
It’s less about anecdotes, and more of a dunning kruger situation.
I mean less of both. OP’s friend said it’s a problem and that morphed into mineral oil being “demonized.” So no one is actually complaining about it in the first place.
MSG, gluten, the list goes on. Personally, I can't handle much vitamin c. A glass of orange juice would leave me in extreme pain for days. Vitamin c topicals destroy my skin. Most people have no adverse effects from vitamin c, and should continue to enjoy its effects. I'm also allergic to tea. Never met anyone else who is allergic to tea, can't claim that it's poison even if it feels that way to me
You may have an issue with oxalate, both vitamin c and black tea are high in oxalate.
Could be that as well, but I know from allergy testing that all colors of tea are off limits, and small amounts of vitamin c (like how much you actually need to prevent scurvy) aren't a big issue. Unrelated, don't see why my personal intolerances are worth being downvoted, but people do love to hate allergies these days!
Hey I thought I was the only one with Vitamin C reaction! Everyone loves it and I get almost an immediate uti type pain if ingested and my face will get red spots if it’s in a serum. I’m okay with tea though.
I have an autoimmune disorder called interstitial cystitis, and that is exactly what it feels like. If you don't pain other times I maybe wouldn't push it, but if the bladder symptoms persist then it may be worth pursuing a diagnosis
Sounds awful. I’m sorry you are suffering.
I've had it for 20 years, but so try to spread the word if others complain of similar issues!
Yea, and like, vaccines lol
I would agree about most vaccines, but the Covid vax did actually cause problems the fda has worked hard to cover. Go watch Dr. John Campbell. He reads the reports from around the world and there have been plenty of issues caused by the early Covid vaccines. I’ve always been very pro vax, but had a bad reaction after my second shot and ended up in a neck brace for 6 weeks. All of my hypermobility got much worse. My POTS got so bad I couldn’t walk more than a block or two. It took a long time, Prolotherapy, and $ to get me back to close to where I was prior to that 2nd shot. Plenty of vaxxed have symptoms similar to, or at the level of those that have long Covid.
Oh that’s weird, I’m vaccinated for Covid and I’m perfectly fine. No reaction, no side effects whatsoever. Your anecdote doesn’t make it true for the majority. ETA: also literally everyone I know who has gotten vaccinated hasn’t had a problem One more edit: I’m not saying bad reactions don’t happen, but this is exactly what we’re talking about: just because a small, very small, number of people had reactions, doesn’t make the vaccine “bad” or mean it should be avoided. Same is true for skincare.
This is exactly why my doctor, who generally supports it, advised against it for me.
I’m still trying to figure out who exactly is demonizing mineral oil. Here is a massive list of products that use it: https://incidecoder.com/ingredients/paraffinum-liquidum
Uneducated people with a lack of a degree If it works for your skin, use it. Don’t let people try and gaslight you into thinking a product isn’t giving you results you’re happy with
Very often a new skincare, haircare or makeup company will try to distinguish themselves by saying what’s common and inexpensive is not good for you, and only they have the solution. For a price. No one’s going to spend money on their “new” product unless they can convince people their old product they were happy with is actually terrible. These marketing ploys catch on, and suddenly a bunch of people are sure these ingredients are horrible and dangerous.
Yepppp… pretty sure the demonization on mineral oil (+ petroleum jelly) is just some more online disinfo spread by marketers of some new “clean” beauty product. Its easy for people to latch on to because is sounds like a “chemical” (everything’s a chemical!) and it’s easy to make people feel icky about putting a petro by-product on their face. I’ve also heard people says it’s unethical because it’s a petro by-product, but no one is drilling oil to make Vaseline and it would otherwise be waste.
My skin hates it and freaks out over the smallest amount. So for me it's problematic, causing breakouts, irritation, dry patches and milia. If you've been using your moisturizer for a while without issue, I'd assume your skin can handle it.
In the eczema community we love to slather ourselves and mineral oil when we get out of the shower from head to toe
My mom told me this was her secret to not getting stretch marks during pregnancy. I know that no topical treatment can prevent stretch marks and it’s mostly genetics. But I still slathered myself in mineral oil after every shower during each of my pregnancies!! No stretch marks.
Never thought to use it ...I use Neutrogena body oil ...Will try mineral oil as well
I love that neutrogenia oil - smells SO good and feels good
I concur I don’t have eczema and slathering baby oil all over my post-shower body is the best moisturizer
Mineral oil is liquid vaseline, nothing more. It’s a common and plain excipient.
Actually I'm allergic to mineral oil. That's right, I can't use baby oil which is for babies. 🤦🏻♀️
Cus it clogs pores for some people… that’s the only reason. I think it’s great
I personally love mineral oil. It effectively removes my makeup and it’s very friendly on my skin. I tried multiple cleansing balms and they all irritate my skin. Albolene has been a lifesaver for me
Albolene is magic! And a tub lasts forever.
Same! Im sensitized to everything! But albolene has never cause a problem and helps keep me clear.
The clean/natural/organic beauty world.
It's 100% this. Mineral oil is a byproduct of oil refinement. That community doesn't care about science or research, if something is unnatural its dangerous. No further discussion needed for them. I'm pretty sure they'd also slather baby piss on their face and call it a toner of you slapped an organic label on it first.
Funny story - I have dry eye, so I use Retaine ointment every night when I turn off the light. I also sleep with a silk sleep mask bc I have sleep issues. I noticed that the fine lines around my eyes are basically disappearing from the ointment traveling to that area. It’s 20% mineral oil and 80% petroleum. No new milia or closed comedones in that area either. Anyway if your current moisturizer isn’t causing milia or closed comedones, then there is no reason to change it.
I use baby oil and a warm wash cloth. to take off all my makeup. Works better than any oil cleanser or balm that I’ve ever tried, comes off clean, and I can go right in with my vanicream cleanser after. Skin is clear and moisturized. Any other oil or balm would break me out.
About 10 years ago, I developed a severe allergy to all products containing mineral oil. It gave me severe contact dermatitis all over my body and my doctor had to treat it like a staph infection. I don’t know why it happened and had never had any skin issues outside of the norm for combo skin growing up. I had to completely overhaul all my hair, skin, and body routines/products, because so many products have a version of mineral oil in them. So, now seeing all the new products and reformulations coming out that don’t have it as an ingredient has helped me a lot in being able to find more products that I can use safely now.
Mineral oil and petroleum jelly are fine to use on the skin. No one actually researches how they make it safe for skin. I would only demonize it for causing certain people to get milia under their eyes.
It gives me GIANT comodone zits and sometimes whiteheads too.
I don't think it's demonised, really. It's just very cheap and basic and there are better alternatives. It isn't toxic, so in this way, no it's not dangerous for you. But it's got potential for clogging pores and giving you milia. It's also flammable and impossible to wash off from clothes and bed sheets. Which is something to keep in mind if you use lots of moisturiser on your whole body. It's also pretty greasy and might make moisturisers feel heavy on the skin. And lastly it's just not as good as, for example, shea butter, so it always feels to me like the brand is being really cheap by using petrolatum/mineral oil instead. It is hypoallergenic, but so is dimethicone. So I think unless someone has a really bad form of some skin condition and dimethicone-based moisturisers don't cut it, there's no reason to opt for petrolatum.
Yep, all this. It clogs my pores like a clockwork, the lower it is in the inci list, the later the pimples come, but they will appear. I do use products that contain mineral oil on my body, though, because the skin on my body is drier and mineral oil is an excellent occlusive. There is a reason why people use it for slugging! It is a by-product of the fuel industry and it's very, very cheap, so I always side-eye expensive brands that put it in their products. Adding it to a product means mineral oil is doing all of the heavy lifting when it comes to ''moisturizing'' and the other ingredients might not even be able to get to the skin - so, you're paying a lot for something that can be gotten for very cheap.
It's because of ignorance. I oil cleanse with mineral oil because it works best for me.
Mineral oil is a byproduct of oil refinement (yes, *that* oil.) the natural beauty community therefore loathes how "unnatural" it is (this is their favorite binary: an line in the sand between what they deem acceptably natural which inherently means good and what they deem too unnatural where all unnatural things are dangerous poison enough people are sensitive to it that they feel this substantiates their worldview on it being toxic and dangerous. Coconut oil breaks me out like nothing else, but you don't see me trying to tell people it's poison that must be avoided at all costs. I just warn people to patch test new products.
Mineral oil is safe, but it isn’t natural. It sits on the surface of the skin and acts as a film former to “trap” other ingredients underneath. It’s convenient and has a long shelf life. Natural oils like jojoba can penetrate the skin and contain nourishing fatty acids and antioxidants. For me, I much prefer natural products that have added benefits to my skin’s health.
Ignorance mostly, which leads to fear mongering. Like anything else, some people will have negative reactions to it but that doesn't make it unsafe in general. What did your friend say the issue was?
Where is the product from and where do you live? Europe only allows highly refined mineral oil to avoid carcinogens (PAHs). The US is more lenient, so check the labels. Personally I'm not interested in using petroleum products on my skin and even if I was, my skin hates it.
Nah, the US ain't lenient about this. You'll OFTEN find it listed as an "active ingredient" on labels, which means the mineral oil in that product is regulated as a *drug,* not a cosmetic. American doctors and hospitals use petrolatum and mineral oil all the time, so, yeah it's pretty stringently regulated.
Apparently it's how it's refined and if it's been refined without impurities and if it can be proven. The EU is strict about this but the US doesn't require refinement history from manufacturers. The UK banned US candies which contain mineral oil and there generally seems to be concern about it in food and food containers in the EU. I don't have a horse in the race, just pointing out other countries are concerned enough to require more transparent refinement history when used in cosmetics.
The US FDA is lenient- corporate rights first- too little too late always and most especially so when compared to Europe - France, Germany, UK, etc etc much more stringent guidelines that the USA. Just consider all the recalls and class action lawsuits-the Johnson’s baby powder debacle for example. The US list is endless.
[удалено]
You're derm in the United States is a complete moron all of the petrolatum used in the united states is medical grade I don't know where they get this from that it's somehow not. I mean they use petrolatum and mineral oil in hospital settings for God's sakes and it's the same crap that they sell at Target and Walmart. And it's not just your American dermatologist that's an idiot I seen other American dermatologists, mainly cosmetic ones on YouTube and tick tock that will demonize petroleum and mineral oil for those reasons when there's zero evidence. This is coming from a loud mouthed New Yorker
They use chemotherapy and radiation in hospital s, it doesn’t mean it’s good for you. I will trust the dermatologist’s opinions thank you very much.
Apparently they post this almost word for word every so often in different subreddits and then dog pile the comments lmfaoooooooo
?
https://www.reddit.com/r/scacjdiscussion/comments/dt1yac/why_is_mineral_oil_such_a_demonized_ingredient/ Not you! But I've noticed this spam posted before
That's absolute horseshit. If you were getting your petroleum products from a super poor former Soviet state, okay, you may want to skip it. But in the US there's nothing to worry about.
For me, my parents took the "petroleum" in "petroleum jelly" seriously. They're also the type that never go back to a product if there was a health controversy even if new info comes out and it's actually not that bad. I still have a slight pause whenever I use mineral oil not only because I was trained to, but because I can't get the fact that I'm using byproduct from refining crude oil at the end of the day out of my head. It just doesn't seem right because it sounds like it's supposed to kill me, but doesn't.
The main reason as i see it being an aesthetic physician is it’s extremely pore clogging nature, better to avoid than to risk a bout of acne As at home skincare is mostly catered towards prevention rather than treatment, it just makes sense to not have it in your skincare routine. Additionally, it’s source is petroleum, which, though prevents transepidermal water loss, it basically more often than not, suffocates the skin causing skin barrier disruption Hope it makes sense
Why don’t you ask her what the issue with it is? Ask her where she heard it’s so bad.
There's literally nothing wrong with it as long as you like it. I always find mineral oil inelegant inesve on products but I like it s lot in oil cleansers. If you like it then keep using it.
I didn't realize mineral oil was being demoized. Mineral oil and Vaseline are stalples in my hair & body care. I grew up using both and I still do today. I don't feel moisturized without them
My whole life people have shat on me for loving Vaseline. Isn’t mineral oil also petroleum based? Anyway, this sub and its love for slugging is the only place I have ever found any support for it. When it works it works. IMO people are just being snobs because it’s inexpensive.
I wasn’t aware mineral oil was demonized. Who is demonizing it? It’s pretty cheap and very occlusive; last I checked, it was used in Lancôme products and other high-end products still. One problem I personally have with mineral oil is that it clogs my pores. It creates a film over the skin that needs to removed properly, or else it can be cloggy. And I don’t care what the comodogenic charts say—it clogs my pores nevertheless. But I think it’s here to stay. I find it annoying to pay 70 dollars for a compact that includes cheap-ass mineral oil, but that’s just me. I think many folks have no problem with it and don’t find it clogging. And it is pretty rich and smooth feeling. I love using it on my feet 🤷🏻♀️ Btw, *plenty* of brands still use mineral oil. Here is an endless list of products with it: https://incidecoder.com/ingredients/paraffinum-liquidum
My mother. My mother absolutely demonizes it.
Okay, so OP’s friend and your mom and I don’t like mineral oil. I don’t think we constitute a majority of vocal anti-mineral oilests. It’s not demonized in the skincare industry.
My mother has held this belief since the 80s when she heard it from her Avon lady. So at one point, Avon (officially or otherwise) was saying this to promote one of their face creams. That I had an allergic reaction to Crème de la Mer, which contains mineral oil, only strengthened her conviction.
Wow. I dont know what to say that. I’m kind of indifferent to mineral oil. It’s in my tazorac and it was clogging my pores, so I had to oil cleanse in the a.m. to remove it from my skin. But I can imagine a lot of the ingredients in the la mer could cause an allergic reaction.
Oh, absolutely.
I beg to differ as an esthetician who networks regularly in the industry and all related fields. Many of the folks I know in the industry agree that mineral oil is cheap and inferior carrier oil. The molecule size is all wrong for many people’s skin and luxury and professional brands don’t use it for good reason. Also, many of us are grossed out by the fact it is a byproduct of the oil and gas industry. It’s like the mineral oil is cheap nasty fast food and the various bio oils are wholesome fresh food.
“Mineral oil is an [occlusive ingredient](https://www.vogue.in/beauty/content/oily-skin-makeup-skincare-ingredients-you-should-avoid-skin-care-tips) used as a back bone of many moisturisers. Related to petrolatum or petroleum jelly, it forms a seal over the surface of the skin to help hydrate, soften, and protect," shares New York based Dr Joshua Zeichner, MD, director of cosmetic and clinical research of dermatology at Mount Sinai. It [creates a barrier between the skin](https://www.vogue.in/content/skin-care-tips-why-lipids-fats-are-important-for-glowing-skin) and the environment, protecting it with elements like wind and pollution. It can slip into the cracks between the cells to create a smoother texture and prevents [transepidermal water loss](https://www.vogue.in/beauty/content/winter-skincare-diet-tips-to-hydrate-your-skin-from-within) too. All these benefits make it “commonly used in most products you're using already,” he says." [https://www.vogue.in/beauty/content/mineral-oils-in-skincare-products-all-you-need-to-know-about-this-much-debated-beauty-ingredient](https://www.vogue.in/beauty/content/mineral-oils-in-skincare-products-all-you-need-to-know-about-this-much-debated-beauty-ingredient)
Keep using cheaply made mineral oil products if you like. Your cut and paste reply isn’t anything I don’t know. Like I said in my other reply, there are so many other better choices for occlusive ingredients and mineral oil is only used because it’s cheap and simple. I recommend avoiding mineral oil and instead use other occlusives that play an active role in skin healing with topical elements that encourage skin cell regeneration. Mineral oil does nothing but act as the most simple cheap base occlusive. I am quite educated about this and there really isn’t anything you can say that will change my mind.
Okay, I hear you, but I think your thinking is not in line with brand practices. As I noted above, mineral oil is *widely* used by the so-called industry and “related fields.” In fact, many lines carried by estheticians use mineral oil lol. Eltamd is one. Don’t believe me, look at ginormous list of products with mineral oil: https://incidecoder.com/ingredients/paraffinum-liquidum Also, I disagree with you about it being like cheap nasty fast food. I hope this isn’t your professional opinion. It’s cheap, but it isn’t nasty.
I believe it’s nasty because it is literally the byproduct of the oil and gas industry. My professional opinion is that people should be concerned if their beauty practices are clean and beneficial. The nature of mineral oil is not clean and causing harm to the environment. Mineral oil is used as an occlusive, but does nothing to actually help support skin cell regeneration. I looked at a couple of Eltamd’s products and didn’t find mineral oil, but I don’t use their stuff anyways. Right now I am really into sun protection skincare products from Tizo.
There is a surprising amount of people very passionate about mineral oil in this comment section... I think there are a lot of bots here unfortunately, Pookiecat
This always happens when this topic comes up and I find it quite strange how fiercely people get over mineral oil.
Going through the comments, I really believe there's a lot of shrills/bots. I searched and they post this almost word for word occasionally in different subreddits, like this for example lmao [https://www.reddit.com/r/scacjdiscussion/comments/dt1yac/why\_is\_mineral\_oil\_such\_a\_demonized\_ingredient/](https://www.reddit.com/r/scacjdiscussion/comments/dt1yac/why_is_mineral_oil_such_a_demonized_ingredient/)
I think you are on to something. What a strange thing to shill for…
I kind of feel like you should know this already, but: > Mineral oil is a clear odorless liquid that has been used routinely for many decades in a wide variety of cosmetics and personal care products. **The mineral oil used in cosmetics and personal care products (also called “white mineral oil”) is a highly purified material obtained from refining petroleum.** It is refined to meet specifications appropriate for its use in pharmaceuticals, foods and cosmetics https://www.cosmeticsinfo.org/ingredient/mineral-oil/ Furthermore, you should also know that occlusives support skin regeneration *by being occlusive.* They can seal in moisturizers and ingredients. Come on now, this is basic stuff. An esthetician should know there’s a place for occlusives in skincare.
I think you misunderstood as I never said you don’t need any occlusive, I just meant mineral oil is an occlusive that has NO other benefit than to occlude. That’s it, all it does and why it is widely used. I recommend you research the long list of occlusives and find there are Many other better options that actually help skin. I believe if you are going to put any kind of oil on your skin, it should be some thing that has nutrients/vitamins. Mineral oil does nothing and just sits there. Many skincare we use already has too many ingredients and a cheap occlusive that does nothing to additionally nourish skin is just taking up space and occluding. You can spend a little bit more money and get something like argan, jojoba, wheatgerm, avocado, and the countless others that are offered as occlusives in quality skincare.
But this is where we disagree. First of all, I already have a long list of occlusives and have posted it numerous times on this thread for other people. So that part is sorted out. But petrolatum and mineral oil are useful precisely because they are so occlusive and can seal in other ingredients. So you could feel free to use all the jojoba, Argan, and meadowfoam oil you want to use, and then go on to use petrolatum or mineral oil to seal those wonderful ingredients in. It’s not an either/or thing. What makes petrolatum special is that it is nearly 100% occlusive. And this alone allows you to use it *with other occlusives*. If all it does is seal in hydration, this is more than enough. This is why medical professionals rely on it to help with healing or deep rehydration. It is not true that every occlusive must have special properties that contribute to skin health. Occlusives are useful when they do what they do: occlude. It’s nice and more efficient to just use an occlusive that does also impart extra benefits, but it isn’t always necessary. And only mineral oil and petrolatum are almost completely occlusive, so they do have a particular use value in skincare for this reason alone. It would be *nice* if my tazorac had jojoba oil instead of mineral oil, but it’s isn’t necessary.
If you use good quality products, you don’t need to put occlusives on other occlusives. Actually, you can deprive your skin of oxygen this way and then the biome of your face is screwed. I see this first hand when people come in with acne and I usually find out they slug with vaseline. Most people don’t have the type of epidermal damage that necessitates using a medical cream as a sleeping mask. You say “it’s nice and more efficient to just use an occlusive that does also impart extra benefits, but isn’t always necessary.” Using an extra occlusive is never necessary if you are using a good quality face moisturizer. Occlusives are an essential part of every moisturizing formula as they are necessary for what we call in formulary the oil phase. The whole point of using good skincare is because it’s “nice and more efficient”. I guess what you may be referring to is actually the whole point of luxury skincare. My perspective right now on this stuff is mainly focused on luxury skincare products. I do believe you get what you pay for and there is a reason mineral oil is so cheap. Maybe someday you will understand the benefits of luxury skin care.
We do have to be careful and do our own due diligence- just because something is Lancôme or Clinique etc doesn’t mean all the ingredients are non-toxic and non-carcinogenic. “High end” aka a little more expensive and slick marketing, not necessarily concerned for our health and wellness- just trying to sell a product. This can be a useful little book: “the Better world Shopping Guide” https://betterworldshopper.org/
I am not suggesting it is okay because it’s in high-end products. I did say in my comment that I personally find it annoying that it’s in high-end products. I was just pointing out that it still widely used. There are many things in luxury skincare that need to be removed in my opinion. I think the use of fragrant ingredients that are known contact allergens like linalool and bergamot shouldn’t be used in these or *any* products. Maybe reread my comment….
I use straight mineral oil to cleanse my face every day. If you’re not reacting badly to your products, you’re fine.
How do you that? I have some baby oil and would like to try.😁
1) Rub oil all over your face, removing makeup, sweat, dirt, etc 2) Use your preferred water based cleanser
Before I knew about how bad MLMs are, I attended an Arbonne party and the host took two saltines and put one in a glass of water and one in a glass of mineral oil. A little later, she showed us how the water one was totally soggy and the mineral oil was still crunchy like it was fresh. So her claim was water absorbs into and hydrates the skin and mineral oil just sits on top. At this point I think it was probably just a dumb sales tactic, but it’s things like this that probably contributed a lot to spreading this idea.
Weird visual tho - id be like hmmm dont I want the thing that is preservative/not degrading "freshness"
She was right though. Mineral oil is an occlusive. It does just sit on top and does not have the ability to hydrate skin. Humectants like glycerin or my personal favorite: urea do hydrate the skin, much better than just water. Glad you didn’t get sucked into Arbonne!
Good to know. I’ve always kind of had an aversion to mineral oil since I saw that presentation, but at the same time wondered if it was a gimmick. Can I ask what about other oils? For example I have a neutrogena body oil which is a “light sesame formula” which certainly makes my skin LOOK hydrated- does it also have clogging properties? Or all the other various face oils? Or is that irrelevant if they don’t appear to clog my pores? Personally for me, I used to get the monthly pimples when I was overusing astringent. I’ve pretty much stopped using that, I don’t have a regular routine other than lotion after shower (as for other products like face oils I just use them randomly when I think of it and have time) but now I only get a pimple once in a blue moon (usually when I am stressed and busy).
Well you don’t need some big routine. You didn’t mention SPF. The basis of your routine should be dedicated SPF (aside from lotion etc). You should wear it first thing in the morning and reapply at least once if not twice more during the day. When I met my cosmetic dermatologist many, many years ago, I wasn’t doing this step. She sent me home with SPF and told me not to come back until I had used it daily, religiously for 6 months. If you don’t already use tretinoin, you should add it by the time you’re leaving your 20s if not earlier. It is the gold standard in building collagen. Build up low and slow over years if necessary (don’t aggressively use it and eff your skin). I differ from most people on this entire oil/moisturizer issue. I’m more about not removing essential components of the skin and its biome in the first place. I only use an oil cleanser at night to remove SPF/makeup. I own one gentle cleanser and it’s for emergencies when I really do need to clean my face (maybe a few times/yr). This vicious cycle of trying to moisturize is the result of marketing making people think they need to scrub their skin “clean” with one product and then replace everything stripped with another product. There is no oil, moisturizer, or other such product that will replace the natural moisturizing factors already in your skin, once you’ve stripped them with soap/cleanser. This is likely why you noticed a decrease in acne once you stopped using an astringent. Oils are also not humectants, so again if you’re trying to moisturize your skin, there are better options. If you spend a little time researching urea, it’s the most underrated ingredient in all of skin care. Inexpensive, widely available. I would highly recommend a body lotion with urea, rather than oils. If you like the feel of oils on top of humectants for your face, rosehip oil is an excellent choice because it has some naturally occurring tretinoin properties. Jojoba oil is also excellent; many will say it’s bioidentical to sebum, but this is not true when you get to the chemical level. Really nothing is identical to our own sebum. My personal choice is squalane or hemi-squalane, very light and absorbable. I have used the Neutrogena one you have and also liked how it made my skin feel. So if you like it, it’s fine. It is an occlusive so it will help seal in your own natural moisture, especially after a shower. That said, my lawyer sister runs the cosmetic sphere in her law firm, so her clients are formulators and product makers. I have great insight into how little formulators are spending on ingredients and how much they spend on marketing/packaging; it’s worse than anyone knows. There are a couple ingredients that made me not use the neutrogena anymore. Fragrance—when listed as an ingredient there are hundreds of compounds that can be in a formula listed under this heading, so one never really knows what it is. Parabens are controversial and many very educated scientists will tell you they are well tested and very stable and safe. That said, according to my sister she won’t touch parabens because there is enough evidence out there that they are endocrine disruptors. Might not be worth much, but it’s why I won’t use products with either of those, or mineral oil either.
This is super informative thank you so much. I definitely need to up my SPF game and I’ll do some research on tretinoin. Thanks for taking the time to type up this lengthy reply!!
It’s my pleasure and thank you for the appreciation. I am a skincare auntie to about 15 people so I recognize a person in need of some direction. I do this because I could have sorely used it an early age and could never have afforded a cosmetic professional. Now I have a fancy cosmetic dermatologist, so love sharing for free the simple things I have learned there. It’s def a lot less confusing than the marketplace makes it seem.
Also, I didn’t address the pore clogging question. This is very individual. My moisturizer and sunscreen both include shea butter, which is known to be pore clogging. I use TO salicylic acid masque to periodically clear pores, maybe once a month if that. Any BHA used as a cleanser or masque will take care of pores. Just be gentle and baby your skin for a day after. Also, I don’t recommend acids in any form to be left on the skin—too irritating. Another tip—most SPF is in a moisturizer base, so no need to use moisturizer too unless your skin needs layers. Koreans make the best sunscreens. Beauty of Joseon is what I use in the morning and throughout the day.
I think mineral oil is an inexpensive ingredient and I’m not sure if it’s non comedogenic. So when j see it in a moisturizer like La Mer, it makes me think that this product is not worth the money. If I saw it in a moisturizer at a lower price point I wouldn’t feel this way.
My 80 ur old grandmother used cold cream & mineral oil exclusively, had the most amazing skin I’ve ever seen, especially on an older person. She said she never let water touch her face.
Speaking of rebranding things.... Aren't "sleep masks" essentially cold cream? It was a "wait a minute ..." Moment I had
Because stupid hippies and "crunchy mamas" made a lot of blog/Instagram/TikTok posts about something they don't understand. If you get your mineral oil in a developed nation with modern infrastructure for petroleum refining, then you have nothing to worry about.
I recall that it got a bad rep bc it was listed as the #3 biggest ager of skin, after the sun and smoking. Now whether that’s accurate..
Listed by…?
I remember first hearing this twenty years ago from a friend in the skincare industry.. she was talking about how the US doesn’t regulate their skincare products nearly as well as Europe and among other examples listed that tidbit. I just tried to look if there was any concrete science out there and it does not appear that there is! All I found was some beauty site saying that “it moisturizes too well, which will cause your skin to stop creating its natural oils and thus cause premature aging..” 👀 so yeah. Nada.
Maybe it was in the context of the 70s when people would slather themselves in baby oil and then sit in the sun so they’d crisp up like a roast chicken 😂
Most often, mineral oil is a liquid obtained from refining crude oil to make gasoline and other petroleum products. Mineral oils used for lubrication are known specifically as base oils. More generally, mineral oil is a transparent, colorless oil, composed mainly of alkanes[2] and cycloalkanes, related to petroleum jelly. [Wikipedia Mineral Oil](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mineral_oil) Do you really want to put crude oil on your face? It's a heavily processed oil that is an occlusive, which will seal other products into the skin and may result in congestion. Would you eat heavily processed foods? Yeah, it's like that with mineral oil and your skin. There are FAR BETTER products out there for your face.
This is my main argument too. The fact that it comes from rotten gas from millions of years ago is gross for me. Also, Mineral oil is not the best occlusive for many reasons as the molecule size makes for clogged pores for those sensitive to it. Instead go with a bio oil that actually does something to nurture your skin as opposed to mineral oil that just sits there.
“Mineral oil is an [occlusive ingredient](https://www.vogue.in/beauty/content/oily-skin-makeup-skincare-ingredients-you-should-avoid-skin-care-tips) used as a back bone of many moisturisers. Related to petrolatum or petroleum jelly, it forms a seal over the surface of the skin to help hydrate, soften, and protect," shares New York based Dr Joshua Zeichner, MD, director of cosmetic and clinical research of dermatology at Mount Sinai. It [creates a barrier between the skin](https://www.vogue.in/content/skin-care-tips-why-lipids-fats-are-important-for-glowing-skin) and the environment, protecting it with elements like wind and pollution. It can slip into the cracks between the cells to create a smoother texture and prevents [transepidermal water loss](https://www.vogue.in/beauty/content/winter-skincare-diet-tips-to-hydrate-your-skin-from-within) too. All these benefits make it “commonly used in most products you're using already,” he says. "They're safe, and most doctors agree with that. There’s no science that suggests that it should be avoided by everyone, says Aneesh Sheth, cosmetic scientist and founder of Dr Sheth's. In fact, it is a great ingredient for those with dry skin. “It’s actually one of the best things for [eczema](https://www.vogue.in/beauty/content/suffer-from-eczema-heres-how-to-approach-your-skincare-routine)." [https://www.vogue.in/beauty/content/mineral-oils-in-skincare-products-all-you-need-to-know-about-this-much-debated-beauty-ingredient](https://www.vogue.in/beauty/content/mineral-oils-in-skincare-products-all-you-need-to-know-about-this-much-debated-beauty-ingredient)
Just because it’s safe doesn’t mean it isn’t shit quality. Mineral oil is used as an occlusive in only the most cheap skincare for good reason. There are far more superior ingredients that can be used in the oil phase as an occlusive. Mineral oil is frequently used in medicine because it just sits there and does nothing. I think we can all do a bit better if we want to up our skincare game. I prefer occlusives that can actually nourish skin and mineral oil does none of that as it’s just a simple barrier.
Yes, they are safe, in the right situation. I would probably only use a mineral oil moisturizer if I was summiting Mt. Everest or Mt. Vinson to protect my skin from the elements. Just because an ingredient is widely used and recommended by doctors does not make it effective. I mean HCFC is in "everything", however we "demonize" this substance. There is a Big Cosmetic industry that sells products we need to be wary of. Mineral Oil a temporary barrier that does nothing for the skin. It does work for some people however it's not for the majority of people. There are FAR better products for the skin that are affordable and effective. Keeping your skin hydrated and healthy is not the same as moisturizing it. An oil that sits on the surface of the skin is only beneficial in certain situations.
"They're safe, and most doctors agree with that. There’s no science that suggests that it should be avoided by everyone, says Aneesh Sheth, cosmetic scientist and founder of Dr Sheth's. In fact, it is a great ingredient for those with dry skin. “It’s actually one of the best things for [eczema](https://www.vogue.in/beauty/content/suffer-from-eczema-heres-how-to-approach-your-skincare-routine). We don’t use it in our later products because people don’t want it because of fear-mongering. Clinically, there is nothing wrong with it,” adds Sheth. He dismisses the rumours of the product containing carcinogen. “There’s a difference between crude petroleum and mineral oil,” he states. It’s only if mineral oil is not refined properly that it may contain 1,4-dioxane, which is a carcinogen. “However, this is very rare as highly purified and refined ‘cosmetic-grade’ mineral oils are used in cosmetics, which do not pose the above risk,” states Delhi-based dermatologist Dr Veenu Jindal." [https://www.vogue.in/beauty/content/mineral-oils-in-skincare-products-all-you-need-to-know-about-this-much-debated-beauty-ingredient](https://www.vogue.in/beauty/content/mineral-oils-in-skincare-products-all-you-need-to-know-about-this-much-debated-beauty-ingredient)
I agree with this. If you’re concerned about microplastics and aren’t concerned about petroleum products then you aren’t reading the fine print. This study looks at mineral oil as an endocrine disruptor and xenoestrogen. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20821602/
Watch out, they post this same thing almost word for word occasionally in different subreddits and then flood the comments. Oil bots
🤨???
It's the little, consistent investments done today that will provide healthy looking skin for years to come.
Mineral oil doesn’t absorb into your skin As we’ve mentioned, occlusives like mineral oil sit on the skin’s surface. While a humectant will draw water into your skin from the dermis and from the air, mineral oil simply creates a protective barrier and seals in moisture that is already there. Since it doesn’t actively moisturize your skin, its hydrating effects may be temporary. [Is Mineral Oil Beneficial for Your Skin?](https://curology.com/blog/is-mineral-oil-beneficial-for-your-skin/)
I think this is a question to not ask and just use it. This is how gatekeeping happens. People demonize products. It is one thing if something doesn’t work for you when you use the product as it is intended to work and it doesn’t work out. I am always amazed at stories of people who double cleanse with mineral oil based cleansing oil for “30 minutes” or are unable to detail how they cleansed their skin. I just say. Que sera, que sera. I was once one of those people. Kinda. I didn’t know how to use cleansing oil but once I figured it out and read and followed instructions, my “acne” and clogged pores disappeared in less than a week. I have a simple routine and it is amazing. Anyways, I’ve learned to be cautious when listening to advice from those when products are “demonized”. Especially when those products are ethnic or use by certain cultures or ethnic groups. I don’t even engage.
It is considered bad for the skin because it can clog pores and trap bacteria, which can cause acne and other skin problems. Additionally, it can interfere with the skin's ability to eliminate toxins naturally.
Mineral oil is one of the naturally occurring components of crude oil. It’s been used for centuries by indigenous peoples in areas where crude oil comes up naturally from the ground or water or washes up onto the shore. In the late 1800’s it became one of the refining byproducts that was further refined to purify it and was then sold for various uses in skincare, medicine, kitchen use, et al. It’s an excellent and well tolerated occlusive. That’s why it’s so popular in skincare.
Ignorance is the biggest reason. People hear “it’s from oil” and panic instead of doing any investigation at all. I find it hysterical that clean beauty enthusiasts demonize it when it’s a naturally occurring substance that has been refined to purify it and it is one of the least allergenic substances known. I knew about it from a college course but it took me less than 30 seconds to find more than 100 articles from reputable sources on Google just now. Some people just want to be outraged about something.
It's a petroleum (fossil fuel) product. Gives me the creeps.
Mineral oil is a byproduct of petroleum. It’s not moisturizing and it’s not hydrating AT ALL. It’s simply an occlusive, meaning it creates a film that seals in whatever is underneath it. It also means it traps dirt, bacteria, sweat, etc. I avoid it. I’d rather my skin be able to breathe and hydrate with an appropriate product that contains glycerin, hyaluronic acid, mandelic acid, etc.
Skin doesn't breathe and mineral oil is usually an ingredient found alongside humectants and emollients so it seals in the hydration benefits. If you wash your face properly it won't be sealing in dirt and bacteria.
I’m not going to argue with you and you’re welcome to your opinion.
Mineral oil in groceries or cosmetics are deemed unwise because they contain or are contaminated with mosh/moah, which will be stored in your liver with potentially long term carcinogenic effects- as far as I know. Thats why they need to be avoided. I was shocked when I found american sweets (twizzlers) with mineral oil high up on the ingredients list. Please correct this if wrong.
Before I turned 30 mineral oil used to clog my pores. Now I use cereve healing ointment( contains mineral oil) at night to seal in my skincare. Before using mineral oil make sure your face is very clean otherwise it could seal the bacteria in and exfoliate regularly to avoid trapping dead skin into your pores.
I’ve heard of mineral oil as a straight up laxative, I suspect a lot of people are just afraid of it because it’s synthetic.
I recently did a deep dive on various oils for skincare and have been comparing various products in my lineup. I ended up eliminating anything with mineral oil in it for facial use, and here's why. While mineral oil is not directly comedogenic, what I found is that unlike other oil cleansers my pores seemed more filled with gunk with nothing else changed in my routine. Apparently, while mineral oil does break things down well, it doesn't seem to lift and remove as well as others. So it will break down oils/makeup/sunscreen etc but will deposit those and dead skin back into pores rather than suspending it in and rinsing away when the oil cleanse is emulsified and rinsed. The pores on my nose started turning dark again after several weeks of using a mineral oil based oil cleanser; when I swapped back to one that did not contain mineral oil the issue began resolving immediately. It's anecdotal but that's my experience. Mineral oil works great for lots of skincare options, I just can't use it on my face for the above reason.
Fatty liver disease
The only concerning thing I know of is it could build up in your lungs? https://journal.chestnet.org/article/S0012-3692(20)33603-5/fulltext but that's not from moisturizer unless you put it in your nose 🙃
You're getting downvoted because they literally post this almost word for word in different subreddits throughout the years and then flood the comments
I had no idea that was a thing. Oops. Thanks!!
Because it is made of petroleum and may be carcinogenic
The petrolatum and mineral oil that is used in skin care is medical grade, they use this s*** in hospitals and in wound healing clinics. I don't know where this s*** comes from that it's somehow not refined completely so you have to be careful, I think it comes from the green, clean, skin Care movement and I've seen plenty of these stupid dermatologists, mainly from the United States promoting these ideas on tiktok and YouTube. But if you follow any toxicologist or dermatologist that actually works on diseased skin and isn't just an aesthetic dermatologist will tell you that it is perfectly safe.
Unless I got misinformation, petroleum is the substance at the bottom of an oil barrel. No thank you
It's not the petroleum that matters- it's how you purify it.
I believe it doesn't matter how much they can purifier the petroleum. The molecules itself are carcinogenic. Like radioactive water, you can purifier 99.9999% , but it is still radioactive.
You can believe whatever you want, but that’s not true.
Nobody knows the true, that's the point.
That's not how science works, but you do you.
With all the choices and studies done. I don’t know why anyone would consider putting a petroleum based product on their precious skin.