Mineral Oil and Skincare

How safe is Mineral Oil in Skincare ?

Mineral oil is a by-product of petroleum fractionation that is from the distillation of petroleum to produce gasoline. Mineral oil is commonly used in skincare products because is cheap to buy and its main purpose is prevention of water loss from the skin. Mineral oil of technical grade is the lowest grade and contains contaminants that been confirmed in studies to accelerate the risk of cancer in humans which is based on the 2011 report by the national toxicology program which stated that untreated and mildly treated mineral oils are known to be human carcinogens which was a result of sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity from studies in humans.[1] MIneral oil is comedogenic and therefore clogs the skin pores thereby leading to the incidence of acne and breakouts. Mineral oil been an occlusive agent that forms a physical barrier over the skin to reduce moisture loss tends to keep bacteria and dirts close and tight to the skin precipitating breakouts. Mineral oils has no nutritional value and is an empty oil that does nothing for the skin except contributing to body contamination and breakouts. Mineral oil lacks phytonutrients and do not provide hydration to the skin. For these reasons highlighted above, mineral oil is not the best option for skincare products. Reference: 1.Mineral Oils: Untreated and mildly treated(2011)(National Toxicology Program,Department of Health and Human Services) [Online] 14 Available : https://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/ntp/roc/content/profiles//mineraloils.pdf