Categories
- beauty dictionary
- beauty history
- beauty news
- beauty tools
- brands
- celebrities
- collections
- competitions
- DIY beauty
- hair care
- hauls
- ingredients
- interviews
- looks
- makeup
- personal
- polls
- QOTW
- reviews
- site news
- skincare
- sunscreen
- tips & tricks
- trends
- tutorials
- weekly web tour
Tags
Is Mineral Oil Bad for Skin?
Mineral Oil is used in a wide variety of skincare and cosmetic products for its moisturizing properties, but lately this ingredient is getting a bad reputation and many are recommending to avoid it at all costs. But what’s the truth? Is Mineral Oil really that bad for skin or is its ill reputation undeserved?
What is mineral oil?
Mineral Oil is a colorless and odorless oil derived from petroleum, which is a natural substance extracted from the earth. There are several grades of Mineral Oil and the type used in cosmetics, called Cosmetic Grade Mineral Oil, is highly purified, not carcinogenic and doesn’t even resemble petroleum anymore.
Why is mineral oil used in beauty products?
Mineral Oil is used in many cosmetics and skincare products because it is inexpensive, rarely causes allergies or irritations and is considered to be one of the best moisturizing ingredients available. It creates a protective barrier on the skin that binds moisture in and prevents water loss, keeping skin hydrated. In addition, it has effective wound healing properties.
Does Mineral Oil clog pores?
Because Mineral Oil is an occlusive agent that forms a barrier on the surface, many people think it suffocates skin and clogs pores. But scientific studies have shown that, while Industrial Mineral Oil is comedogenic, Cosmetic Grade Mineral Oil isn’t. However, Mineral Oil should never be used in products that contain comedogenic ingredients or it’ll trap them into the skin, aggravating their effects and causing breakouts. In addition, those who suffer from acne should be careful when using products with Mineral Oil, as this ingredient can worsen this condition in some people. In this case, use of this ingredient should be avoided.
Mineral Oil and Collagen
Another misconception about Mineral Oil is that the occlusive barrier it creates doesn’t allow the collagen present in some skincare products to penetrate the skin. But collagen molecules wouldn’t be absorbed by the skin anyway simply because they are too big to penetrate it. Mineral Oil has no effect on them at all.
So, is mineral oil really bad for skin?
No, it isn’t. Products with mineral oil are safe, inexpensive, well tolerated by most people and effective at moisturizing the skin. Just don’t expect more than that. But unless your skin reacts badly to Mineral Oil there is no reason to stop using it. However, be careful not to use it in conjunction with comedogenic ingredients or breakouts could occur.
Related Posts:
- Are Silicones Bad For Skin?
- Know Your Ingredients: Octyl Palmitate
- Know Your Ingredients: Panthenol
- Know Your Ingredients: Decyl Oleate
- Know Your Ingredients: Isododecane
Leave a Comment
If you would like to make a comment, please fill out the form below.
This is good to know. I know a lot of people freak out when they see mineral oil in the ingredients list. Because of that, I stayed away from it too. Thanks for clearing it up Gio. I have a few breakouts here and there and my current tinted moisturizer has mineral oil in it and I don’t find that its making my skin worse – at least for now anyway, lol.
Dee´s last blog ..Giveaways You Should Know About
I can’t use any moisturizer with mineral oil and I found out the hard way. I used La Mer once and got horrible break out from “the miracle cream.” It turns out La Mer contains petroleum-based products and my skin does not like them.
Dao´s last blog ..Makeup Emergency: The Palette
Dee, you’re welcome. There is a lot of confusing and misleding information about mineral oil and it’s a shame that people are staying away from it for that. It really is an effective moisturizing ingredient and I’ve never had problems with it.
Products with minreal oil won’t damage the skin nor clog pores unless they contain comedogenic ingredients too. I always stay away from products with isopropyl palmitate or myristate at the top of the list cos they give me horrible breakouts! But a well-formulated product wouldn’t contain comedogenic ingredients and without those, mineral oil is perfectly fine and will moisturize skin without clogging pores.
Dao, that’s a shame. Mineral Oil is usually well-tolerated by most people but unfortunately it can cause problems for those with acne-prone skin and aggravate their condition.
I guess that shows that expensive products aren’t always better but I hope you didn’t pay the full price for the La Mer cream.
I have been using straight Vaseline (petroleum jelly – one step ‘up’ from mineral oil in both thickness and bad press!) on my face as a moisturizer since I was 12. I’m in my 40’s now and I have yet to see any lines – even around my eyes, none at all – or loss of firmness of any kind in my skin. It is my ‘open secret’ – people ask me all the time what I do to my skin and when I tell them they usually look blank and then want to know what the real secret is. I’ve done a lot of research on it and found only things that convince me more that it is safe and adds no further burden on the environment (no need to test on animals, since it has been around so long and tested enough in the past; it is a byproduct of an oil-refining process that would occur anyway, whether you got petrolatum or not, so might as well make good use of it). It heals cuts like magic! I get big tubs in my Christmas stocking every year! You have to use the kind that says USP though – otherwise no way to tell for sure if it has been purified to highest-grade standards and free of contaminants.
Kristen, I’m glad vaseline works so well for you.There really is no secret to aging well but using effective ingredients helps a lot. It’s a perfectly ok and safe ingredient and it’s a shame many people refuse to use it due to unjustified bad press.
[...] from Beautiful With Brains wonders if Mineral Oil is really Bad for Skin. Popularity: 1% [...]
[...] Mineral oil ain’t so bad after all – Beautiful with Brains [...]