Mineral Oil…
the good, the bad, and the ugly.
The human skin is the largest organ in the body and most have proper nutrition to carry out its many important
functions. We should be just as concerned about what goes on our skin as what we eat and drink. Since you are
reading this perhaps you too are seeking a better way of caring for your skin. One thing is certain, it’s never too
late to make a change and there is definitely something you can do about it. The fact is that most ingredients in
the products we use are absorbed by the skin into the body. The skin acts as a filter for the body for even the
smallest molecule not seen by the naked eye is being absorbed and in some cases is accumulating in our bodies.
Don’t believe me? Put a piece of garlic between your toes. Within minutes you will taste it. Why because it is
absorbed through your skin. The things you put on your skin goes into your body! It is that plain and simple.
First the sun, the #1 source of Vitamin D, is made out to be evil and then we lather on stuff that is full of
chemicals and other junk. When we put a product on our skin, the chemicals are absorbed into the organs of our
body within 30 seconds according to the US EPA.
Hmmmm.... Since we started putting chemicals in our body, the cancer rates in this country have skyrocketed and
we wonder why skin cancer on the rise!
Seriously go through your cabinets at home and see how many things you put on daily have mineral oil, petrolatum,
SD alcohol, etc. Then look for preservatives. Most OTC products have 45 - 55% preservatives so they can have a
very long shelf life; up to 25 years in most cases. Even the big “name” companies that you see in the mall do this.
Large cosmetic companies are continuing to use synthetic and petrochemical ingredients in personal care products.
Pick up any bottle of lotions, cream, shampoo, conditioner, or toothpaste in your house right now and see how many
natural ingredients they contain. Based on FDA's personal care products packaging standards, the further the
name of an ingredient is down the list on a product label, the lesser of that ingredient the product contains. If this
is true how much synthetic material have you feed your skin today?
If the above wasn’t enough to convince you how about the next fact: Mineral Oil can actually enhance
cellulite. Any petroleum by-product produces estrogen in our body. Estrogen loves, loves, loves fat. So it stores
itself in fat and doesn't like to let go of it. Cellulite is hard fat. So if you like cellulite, keep on using mineral oil and
the like in your skin care.
Not only does fat love estrogen, but so does cancer! The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
(NIEHS) added estrogen to its list of known cancer-causing agents.
Let's explore mineral oil, a common ingredient in commercial lotions, creams, and baby care products, Mineral Oil.
Mineral oil is clear, liquid oil with no scent and will not spoil. It is produced as a byproduct of the distillation
of gasoline from crude oil, the same stuff they make gasoline from. Mineral oil is leftover liquid, and
because it is abundant, it is very inexpensive. It is CHEAPER for manufacturers to purchase these
byproducts as filler than it is for the industry to dispose of it. In fact, it is more expensive to dispose of
mineral oil, than to purchase it. Mineral oil is the main ingredient in many baby care items as well. Baby oil,
Vaseline (petroleum jelly), baby wash liquid soap, and baby lotions all contain mineral oil as a key ingredient. In fact
98% of all cosmetics use mineral oil, including your eye shadow, blush, lipstick, shaving cream and your everyday
moisturizer and lotion you use at home. It is also used in most SPF sunscreen.
Gasoline and Mineral Oil are known for their bleaching ability. Ever wonder why gasoline is often used to remove
paint? Ever wonder why artists use mineral oil on their brushes? Ever wonder why mineral oil is often used to
clean tools? It's because it whitens and releases grease. Mineral oil is light machine oil.
Petrolatum (petrela´tem) - colorless to yellowish-white hydrocarbon mixture obtained by fractional distillation of
petroleum. In its jellylike semisolid form (known as petroleum jelly and also by several trade names) it is used in
preparing medicinal ointments and for lubrication. As a nearly colorless, highly refined liquid known as liquid
petrolatum, liquid paraffin, or mineral oil, it is used as a lubricant, as a laxative, and as a base for nasal sprays.
Basically, Mineral oil or petroleum strips your tan and whitens your skin.
Some of the effects of mineral oil may be a little surprising.
Mineral oil acts as a thin layer on the skin. It is extremely difficult for Mineral Oil to be absorbed into your skin
because the molecules are too large. It just sits on top of your skin and clogs your pores, which doesn't allow your
skin to absorb water (moisture) which slows the skins ability to eliminate toxins.
The problem is that mineral oil is foreign to the human body and has many harmful effects.
If the above wasn’t enough to convince you how about considering the following facts:
Why would you want to use it on your skin?
“We look good, we smell good, and we have just exposed ourselves to 200 different chemicals a day through
cosmetics”
U.S. News & World Report
Remember, the skin in the body's largest organ and plays an important role in maintaining overall health! What oils
and chemicals are absorbed, are broken down by the liver and passes through the intestinal tract; oil will then
absorb all of the fat-soluble vitamins found there. It is essentially stealing important vitamins from the body,
which the body will not be able to replace. This can eventually lead to nutritional deficiencies.
Mineral Oil increases the photo-aging of the skin...and we wonder why we keep looking older, why our skin
continues to dry out, even with all the products we use? (Plus you will burn faster when using petroleum
products...and a burn is not a tan).
Studies have also shown forms of pneumonia maybe caused by mineral oil decreasing lung function, know as lipoid
pneumonia. Because of these dangers, the medical community has condemned the use of mineral oil taken orally or
as an ingredient in medications.
Are you now asking WHY would anyone want to use it on their skin?
Some well know persons say that mineral oil is perfectly okay to use because it forms a film/barrier on the skin
that seals in moisture and it repels water, etc. Your skin is a living organ not a car part, it’s alive and must be
allowed to live and function as intended or there will be consequences. Those can range from a simple rash to
discolorations, or cysts and sores to cancer. The body will react one way or the other when it’s not being cared for
properly or fed bad food (even in the form of skin care products). In some individuals reactions may be immediate
for others it may be over a period.
Still not convinced? Try this following experiment:
Two Triscuits or Raisins
Two Small Bowls
Mineral Oil
Water
Place a Triscuit in each bowl and fill one bowl
with water and the other with mineral oil.
Watch the changes.
The following picture was taken after the 2007
Knightdale Business Expo after the experiment
had been on display for 5 hours. The Triscuit
never changed!
Second Experiment:
Take a sponge and set it in, or even better, cover it with mineral oil. Leave it for a couple minutes, hours, or days, it
doesn’t matter. When you cut it will still be dry in the middle because mineral oil can't be absorbed.
The following are links to enable you start some research of your own:
Call For Change to Mineral Oil Label
The Major Toxic Ingredients to Avoid
Xenoestrogens and Your Health