One of the most commonly used ingredients in skin care products these days is mineral oil.
Mineral oil is a byproduct of the distillation of gasoline from crude oil. It’s clear, odorless, and will not spoil. Plus, it’s dirt cheap. Like I said, it’s a byproduct from making gas so there’s a lot of it, and it’s cheaper to sell and use than it is to dispose of it!
Originally it was used as a mechanical lubricant because it’s very smooth and slippery, but slowly it was filtered and refined and processed so much that it’s now available at a food-grade quality and is used in the majority of cosmetics on the market.
I’m sure you can find it in a lot of the products you have in your house. It’s used in cosmetics, baby skin care products {specifically baby oil}, in hair products, and much more. It’s not always labeled “mineral oil”, but also as “petrolatum” and “paraffinum”.
Negative Effects Of Mineral Oil
Mineral oil is meant to moisturize your skin. At least that’s what it’s advertised to do.
In all reality, it coats your skin like wax or plastic wrap, which interferes with the skin’s ability to excrete toxins, and instead of holding moisture into the skin, it pulls moisture out of your skin. All of that leads to dry skin and clogged pores.
The molecules of the oil are so large that your skin has a hard time absorbing it, but once it does it can cause a good amount of internal problems.
Studies have shown it to absorb the fat-soluble vitamins in the intestinal tract once the liver breaks it down, cause abnormal hormonal issues resulting in female reproductive problems, cause premature aging due to lack of oxygen to the skin and slowed cell development, lead to a type of pneumonia called lipoid pneumonia, as well as causing kidney damage… just to name a few.
Other petroleum based products such as “petroleum”, “paraffin”, “paraffin oil” and “propylene glycol” are all derivatives of mineral oil and have similar effects on your skin.
My Guarantee To You
I don’t use mineral oil in any of my products and I never will.
Growing Up Herbal products are good for your skin. They help your skin to be healthier. They nourish what God gave you.
So what do I use?
I use natural and organic oils derived from natural sources like trees and nuts. My oils are cold-processed or expeller-pressed which means they’re not heated and no nutrients, vitamins, or minerals have been destroyed in the process. They are unrefined so that they are as close to their natural state as possible, and they are sourced from reputable countries.
The main oils I use in my products are coconut, olive, sweet almond, and jojoba oils. Sometimes specialty oils such as pumpkin seed, avocado, and hemp seed are used.
I want you to rest assured that the products you’re buying from me are not going to harm you, your friends or your family, but only to help you.
Here’s to you, your health, and your skin!
Blessings, Meagan
Hi Megan,
Love your blog. With regards to mineral oil, what are your thought on using it to treat a butcher block? I don’t use it for food preparation but my kids do sit to it and have contact with it. Also wondering about off gassing when I apply it?
Your thought would be greatly appreciated!
I don’t really know about using it on butcher blocks. I have a wooden cutting board (bamboo), and I don’t put anything on mine. Thankfully, it’s holding up great! I have heard of people using olive oil or other oils on their wooden cutting boards, though. If it were me, I’d skip it, and find something else. It’s made from crude oil, and from the research I’ve done on it, it’s pretty much junk. However, I don’t know if it’s actually that big of a deal when it comes to using it on a butchers block. Sorry I couldn’t be of more help!