Want to know the skin care industry's dirty little secret
Mineral oil.
Doesn’t that sound exotic and natural?
Mineral oil is a very cheap liquid by-product of the distillation of petroleum to produce gasoline and other petroleum-based products from crude oil. It is artificial, harsh, and terrible for your skin and hair. If you use commercial skin products, yes, even the expensive ones, chances are you are coating yourself with it every day.
The skin is the body’s largest organ, and it works together with the kidneys to rid the body of toxins. However, your skin needs to be able to breathe to perform these functions. Mineral oil coats the skin like plastic, disrupting the skin's natural immune barrier and inhibiting its ability to breathe or even sweat properly.
In addition, mineral oils attract needed moisture from cells deep inside your skin. This means that cell renewal is slowed, collagen breaks down, and the connective tissue is destroyed. Normal cell development is slowed down and the skin ages prematurely when skin cells are robbed of moisture.
Studies have shown mineral oil increases the risk of cancer in rats. Mineral oil can also cause serious health problems if absorbed into tissue, and may prevent essential nutrients from reaching the intestines, as well as cause temporary incontinence of the bowels, and worse.
Companies have become smarter about labeling. As people become more educated on the negative effects of mineral oil, industry has countered with creative use of misdirection. So if you look at the ingredients on your favorite skin care product, it may not list “mineral oil” or “petroleum jelly.” It may say things like: white oil, liquid paraffin, pariffinum liquidum, and liquid petroleum.
The worst offender? Good, old-fashioned baby oil. It is almost 100% mineral oil. I use absolutely no petroleum products in my products, and never will.