Mineralöle

What are mineral oils? Why are they contained in so many cosmetic products? And why should we avoid them?  

Mineral oils are liquid distillation products (hydrocarbon compounds) derived from petroleum and lignite. In addition to their use as heating and lubricating oils, refined mineral oils are also used in large quantities as a very cheap raw material in the cosmetics market. Their use in cosmetics is permitted in legally specified quantities.

In application, mineral oils initially give the product a pleasant feel and are generally well tolerated (in terms of allergies). In addition to their function as consistency enhancers, they serve as a very inexpensive filler and last significantly longer than high-quality plant oils. Visually, they can temporarily smooth the skin's appearance and form a protective film on the skin. However, they cannot be absorbed and processed by the skin. They therefore have no active ingredient properties and merely form an occlusive layer that sits on the skin.

This occlusive effect disrupts the epidermal balance and prevents the skin's natural moisture exchange. Heat and moisture build up under this film, leading to skin swelling, while heat retention promotes the dilation of blood vessels (caution, especially with couperose and rosacea).

The swelling on the skin also leads to an immediate smoothing effect, which is why the product initially feels good and effective. However, since mineral oil cannot be absorbed and processed by the skin, not only does the skin's own moisture escape when the product is removed (during daily facial cleansing), but the hydro-lipid film—our skin's protective barrier—is also sustainably disrupted and damaged.

Mineral oils cannot support the skin's natural barrier either, because their structure is different from the lipid structure of our skin. Depending on what is used to cleanse the skin, there is also the likelihood that the "mineral oil film" that has accumulated on the skin cannot be "broken through" and cleansed away, as mineral oil products are not water-soluble. This creates an effect similar to a large-holed crispbread that is spread with butter. If you keep applying another layer of butter, a thick layer of fat eventually sits on the crispbread and the "pores" are no longer visible. Similarly, mineral oil seals the skin and clogs the pores. The skin can no longer "breathe" or fulfill its natural metabolic functions.

For chapped lips and very dry or cracked areas of skin, mineral oil-containing products offer a short-term protective effect, but unfortunately, the exact opposite effect occurs in the long term. The skin's protective barrier is damaged, the pH value becomes unbalanced, the skin becomes more permeable, dries out, and gateways are opened for microorganisms that can cause blemishes, inflammation, and eczema.

Mineral oils disrupt skin-physiological processes, which in turn severely impairs the skin's metabolism and ability to regenerate. In the long term, this promotes premature skin aging.

If you feel the need to reapply cream again and again or experience a strong feeling of tightness after (facial) cleansing, it is likely that after prolonged use of mineral oil-containing products, you have developed a "mineral oil addiction." Many people know this effect from lip care sticks, which you have to apply more and more frequently over time because the lips feel dry and brittle without care.  The same applies to body care with mineral oil-containing products. 

High-quality cosmetics should not contain mineral oils or similar substances. In professional, effective skin care, skin health should always be the focus, which is why cheap substances such as mineral oils or silicones, which block skin-physiological processes and can even be harmful to health, must have no place in the product. 

Love it Pure therefore stands for 100% natural products without mineral oils and silicones.

The following terms conceal mineral oils:

Paraffinum, Praffinum Liquidum, Paraffinum Subliquidum, Petrolatum, Ceresin, Vaselin, Vaselinum, Mineral Oil, Paraffin Wax, Paraffin Oil, Cera Microcristallina, Microcristalline Wax, Microcrystalline Waxes, Microwax, Synthetic Wax    

Signs of mineral oil-damaged skin can include: 

  • dry skin, extremely dry skin conditions / dryness eczema
  • flaky skin
  • disrupted skin barrier
  • blemished skin, pimples, congestion, blackheads
  • inflammatory skin conditions
  • reduced elasticity
  • wrinkles
  • clogged pores, disrupted sebum flow, comedones
  • redness
  • couperose, rosacea, and dilation of blood vessels are promoted

Mineral oils are contained as ingredients in numerous cosmetics. In addition, chemical compounds known as MOSH and MOAH can be detected in many mineral oil products. MOSH stands for (English) Mineral Oil Saturated Hydrocarbons, while MOAH stands for (English) Mineral Oil Aromatic Hydrocarbons. These hydrocarbon compounds have been suspected of being carcinogenic for some time and can damage the genetic material. Furthermore, it has been scientifically proven that these substances accumulate in the tissue and can lead to inflammation.

 

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