ETHNIC BEAUTY 101: THE NO NO'S OF MINERAL OIL! This is true for everyone!
Jasmine here! As the official Black Friday of the market place as well as my first official posting for Black Fridays, I thought I would use today as sort of an informative piece that I hope will help you with your holiday shopping as you take advantage of the great sales and product offerings going on today.
Have you ever used a moisturizer for your skin, a conditioner for your hair, or a moisture balm for your lips that worked so well in the first few applications only to find the awe inspiring results quickly fade with use? Have you ever looked at the ingredient list wondering what you have gotten so used to in the product that your hair/skin is no longer responding? I think almost everyone has had this experience at one time or another.
The most common reason for this is that some beauty products contain various synthetic fillers - mainly because they are much less expensive and easier to obtain - that coat the areas of concern giving the illusion of repair instead of actually treating and replenishing with whole ingredients. Today I'm focusing on mineral oil - one of the most prevalent ingredients you will find in beauty products (especially ethnically targeted brands) yet the least effective and most damaging in my honest opinion. Don't worry ladies...I will lay out my whole list of synthetic products to avoid in the near future..
Mineral oil - also known as petroleum, petrolatum, paraffin and squalene (though the latter two are less harsh / concentrated forms) - is a by-product of crude oil that gasoline companies view as unusable waste. Now if this stuff is not good enough to put in our cars why would we want to use this on our bodies?
Petroleum based products may seem effective at first because it coats the pores and gives the illusion of moisture infusion. However mineral oil is not natural or a moisturizer so over time it will cause excessive dryness increasing not only your need to continue use but the amount needed to restore (perceived) balance as well. Add that to the fact that your body does not know how to break down this synthetic concoction and this is a lose-lose in both the beauty and health departments in my book. Unfortunately, I have noticed that there are quite a few products geared towards black and ethnic women claiming to moisturize us and yet list this very drying ingredient first! (Side Note: ingredients are listed in order from highest percentage to least with the first ingredient making up the most portion of the product and so on - this goes for food ingredient listings as well.) Mineral oil in all its forms is a definite no-no for us ethnic beauties who need true moisture for our dry-prone hair and skin, but anyone with very dry hair and/or skin should avoid it (i.e. psoriasis, cracked skin/hair, dandruff, extreme split ends, coarse curly hair, etc.) Now occasionally I come across products with paraffin or squalene that I do enjoy and will use because it's effect is not as harsh, yet in the end I find the results are still the same so I still try to avoid them.
As you browse through your favorite shopping centers and specialty stores this weekend enticed by the discounted products and holiday gift baskets, the enormous amount of options can be overwhelming and at time border on insanity. However, now that you armed with the knowledge of what you should expect NOT to see in quality beauty products, you can zone in on those that are really worth your attention. Happy Belated Turkey Day chicas and happy buying!
Who else avoids mineral oil like the plague?
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Comments
How interesting, Jasmine! I never knew this, but will now be very much aware and checking all of my items before use. I'm very interested to hear about other no-no's for cosmetics, as well. I've been somewhat over-whelmed when trying to look into this issue in the past, but I know with your easy-to-understand approach I'll be fine. :D Thank-you! <3
ok, now everything people have been saying about petroleum and stuff makes perfect sense. thank you for clarifying this. i might need to just throw some stuff out though generally ive been avoiding mineral oil for quite some time.
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I'll be avoiding it in the future! This is great to know -- I had a bad reaction to a lip product awhile ago and was using a Vaseline-like product to try to get my lips taken care of again. They felt really smooth and healing, even though my lips felt incredibly dry after it wore off... I had almost convinced myself that I had to reduce myself to ONLY using this. I'll continue in my search for a natural product =)
Interesting article, Jasmine! I never gave much thought to mineral oil, and probably wouldn't have been too alarmed if I saw it listed as an ingredient. But all that's changed now! Thanks for educating us... I'll avoid it from now on.
Carole
YAY!! 3 Cheers for you! I hate mineral oil and avoid it like the plage indeed I do! I first learned about it from tanning. All those cheap tanning lotions contain mineral oil and actual seeps in and cracks and damages the acrylics in tanning beds. Then I started researching it. So many bad things associated with mineral oil. INFACT mineral oil is on the same class one carcinogenic list as tanning and arsonic. Hell no!! im not putting that on my body if I can avoid it!
Tan is Love
i am SO GLAD you posted this!!! I'm BIG on organic/natural products, i always read the ingredients before purchase. Mineral oil makes my hair stands up, atm i'm a skin care brand ambassador and i've been trying to tell people to avoid it.. telling them that it's the left over crude oil at the bottom of the barrel.. i've been telling them to avoid talc, parabens, bismuth.. even products with parfum. funny thing though, they don't seem to care. *sigh* I really wish there would be more warning with harsh chemicals in cosmetics and skincare.
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I avoid mineral oil wherever possible. It's amazing how many products it's in though! I've noticed when I use a lip balm with mineral oil/petrolatum in it it puts a dry coating on my lips, it's not pretty.
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Mineral oil is not only in beauty products.. it's also in J&J's baby oil! I had bought it to use as an eye makeup remover earlier this year, but I have stopped using it. Thanks for bringing this to our attention- everyone should be aware of this matter..
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I'm confused about squalene -- isn't squalene or its derivative squalane supposed to be good for your skin, according to gardenofwisdom? (1) http://www.gardenofwisdom.com/f/What_is_Squalene_and_Squalane.pdf(2) this WHO article discusses what squalene is and its uses in vaccines http://www.who.int/vaccine_safety/topics/adjuvants/squalene/questions_and_answers/en/
Thank you Jasmine. This is so great to know and a good reminder to read the ingredient list more closely.
This is fantastic information Jasmine, thank you! Yes! That exact phenomenon has happened to me in the past. Of course, the more natural and organic I go the less it occurs. Some of these ingredients are really nasty aren't they? I love learning about ingredient lists but sometimes find it daunting. Not so with you! You do a great job of making it easy to retain, ultimately arming all of us with the knowledge we need for making necessary decisions. Health is beauty after all. Can't wait to hear more of what you have to say! Much Love, Dawn
Weirdly I was looking at the ingredients of 2well known and extremly expensive cleanser's this week (one an oil and another a cleansing balm) at the main ingredient in both-mineral oil so really would be paying loads for rubbish.They must be producing it for next to nothing and because it's expensive people think it's safe -I usedto think so.Thanks for highlighting thisissueandfor informing me that squalene and mineral oil are one in the same that wasnews to me :O!!!.
PotionPrincess♥
I always read the ingredents list on products, espically if its going in me or on me. Mineral oil is in sooo many things but I avoide it like the plague. A friend of mine told me about using olive oil on your hair if your suffering from dry scalp or dry hair. I tried it out and the results were amazing. I used my everyday olive oil righ out of the pantry. I gave my scalp a good coating then I worked some in on the ends, I covered my head with a plastic bag (face was not covered with the bag) for about 45 min. I hopped into the shower and it washed out easily then I used my mixed chicks shampoo-conditioner and my hair was looking good! I really really recomend this (olive oil) ob course we all have very diffrent hair, use your common sence before using. Hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving!!
Great post and an important subject: so much is "carcinogenic" now and I am also jumping on that "organic/alternative" bandwagon! I'm a huge fan of virgin (okay...HOW can they tell the coconuts are???)organic coconut oil and use it for everything!Smells nicer and will only do nice things on whatever you use it on. :) SO nice to have you here with us!
Typically I try to avoid things with mineral oil or that are petroleum based. I'm not sure, but over a year or so ago I read something on a forum about how awful these products are for you and how unhealthy they are for your skin. Ever since I've been trying to avoid them.
I hate seeing mineral oil in skin products. Why in the world would I put that on my skin.Awesome review!
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Thanks for this informative reminder. I have heard this before but, I could not remember where. I recently cleaned out a bunch of products from under the bathroom sink and found baby oil with vitamin E and a few other things. I put them aside. Now, it is time to toss them.
Great article, very interesting and useful knowledge. I'll have to watch out for these over-drying ingredients, as my skin tends to get rather dry in the winter especially
wow interesting article, Jasmine.. I already have gone to a more natural line so am happily avoiding it and it seems to be great for my skin. I did noticed never finding most lipsalves any good, as in they just make my lips all cracked.. now i have an olive oil one i like a lot
makeup makeup makeup!!!!!!!
wow i never knew that! thanks for all the information, i'll need to avoid products with mineral oil from now on too.
I've always tried to avoid mineral oil, but it's amazing how many products, both high and low end contain it. It's hard to stay away from it.
Never knew this but I often have that "oh this is amazing!" and then two days later "wow, nothing." result. Will definitely watching out for this from now on. Thanks!
I have heard evidence to the contrary. It seems to be a case of he said she said though. The natural companies want to sell more things and discourage mineral oil product use as a means to that it seems. There is also research that shows that mineral oil is fine for the skin, and that cosmetic grade mineral oil and commercial mineral oil are totally different. Honestly I don't think I could ever give up my lavender baby oil and baby oil gel, or aquaphor, or The Balm Balms away eye make up remover. All have mineral oil and none have caused me any problems.
Love and Lipgloss,
Kathryn
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Thank you for the info! I've heard that mineral oil was bad before, but I hadn't gotten a breakdown on the details. Now I really know to avoid it and why!
What a wonderfully informative post. I have learned something that will surely save me from future skincare headaches and mineral oil problems. I'm off to check the labels of my skincare. Thanks so much.
I am so glad you've posted this - I can't begin to say anything nice about mineral oil at all and I avoid it at all costs. Thanks for the great post! :)
Thanks for such an informative article. I had heard a bit about mineral oil before, but now I am going to be extra vigilent in checking all of my products for it.
Thank you so much for posting this, because the ethnic products are very popular and companies gain tons of money based on this crap! I've avoided mineral oil many months ago on my hair, but I still use it in makeup for eyeshadows and blushes. I like using everything, but I'm a bit more conscious now. I'm gonna try soon Giovanni Smooth as Silk, as I'm natural since November-December 2008 and as the CURLS products disappointed me. any reviews of Giovanni is great too!
I never even thought mineral oil could be a bad thing i always thought it was a plus when i saw something saying "includes mineral oil" I will definitely be telling all my friends to check products before buying now! Thanks for the information!
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eeew! I have never considered vaseline to be a problem-think i might be avoiding it from now on too - i def agree that when it wears off my lips they feel drier and so i keep layering it on! I do like using it around my eyes at night though and i havent fond it dryin atall-quite the opposite?! I am on the fence on this one i think!
Carly xxx
hmmm very interesting article. i generally avoid mineral oils but not religiously. in fact, i read an article last night about making your own lip balm using petroleum jelly + other things and had a go. it turned out really nice but don't know if it really would be any good for your lips. :(
personally, never been a fan of mineral oils (:thanks for the article!
Mineral oil really can't be avoided in the cosmetic industry since it is a cheap ingredient. I do look carefully at the ingredient list before I buy something. I use the Aveeno Daily Moisturing lotion and I know it has mineral oil but I still use it because it really helps with my dry skin. I try to avoid using mineral oil or any product containing it on my face though.
Me I totally avoid mineral oil !!!! I hate the bloody stuff and I don't buy anything with petroleum jelly in either !!! Great article Jasmine x x
Excellent post; it was very informative! Mineral oil feels like it suffocates my skin. I try and avoid it as much as possible. I'm already oily and acne prone and I don't need mineral oil to help clog my pores, they do that themselves, thank you very much.
I steer clear of Mineral Oil like the plague too...or anything that has petroleum, nasty stuff. This post was great and very very informative, I didnt realize it wasnt fit for a car. Excellent post, look forward to more!
That's why I stopped using the Clean and Clear blotting sheets. They do work better for me than natural ones, but it's not worth using since they contain MO.
I have also been trying to stay away from mineral oils but it is so hard! I was hoping someone could give us a list of products/companies that are mineral oil free esp for skin cleansers and hair products....does anyone have a list like this??? anyone?
I know about petroleum only be drying. I'll be sure to read the ingredients more when I'm out shopping for hair products.
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Great post!! I try to avoid mineral oil as much as possible, however I find a lot of the cheaper priced drugstore brand body lotions have it in them. I've noticed it sure dries out my skin faster, I haven't noticed any mineral oil affecting my hair products, but its definetly something I will try to avoid!
Hmmm... I'm a bit on the fence on this issue. I do believe it is true that lip balms with petroleum don't actually moisturize; they form a barrier over your lips to seal in the moisture. If your lips aren't moist to begin with, then they won't get any better. I would think that this process would extend to other beauty products, as well. I try my best to avoid mineral oil in hair products because I NEED moisture! However, I don't try as hard anymore to avoid it in lip balms or makeup removers. Besides, after removing makeup, I wash my face with real cleanser. As for mineral oil not being natural, that just can't be true if you really think about it. Isn't oil and such just really, really old animal and plant matter (i.e. fossil fuel)? Of course, it has gone through quite a change, and just because something is "natural" it doesn't mean it's good for you. (I had an EVIL reaction to Juice Beauty products. I really wanted to like them, too. Quite a shame.) Furthermore, "NOT natural" does not always equal bad. Mineral oil does come from a finite natural resource. That could also be a good reason to stop using it.
I've known a lot of people who've had bad reactions to stuff with mineral oil in it...I've been lucky so far though!
I never really thought much of it. I didnt know mineral oil was bad.
I am in the process of using up the last of my conventional moisturisers, then im switching to natural skin care for my face and body. I cant wait to see the difference it makesMy legs and feet are always so dry so I use so much moisturiser, I will be making my own, so then I know exactly whats in it :)
I have never used any mineral oil based moisturizers as I read some time ago how it actually does not moisturize. I prefer to use coco or shea butter based products. I do use Pond's as a make up remover, nothing else I have tried works better. I wash it all off so I am not too worried about anything happening to me.
wow, I had no idea, thanks for the information! I'll make sure I check the labels and make sure that they don't contain mineral oil!
thanks for educating me on this topic. i've been paying more attention to ingredients in makeup lately and im slowly switching to organic products bc my skin is breaking out!
thanks for writing about this topic. I look forward to reading more about harmful ingredients to avoid. I've been replacing most of my skincare and makeup to more natural/organic products in the last two years. I always read the ingredients list and try to research about the ingredients before buying a product.
I think mineral oil is the #1 ingredient in Johnson & Johnson's Baby Oil!! Now I gotta find another eye makeup remover, but this is a really good heads up. thnx
I hate mineral oil, it's soo bad for your skin. Can't wait to read what else is on your list.
Letita