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The Effects of Mineral Oil on the Skin

Jul 22, 2010 | By Jared Paventi

Mineral oil is a colorless oil derived from petroleum. Industrial plants use the oil as a lubricant for parts or textiles, but its most popular use is as a health and beauty aid. Mineral oil is sold as a liquid and in solid form as petroleum jelly. In the United States and Canada, mineral oil with added fragrance is called baby oil. It is widely used to moisturize and heal dry and chapped skin. The Environmental Working Group's Cosmetic Safety Database reports, as of July 2010, that 276 moisturizers, 110 facial treatments and more than 700 cosmetic products listed mineral oil as an ingredient.

Emollient Effect

The Mayo Clinic defines mineral oil as an emollient moisturizer. Emollients work by filling in spaces between skin cells, which is often visible as chapped or cracked skin. This effect seals the skin, preventing further loss of water. Mineral oil is slowly absorbed by the skin, which is why a greasy residue is often left behind when it is applied. When the residue is gone, the oil has been fully absorbed. The Mayo Clinic reports that mineral oil has greater staying power than water-based emollients.

Makeup Remover

Mineral oil is the primary ingredient in most oil-based makeup removers. TheBeautyBrains.com, a website that examines the science behind cosmetics and beauty products, writes that using mineral oil to remove makeup follows the "like dissolves like" rule, which says that an oil is the best product to breakdown another oil. The molecules in makeup removers bond to those in the cosmetic to clean it away and clear the skin's pores.

Potential Cancer Causer

A growing body of evidence has shown the potential for mineral oil to have a carcinogenic effect. A 2008 multisite study led by the Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy at Rutgers University showed increased risk of skin cancer in laboratory animals treated with a mineral-oil-based moisturizer. Mice were exposed to ultraviolet B, or UVB, rays twice weekly for 20 weeks, increasing their risk of skin cancer. The same mice received treatments with one of four popular mineral oil-based creams five days a week for a 17-week period. The result was an increase in tumor size and the speed of their formation. The researchers have since recommended further studies to determine the effect on humans.

Skin and Liver Clogger

Mineral oil seals the skin by blocking the release of moisture. The drawback, as herbalist Myles Goldin writes for Fox News, is that it plugs pores and may cause acne or skin irritation. Once the oil is absorbed into the skin, it goes into the bloodstream and travels to the liver, where it can toxify and slow the organ's ability to break down fats. Once it goes through the liver and passes to the intestines, it finds fat-soluble vitamins--vitamins A, D, E and K. The fatty oil bonds to the vitamins, robbing the body if its ability to absorb the nutrients before pushing them through the end of the digestive tract.

References

Article reviewed by Holland Hammond Last updated on: Jul 22, 2010

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