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Is Mineral Oil Dangerous?

April 28, 2019 By Karen Friend Smith

Alrighty – Mineral Oil. Is it bad for me? Should I avoid it? What’s the scoop?

Mineral oil is found in SO many products:

  • moisturizers
  • foundations
  • hair products
  • baby products
  • baby oil

In fact, often the only ingredient in baby oil is mineral oil. So, it can’t be that bad, right?

Well, here’s the thing. Not only is it bad – there’s nothing good about it either!

It doesn’t sound that bad. Right? I mean, ‘mineral’ + ‘oil’ almost sounds like a good thing, until you learn that another word for it is ‘liquid petroleum’. It’s a by-product of the distillation process of turning petroleum into gasoline. (Now it doesn’t sound so good, right?)

I’m not kidding when I say there is nothing beneficialabout mineral oil. In fact, it aggravates acne, dermatitis and eczema. It even causes premature aging? What!?!Added aging to my moisturizer!

More importantly, it masks as estrogen in your body and alters your hormones – which leads to issues like depression, weight gain, thyroid issues and things we all have enough trouble with as it is already.

So, why do we use it? Because it’s cheap! It’s a cheap way to create products that slide and glide on your skin – products that make you feel like you’re being moisturized, when really it’s doing just the opposite!

So, look for it. Avoid it. Tell your friends and family to avoid it. Get rid of any products you have that have mineral oil.

Oh, and because nothing can be easy….you can’t just look for the two words “mineral oil”. There are actually dozens of other namesfor it. So, watch for all of these words below on the ingredient lists.

And, if you need a safer alternative – you know where to find me! Let me help you make a clean swap!

Alternative names for Mineral Oil:

  • adepsine oil
  • alboline
  • baby oil
  • bayol 55
  • cable oil
  • bayol f
  • blandlube
  • blandol white mineral oil
  • carnea 21
  • clearteck
  • crystol 325
  • crystosol
  • Diala-X, AX
  • drakeol
  • electrical insulating oil
  • ervol
  • filtrawhite
  • fonoline
  • frigol
  • glymol
  • Heat-treating oil
  • hevyteck
  • hydraulic oil
  • hydrocarbon oils
  • jute batching oil
  • kaydol
  • kondremul
  • kremol
  • LHM
  • lignite oil
  • liquid paraffin
  • lubricating oil
  • master Shimmer
  • mineral oil (saturated parrafin oil)
  • mineral oil hydrocarbon solvent (petroleum)
  • mineral oil mist
  • mineral oil, aromatic
  • mineral oil, paraffinic
  • mineral Seal Oil
  • molol
  • neo-cultol
  • nujol
  • oil mist
  • oil mist, mineral, severely refined
  • Oil mist, refined mineral
  • oil, petroleum
  • paraffin oil (class)
  • paraffin oil
  • parol
  • paroleine
  • peneteck
  • penreco
  • perfecta
  • petrogalar
  • petrolatum
  • petroleum hydrocarbons
  • petroleum, liquid
  • primol
  • primol 355
  • primol d
  • protopet
  • saxol
  • tech pet
  • f triona b
  • uvasol
  • univolt N60, 80
  • voltesso 35
  • white mineral oil
  • white oil

Need a safer alternative?

Let your skin breathe easy. Beautycounter Hydrating Body Lotion contains a moisturizing blend of marula and mongongo oils which are rich in essential fatty acids to revitalize and nourish skin. And the citrus mimosa scent is light, but SO wonderful!

Filed Under: Education

About Karen Friend Smith

Clean Beauty Advocate & Educator. Creator of becounter.com.

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My work is serious stuff, but I try not to take myself too seriously. Health + beauty can be fun! Can’t wait to get to know you & connect you to some safer solutions! Reach out + let’s connect.

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