Mineral Oil: The Truth Behind This So-Called Eczema & Psoriasis “Miracle-Ingredient"
Mineral oil has been around for decades and decades. Grandmothers and even your own parents will probably tell you stories of being given Vaseline as a lotion, hair mask, and face cream. It is in almost every eczema and psoriasis cream on the market. Dermatologists will even recommend creams or lotions with mineral oil or petroleum in it to help relieve dry skin. With the new dawn of natural skin care and the studies being published on what certain skin care ingredients actually do to your skin, it’s no surprise that mineral oil is now and should be forever put on the banished list.
The Facts on Mineral Oil & Petroleum
Mineral oil is a byproduct of petroleum from the distillation to produce gasoline. That sentence alone should have readers concerned! In other words, it’s the byproduct of refining crude oil to make gas, the type of gas used to fuel our cars. It’s colorless, odorless, and can be ingested. So what’s the problem? Much too much!
Firstly, petroleum and mineral oil cannot be metabolized in the body. Even in the cosmetic grade of mineral oil, which is said to be pure and safe to use on the skin, it stays in the body. Forever. Yes, you heard that correctly. Studies have revealed that fat cells taken from women who had recently given birth and breastfeed were contaminated with mineral oil saturated hydrocarbons. It is believed that cosmetics could be a relevant source of the contamination. Even if you are not ingesting mineral oil and only applying it to your skin, it still absorbs straight into your system and remains there. Permanently.
There are also certain components of mineral oil that are toxic, and many studies have been done to link mineral oil with cacogenics and cancer. According to the Environmental Working Group, 80% of all beauty products might be contaminated with one or more of the two dozen recognized impurities in cosmetics that have been linked to cancer. Scarily, the presence of these impurities is not restricted by government safety standards, at any level and the ones in petroleum-based ingredients readily penetrate the skin.
The worst of the possible contaminants is 1,4 dioxane and is found in 22% of all petroleum-based cosmetics. It is a possible human carcinogen and a known animal carcinogen. To refresh your memory, carcinogens are a substance capable of causing cancer in living tissue. Ready to throw out all your creams, lotions, and products with mineral oil yet?
Unfortunately, there is more. Petroleum and mineral oil are occlusive, as well. Occlusive agents are a type that seals off the skin from water, air – anything from getting in or out. It forms an invisible film when applied to the skin on the surface that blocks pores and the skin’s natural respiration process. Those suffering from acne, eczema, rosacea, psoriasis, any type of skin condition can actually make it worse by using occlusive skin care ingredients.
As we know, blocked pores trap in dirt and oil, fueling blackhead formations, whiteheads, pimples, anything to irritate and keep bacteria growing. It’s also believed that the occlusive nature of mineral oil and petroleum can create a warm, moist (using what little moisture may be trapped now in your skin) environment for fungus and yeast to grow. Yuck!
It is a well-known fact too, to never put mineral oil-based products or petroleum-based on a sunburn. This seals in the burn and the heat from the burn and makes it much worse, to the point of leading up to permanent scarring. Why would you want to put something that can cause such a huge problem onto your skin, in any situation or daily use?
Further on the subject of occlusive nature in mineral oil, for those with dry skin problems or conditions, this means that the film coating the surface of your skin keeps whatever moisture that is only left when they are applied. For those with eczema and psoriasis, this certainly concludes to no moisture at all in the skin. Ergo, mineral oil-based products seal in dryness from your own skin, not any of the other moisturizing ingredients in the cream or lotion you just used.
What has been used, tried and true for so long is, in fact, complete folly.
Wild Naturals Skin Care
Wild Naturals knows the major worries and issues with mineral oil and petroleum. The skin care lines and products created by Wild Naturals are free of these synthetic ingredients, as well as fragrances (which can irritate skin), dyes (most contain mineral oil), or preservatives (parabens). They are 98% natural and 86% organic. The key ingredients in each product are aloe vera, manuka honey, shea butter, blue-green algae, coconut oil, hemp seed oil, and cehami flower extract.
There is even a full line dedicated to eczema and psoriasis, with all natural, steroid free, super moisturizing ingredients. Visit the online store today and find the right solution to avoid mineral oil and petroleum products at low costs and much healthier for you!
