Mineral oil side effects, is there anything to worry about?
Mineral oil is subject to some controversy. Some people love mineral oil and others hate it.
Are mineral oil side effects that bad? What does ‘science’ say – is there’s anything to worry about?
On the website PubMed, medical researchers published some interesting peer-reviewed clinical studies about mineral oil.
It makes you wonder why mineral oil is so widely present in skin care products!
Mineral oil side effects are very real and it is definitely not a natural organic ingredient. Somehow it made its way into our skin care and nutrition. Yes, there are different levels of refinement and it might be called “food grade” or “cosmetic grade” when used in this context, but it is still the same toxic substance. Many people may not be linking their frequent use of personal care products to health issues or skin problems. Vaseline, body lotion, hand cream, lipstick, lipgloss, shaving gel and mascara often contain mineral oil.
Mineral oil side effects have been have been found when looking at people who are frequently exposed to the substance. Workers in the petrochemical industry for example, but also many women, with their daily use of beauty products.
Results of scientific research on mineral oil side effects
- The workers in chemical, petrochemical, machine-building, metallurgic and car industries, who are exposed to mineral oil through skin contact and breathing, are significantly more frequently diagnosed with skin cancer.
- An study on 140 women, giving birth by cesarean, shows that mineral oil accumulates in the body over time. The study linked the build up of mineral oil in body tissue to (amongst others) frequent use of sun creams, lipstick and hand creams.
- Another study has been checking the effects of baby massage with coconut oil versus mineral oil. The preterm babies as well as the other ones showed a better weight gain and a faster growth when massaged regularly with coconut oil. Mineral oil did not have that effect. No mineral oil side effects in this study, but the coconut oil was clearly improving the babies growth, where mineral oil was not.
- Mineral oil has been used with success to treat certain dry skin conditions. In a study comparing mineral oil to coconut oil however, coconut oil was shown to have an even better effect. Something as simple and natural as virgin coconut oil does not expose people to the mineral oil side effects!
- Mineral oil components migrate from food wrapping into the outer layers of cheese and meat products. The amount of mineral oil present in the food is said to be negligeable, but who’s counting the accumulative amounts?
The industry certainly isn’t, just like they aren’t counting the amount of skin care products one uses. The levels of toxic substances or mineral oil in one product might stay under what they would consider ‘hazardous’ for our health, but most people use a lot more than just one pea sized dab a day.
What is mineral oil doing, once inside the body?
Inside the body, mineral oil is broken down by the liver and passes through the bowels. There it absorbs and ‘steals’ away all the fat-soluble vitamins and minerals. This can compromise our health and lead to a deficiency in essential nutrients over time.
Of course, you want to lock in moisture and protect your skin from the outside environment. Mineral oil may make dry skin look better temporarily, but it doesn’t treat anything. It just masks the condition. As soon as you stop using it, the skin will go back to the way it looked before. Even worse, since mineral oil increases ageing, sun damage and dehydration.
Natural oils do the job in a completely different and a lot better way. They protect and shield, but don’t prevent the skin from absorbing oxygen and letting out whatever it is the skin wishes to eliminate. They also do not contain carcinogens and do not harmfully build up in the body, nor do natural, organically grown oils take away our essential vitamins and minerals.
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