What is all this about Mineral Oil?! [Archive]

Tamar

08-09-2003, 09:29 AM

Do a search for mineral oil and you will find many, many discussions on this.

To summarize, mineral oil is a by-product of crude oil and is very expensive to dispose of. So, refineries sell it very cheaply to various companies who use it to add to different skin care products. It serves as a barrier (not allowing moisture into the skin), so while it may FEEL good going on, it does more harm than good.

Hope this helps.

Goldeneye

08-09-2003, 10:07 AM

It's also supposed to block the skin pores and thereby not allow your skin to breathe, as well as possibly causing zits. I think for salon owners, it's supposed to break down the acrylic on the tanning beds over time. I tried them of course in the beginning once I saw lotion prices, but once I tried a better lotion, I never went back. The drug store lotions with the oil made my skin more reflective (and feel greasy). Wherever I'd sweat from contact with a bed, the pooled sweat plus the lotion would give me red (burned) spots. Being very cautious with my skin, I decided that wasn't acceptable. But I've got pale, sensitive skin, so you may fare completely different.

diva

08-09-2003, 06:28 PM

I personally do not buy into that theory at all. But, to each her own. I think mineral oil is probably found in cheap(er) tanning lotions, such as drugstores brand, and salon owners want to keep those out of their joints.

There are too many variations and formulations of "mineral oil" to generalize that is is "bad".

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[ This Message was edited by: diva on 2003-08-09 18:28 ]

Tpsyduck

08-09-2003, 06:55 PM

I really couldn't tell you much about mineral oil tanning wise, but, it's used as a laxitive treatment quite often. That's all I know about it

Sc0tt

08-09-2003, 10:30 PM

Quote:
On 2003-08-09 18:28, diva wrote:
I personally do not buy into that theory at all. But, to each her own. I think mineral oil is probably found in cheap(er) tanning lotions, such as drugstores brand, and salon owners want to keep those out of their joints.

There are too many variations and formulations of "mineral oil" to generalize that is is "bad".

_________________

[ This Message was edited by: diva on 2003-08-09 18:28 ]

neither do i.

KonaBikeBabe

08-09-2003, 10:33 PM

Wow...that's really interesting. (Not being sarcastic). I checked the lotion that I use for mineral oil, and it has none. It has a lot of things that I've never heard of either, but no mineral oil!

KonaBikeBabe

LucaBella

08-10-2003, 01:04 AM

Yea it seems to be a confusing topic. He he.

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[ This Message was edited by: LucaBella on 2003-08-10 13:17 ]

xxRMMxx

08-10-2003, 04:59 AM

Banana boats lotion has it,and thats the second best lotion I've used on my skin. I like it almost as much as my AG without mineral oil. Maybe its something people make up so you buy thier lotions for more money. (??) then maybe not. lol. But I do know ....trial ....the proff will always be in the pudding.

xxRMMxx

08-10-2003, 04:59 AM

darksecret

08-10-2003, 01:36 PM

ok here goes mineral oil is a salon owners worst nightmare because mineral oil is a petroleum based product which means for one youre putting the worst type of oil on youre skin it will block pores and prohibit nmoisture in .as far as indoor tanning and baby oil (mineral oil) goesth reason salon owners doent want it in there salons is when it comes in to contact with the acrylic a chemical reaction occurs with the oil and the acrylic causing it to fog therfore blocking the uv light and deming the acrylic usless and in need of replacing costs can be between 100$ and 1500$ depending on the particular model almost any oil is better for your skin than mineral look on any quality bottle and youll see anything butmineral oil

LucaBella

08-10-2003, 01:42 PM

Ok, so it is bad fo the beds, I get that , I never use my Hawaiian Tropics in the beds anyway, I only use tingle, but does anyone know if it is bad for your skin or not, bad for your tan? Because I use it outside sometimes, instead of using my expensive lotion. Is it ok to use outside? Or will it not help me tan?

diane5529

08-20-2003, 05:44 AM

Mineral oil (in lotions and moisturizers),in addition, removes the top layer of skin as well. It helps to uncover a new layer of softer(and whiter) skin. It is not generally recommended while tanning because it eventually leads to a quicker fade of tans.

njchica

08-20-2003, 06:00 AM

do a search on mineral oil.... there's a lot of information on both sides of the issue here.

Sc0tt

08-20-2003, 11:38 PM

I disagree...Mineral Oil will not fade your tan

diane5529

08-21-2003, 12:29 PM

well, that's what the salon owners tell me.

Sc0tt

08-21-2003, 08:19 PM

just my opinion...

Anya1976

08-21-2003, 09:38 PM

i dont think it will fade your tan but with it not allowing your skin to absorb moisture i personally wont use it. if u like baby oil type products get neutrogena's body oil it's made with sesame seed oil.

tanstamper

09-12-2003, 12:56 AM

Here is something interesting to read:

http://www.cosmeticscop.com/learn/article.asp?PAGETYPE=ART&REFER=SKIN&ID=47

playerette

09-12-2003, 10:53 PM

Ok from personal experience I know I love using baby oil outside.... but obviously don't use it in my bed at home. I don't think it's bad for my skin, but then again everyone has different skin........ so basically I think it depends on your skin type.

LucaBella

09-16-2003, 05:49 PM

Thanks for the info tanstamper!

teresa

09-16-2003, 06:04 PM

After years of using a product with Mineral Oil base, dry skin can become even drier through DEHYDRATION. Try this experiment to see how mineral oil creates a barrier on the surface of the skin, not allowing moisture in: Apply your mineral oil-based product on the back of your hand. Spritz water on it, and notice how it beads up. Mineral oil also depletes the natural nutrients and vitamins from the skin.
Here's the catch: While you are using the mineral oil-based product, you may not notice the dehydration because of the "slick" feel of the mineral oil on the surface of the skin. As we know, that slick feel on the skin is doing nothing nutritionally for the skin!
When someone with this condition switches to a natural, skin compatible product, they are doing the best thing for their skin to "re-hydrate." However, at first you may experience extreme dryness, even flakiness through the transition. When you remove the cause for the dehydration (mineral oil), you are penetrating the epidermal layer for the first time, which by now is extremely dehydrated.
Use plenty of products containing Alpha Complex to encourage more rapid exfoliation and hydration. Once your skin is re-hydrated, you will experience a silky smooth complexion that you've never dreamed possible!

RydeTheLTRAIN

09-16-2003, 06:24 PM

if vegetable oil comes from vegetables where does baby oil come from.
AHH!!

diane5529

09-16-2003, 11:28 PM

lol

LucaBella

09-17-2003, 12:58 AM

Heheheheheheheheeheehhe :)

princesstan

12-06-2003, 09:43 PM

We have fliers in my salon asking our clients not to use mineral oil for a couple reasons.One is that it destroys our acrylics and makes them brittle and prone to cracking.The second reason is that it forms a layer of greasy film on your skin which clogs your pores and doesn't allow the tanning rays to properly penetrate your skin.
The layer of mineral oil on the acrylic also blocks a lot of the UV rays from reaching you.Ironically,mineral oil is one of the cheapest ingredients so it is put in a lot of low quality products as a filler.I read somewhere that the US is the only place that allows mineral oil in skin products and its banned in other countries.

Anya1976

12-07-2003, 01:55 AM

Quote:
On 2003-09-16 18:24, RydeTheLTRAIN wrote:
if vegetable oil comes from vegetables where does baby oil come from.
AHH!!

baby oil (mineral oil) comes from a product used for motors it but maybe the call it baby oil cus motor oil was already taken?

Anya1976

12-07-2003, 01:57 AM

Quote:
On 2003-12-06 21:43, princesstan wrote:
We have fliers in my salon asking our clients not to use mineral oil for a couple reasons.One is that it destroys our acrylics and makes them brittle and prone to cracking.The second reason is that it forms a layer of greasy film on your skin which clogs your pores and doesn't allow the tanning rays to properly penetrate your skin.
The layer of mineral oil on the acrylic also blocks a lot of the UV rays from reaching you.Ironically,mineral oil is one of the cheapest ingredients so it is put in a lot of low quality products as a filler.I read somewhere that the US is the only place that allows mineral oil in skin products and its banned in other countries.
i listed a buttload of links to sites that say why mineral oil is bad. i couldnt find ones that werent trying to sell something but i am sure with more digging i could but the ones i did find all said the same things about mineral oil and how bad it is.(and they werent tanning sites they were either baby product sites or other skin care sites)

Michael

12-08-2003, 12:58 AM

This topic borders on religious, so since it's Sunday, I'll chime in too.

I can believe that mineral oil may block moisture from getting into your skin provided you live in a place with very humid air. I am more inclined to believe that the skin is more of an exit organ. Skin cells are just as affected by simple osmosis and evaporation as any other cell. So, something (anything) that coats the skin may actually hold water in if it retards exposure to the air. Lip Balm is a prime example. Put a coat of wax on the lips and go skiing and the dry winter air will not dry out your lips.

Will mineral oil block UV? I can't find anything that says it has any SPF rating. If it's a matter of clogging pores then any lotion will clog them. There's no magic here. Skin cells may absorb some chemicals in the lotions we use, but most of it goes straight into those pores. So unless someone can scientifically show that mineral oil absorbs UV, then it must be a fallacy.

Now, about those acrylics. I did some research and found that all acrylics are not created equal. Some are very resistant to anything short of battery acid. Others break down if you look at them wrong. Plastics that are the most transparent to UV seem to be less resistant to chemicals. So I can understand a salon not wanting to take the chance with mineral oil lotions. BUT, what else is there in the lotions that may affect the acrylics? I'm not an optical engineer, but I would guess that by the time you can see the diffusion with the naked eye, the dammage is extensive. According to www.tanningtraining.com the acrylics should be replaced if they transmit less than 70% of the UV from the bulbs.

Just for the record, I find that when I use a mineral oil lotion as a moisturizer at night, I feel very dehydrated in the morning. But I also do not believe that "All Natural" is necessarily the best thing either. Native Americans in Northern California used to put this red stuff on their skin before battle thinking that since it was from mother earth it would help them. Well the stuff was actually mercury and they were poisioning themselves.

Just my two cents.

Anya1976

12-08-2003, 03:01 AM

well since i stopped using all products that contain mineral oil my skin has not been flakey or dry at all. i used to use lotions containing mineral oil all the time i used every bath and body works product known to man. and i was fighting a losing battle with dry skin the more "moisturizer" i put on the dryier my skin became. now that i dont use those products or drugstore moisturizers my skin is never dry. (i have a dresser full of the moisturizers i don't use anymore i have probably 10 there right now)

Anya1976

12-08-2003, 03:03 AM

if u like the baby oil feel go get the neutrogena body oil it is made with a light sesame oil. it costs a bit more than regular baby oil of course but it's so much better in the long run.

Anya1976

12-08-2003, 03:07 AM

http://neutrogena.com/ProductsDetails.asp?ID=78

CincyFan

12-08-2003, 05:30 AM

I have a question... When everyone talks about products with Mineral Oil does that mean products with Mineral Oil as a base (1st ingredient in list) or with Mineral Oil in it PERIOD? Because I can't imagine that a water-based lotion with Mineral Oil as it's 5th/6th ingredient could actually harm tanning bed acrylics. But, I could be wrong.

Michael

12-11-2003, 12:27 PM

The harm is possible. I found some research done by a plastics company where they actually tested tanning lotions on their UV transparent acrylic product specially made for tanning beds. The test was a stress fracture test and they coated the sheet with tanning lotions. They then applied pressure to the sheet until they started seeing fractures. Even lotions with no mineral oil, names recommended by people on this site, reduced the structural integrity of the acrylic eventually.

Deputy Dan

12-11-2003, 01:21 PM

I've seen acrylics with inprints of people on them from tanners who use Mineral Oil. It actually left a body imprint. After that the acrylic is wasted. At $200+ per acrylic, salons would be wise to ban use of outdoor products in their beds.

Deputy Dan

12-11-2003, 01:24 PM

Quote:
On 2003-12-08 05:30, CincyFan wrote:
I have a question... When everyone talks about products with Mineral Oil does that mean products with Mineral Oil as a base (1st ingredient in list) or with Mineral Oil in it PERIOD? Because I can't imagine that a water-based lotion with Mineral Oil as it's 5th/6th ingredient could actually harm tanning bed acrylics. But, I could be wrong.

Just FYI:

Only food products are required to list ingredients in order of amounts. All other products may list them in any order. We choose to list things in order but many dont and they dont have to. Be careful when reading labels.

sunbunny

12-11-2003, 03:57 PM

Quote:
On 2003-12-11 13:24, Deputy Dan wrote:
Quote:
On 2003-12-08 05:30, CincyFan wrote:
I have a question... When everyone talks about products with Mineral Oil does that mean products with Mineral Oil as a base (1st ingredient in list) or with Mineral Oil in it PERIOD? Because I can't imagine that a water-based lotion with Mineral Oil as it's 5th/6th ingredient could actually harm tanning bed acrylics. But, I could be wrong.

Just FYI:

Only food products are required to list ingredients in order of amounts. All other products may list them in any order. We choose to list things in order but many dont and they dont have to. Be careful when reading labels.

I thought I remembered reading that only food products were required to list in order of amounts. Thanks for clearing this up.

BronzeGlowAlicia

12-11-2003, 04:24 PM

Quote:
On 2003-09-12 00:56, tanstamper wrote:
Here is something interesting to read:

http://www.cosmeticscop.com/learn/article.asp?PAGETYPE=ART&REFER=SKIN&ID=47

I dont want to hear that mineral oil DOESNT moisturize and SUFFOCATES skin to where as if my skin was a person it would be dead..the article I read ...definitely leads me to believe its good for my skin.

jayell79

12-11-2003, 04:46 PM

Well good or bad I think it is a personal preference. I HATE mineral oil or any other petroleum based product. I will not use them. period. They can reek havac on my skin after just one use that can take weeks for me to fix & get my skin back to normal. I have the biggest boil on my chest ever after using Total Immersion. YUCK! If I would of read the ingredients, I would of NEVER used it in the first place. Plus it I feel like it dried my skin out & now I'm flaky. Some people are ok with petroleum based products, but not me.

RoxyCCS

12-12-2003, 02:52 PM

ew boils are gross

Val

12-13-2003, 02:59 PM

Quote:
On 2003-12-11 16:46, jayell79 wrote:
Well good or bad I think it is a personal preference. I HATE mineral oil or any other petroleum based product. I will not use them. period. They can reek havac on my skin after just one use that can take weeks for me to fix & get my skin back to normal. I have the biggest boil on my chest ever after using Total Immersion. YUCK! If I would of read the ingredients, I would of NEVER used it in the first place. Plus it I feel like it dried my skin out & now I'm flaky. Some people are ok with petroleum based products, but not me.

Jamie did you know that Total Immersion and Luminious mositurizers both have petroleum as the second ingredient in them? I was surprised to see this.

BrownJen

12-13-2003, 07:10 PM

I've said this in another thread and I'll say it again here. I think the thing to remember with the mineral oil/petrolatum/paraffin issue is that we all have different skin types, skin health, live in different climates, have different diets, different moisture levels, different water comsumption, and use different products on our skin. For some people using products with these ingredients dries out their skin/causes acne for others it doesn't. Your skin is really the best guide.

LucaBella

12-14-2003, 01:46 AM

yeah I just found out that Total Immersion has petroleum in it, and it worked great for me, so I am usuing petroleum and mineral oil things again now

Sc0tt

12-14-2003, 04:58 PM

Latley I've been mositurizing wtih my Banana Boat After Sun lotion, which contains mineral oil....
I still love it, though. Its so thick and smells good, too

Vikingdotter

12-14-2003, 07:19 PM

Quote: I read somewhere that the US is the only place that allows mineral oil in skin products and its banned in other countries.
As paraffine oil (a mineral oil component - alkanes with more than 12 carbone atoms in each molecule chain) is still used for skin products in most european countries, this is not true. Paraffine is not very reative, hence the latin name "parum affinis". "Petroleum", as mixture of diffrent light liquid components of crude oil, not to different from cerosine, is as far as I know banned for skin products in the European Union. Acryl (PAMMA poly-methyl-methacrylate) is immune to battery acid (sulfur acid), but not to some organic fluids as benzoene (component of petroleum), aceton or even propanol (an alcolhol somtimes used in cosmetics) or PABA (para-amino-benzoe-acid, still used as filter substance in sun protective lotions). "Petroleum" would ruin any acrylic on the long run. (But I´m not sure if "petroleum" is in american english really the same cerosine-like stuff called "petroleum" in sweden or in germany or just an other word for "mineral oil". As "gasoline" is called "besin" in sweden, "benzin" in germany or "petrol" in the UK, I´m not sure that we are really talkin about the same stuff.)
Pure (!) parafine oil wouldn´t react to acryl even under UV-radiation and heat. But it will leave a greasy, hard to clean off film on the acrylic.
UV transperent acrylic in sunbeds is indeed less resistant to chemicals or heat or even mechanical stress as "normal" acrylic as used for example in airplane canopies or furniture. The more stabilizing additives are in it, the less UV transparent is the acrylic.
I personally prefer plant oil products for skin care; even for my kids I avoid mineral oil based "baby oil".

Anya1976

12-14-2003, 08:48 PM

Quote:
On 2003-12-14 19:19, Vikingdotter wrote:
Quote: I read somewhere that the US is the only place that allows mineral oil in skin products and its banned in other countries.
As paraffine oil (a mineral oil component - alkanes with more than 12 carbone atoms in each molecule chain) is still used for skin products in most european countries, this is not true. Paraffine is not very reative, hence the latin name "parum affinis". "Petroleum", as mixture of diffrent light liquid components of crude oil, not to different from cerosine, is as far as I know banned for skin products in the European Union. Acryl (PAMMA poly-methyl-methacrylate) is immune to battery acid (sulfur acid), but not to some organic fluids as benzoene (component of petroleum), aceton or even propanol (an alcolhol somtimes used in cosmetics) or PABA (para-amino-benzoe-acid, still used as filter substance in sun protective lotions). "Petroleum" would ruin any acrylic on the long run. (But I´m not sure if "petroleum" is in american english really the same cerosine-like stuff called "petroleum" in sweden or in germany or just an other word for "mineral oil". As "gasoline" is called "besin" in sweden, "benzin" in germany or "petrol" in the UK, I´m not sure that we are really talkin about the same stuff.)
Pure (!) parafine oil wouldn´t react to acryl even under UV-radiation and heat. But it will leave a greasy, hard to clean off film on the acrylic.
UV transperent acrylic in sunbeds is indeed less resistant to chemicals or heat or even mechanical stress as "normal" acrylic as used for example in airplane canopies or furniture. The more stabilizing additives are in it, the less UV transparent is the acrylic.
I personally prefer plant oil products for skin care; even for my kids I avoid mineral oil based "baby oil".

wow thanks for this post viking.

LucaBella

12-14-2003, 10:19 PM

yeah very informative

jayell79

12-15-2003, 04:18 PM

Quote:
On 2003-12-13 14:59, Val wrote:
Quote:
On 2003-12-11 16:46, jayell79 wrote:
Well good or bad I think it is a personal preference. I HATE mineral oil or any other petroleum based product. I will not use them. period. They can reek havac on my skin after just one use that can take weeks for me to fix & get my skin back to normal. I have the biggest boil on my chest ever after using Total Immersion. YUCK! If I would of read the ingredients, I would of NEVER used it in the first place. Plus it I feel like it dried my skin out & now I'm flaky. Some people are ok with petroleum based products, but not me.

Jamie did you know that Total Immersion and Luminious mositurizers both have petroleum as the second ingredient in them? I was surprised to see this.
no I did not, thanks for the heads up on the Luminious, I've been wanting to try it. but now I know I really don't.[ This Message was edited by: jayell79 on 2003-12-15 16:19 ]

Deputy Dan

12-15-2003, 04:43 PM

Personally I would choose;

Jojoba Oil
Almond Oil
Macadamian Nut Oil
Olive Oil
Chamomile Oil
Kukui Nut Oil
Monoi Oil
Shea Butter
or even Silicone

Before I'd use Petroleum on my skin.
But then again it's cheaper than most of these to buy.

LucaBella

12-28-2003, 06:22 PM

i use anything now lol, after I found out Total Immersion as petroleum in it, I trew out all of my anti mineral oil, now my skin is looking great always

Mrc4608

12-28-2003, 06:55 PM

Bottom line, research and take care of your skin - always!

kukuinut

12-28-2003, 10:06 PM

[quote]
On 2003-12-08 00:58, Michael wrote:
This topic borders on religious, so since it's Sunday, I'll chime in too.

I can believe that mineral oil may block moisture from getting into your skin provided you live in a place with very humid air. I am more inclined to believe that the skin is more of an exit organ. Skin cells are just as affected by simple osmosis and evaporation as any other cell. So, something (anything) that coats the skin may actually hold water in if it retards exposure to the air. Lip Balm is a prime example. Put a coat of wax on the lips and go skiing and the dry winter air will not dry out your lips.

I was starting to stress out over the mineral oil debate a couple of weeks ago. But, I don't think I have a problem with it where I live. I live in an extremely dry climate.
I have ordered alot of products on-line -- haven't received them yet so I don't know which one I will like best -- that's to come in a later post.
I was using Curel lotion as an everyday lotion and I had never felt more moisturized. When I was visiting Hawaii a few weeks ago - it felt smothering. Hence the humidity there.
I bought a can of body butter which has no mineral oil. I have been having to add two HUGE coats of it twice a day. I like it but I'm using a ton of it.
I ordered Total immersion and another moisturizer that has nut oils from Hawaii. We'll see which one I like better.
Maybe where I live (in this horrible dry high desert) I need the film layer of mineral oil??
And if I go someplace humid, I should go with no mineral oil.
I got a sample bottle of Angel and I didn't like it at all. It did nothing for my skin.
My skin felt SO dry. So, that product wasn't for me.

Deputy Dan

12-29-2003, 06:58 PM

You could always go with some Penzoil SAE 30............(just kidding)

Mrc4608

12-29-2003, 07:03 PM

all natural for me if at all possible!

Anya1976

12-29-2003, 07:04 PM

aveeno lotions have no mineral oil in them at least the naturally smooth one i have doesn't have it in there.

Val

12-29-2003, 07:07 PM

Quote:
On 2003-12-29 19:04, Anya1976 wrote:
aveeno lotions have no mineral oil in them at least the naturally smooth one i have doesn't have it in there.

I love the aveeno naturally smoooth 24 hours. Makes my legs silky soft!

Anya1976

12-29-2003, 07:09 PM

i just got it but i will be using it i really dig it

Anya1976

12-29-2003, 07:10 PM

ok it's called positively smooth duh the bottle is sitting right in front of me

ladytan

01-04-2004, 07:13 PM

I make sure I tell all my customers not to use any moisturizers or lotions that contain Mineral Oil. Not for harmful reasons but because Mineral Oil will stop your tanning process the minute you put it on. The tanning process after a session is anywhere from 24 to 36 hours. Most over the counter products include mineral oil.

Michael

01-07-2004, 01:52 AM

Quote:
On 2004-01-04 19:13, ladytan wrote:
I make sure I tell all my customers not to use any moisturizers or lotions that contain Mineral Oil. Not for harmful reasons but because Mineral Oil will stop your tanning process the minute you put it on. The tanning process after a session is anywhere from 24 to 36 hours. Most over the counter products include mineral oil.

How does mineral oil halt melanin production at a cellular level? I'm not an advocate for mineral oil, but that sounds like an unfounded claim.