Here’s what you should know.
What Is Mineral Oil, Exactly?
First, a word on what mineral oil is.
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safe to consume) by the Food and Drug Administration’sstandards, notes Dr. Skotnicki.
“It has to be highly, highly refined,” she says.
And mineral oil has been used in beauty products for a long time, says Dr. Skotnicki.
“It’s what’s in baby oil and it’s in products like Vaseline and Aquaphor.”
Those aforementioned moisture-locking benefits are part of why mineral oil’s received a bad rap.
Not everyone shares that viewpoint, though.
forms a barrier on top of] the skin," says Alain Ko.
“This is how it works to increase water content in the skin, by reducing evaporation.
Its effects on skin and hair aside, mineral oil has also raised sustainability concerns.
“Mineral oil is not the biggest ingredient of concern when it comes to performance,” says Schroeder.
“However, being derived from non-renewable petrochemical-starting materials, it carries a concerning sustainability footprint.”
Alternatives such as safflower oil and shea butter can serve a similar function to mineral oil, says Schroeder.
