what’s in our products? – petroleum

In a world of increasing demand for fuel, rising fuel costs and peak oil concerns, spare a thought for the petroleum products(mineral oil, petroleum jelly) that get smeared on your skin every day. Yes, there is a good reason why Vaseline rhymes with gasoline: the inventor of petroleum jelly (petrolatum) as a skin care product came up with the idea when visiting an oil rig.

Petrolatum is a mixture of hydrocarbons that repels water and is used in skin care products where a smooth texture is required (as in lipstick) but is particularly common in “moisturising” creams and lotions. Almost all ‘mainstream’ moisturising creams and lotions contain petroleum products because it is relatively cheap, it gives cream a ‘nice’ texture, and provides an effective barrier on the skin, trapping in moisture.

This barrier quality sounds great, but is actually one of it’s downfalls. Using petroleum based products is often likened to wrapping the skin in cling wrap. It effectively prevents the skin from functioning properly or ‘breathing’.

One of the skin’s main functions is to help detoxify the body. We do indeed lose moisture through our skin (sweat), but we’re supposed to. That is the skin functioning properly. The best way to keep skin hydrated (and every cell in the body) is not to smother your skin with clogging petroleum, but to drink plenty of water.

The irony is that petroleum based skin products can cause skin to become dry and crack and increase the likelihood of premature aging, the very problems that the products are meant to prevent in the first place.

And if you have any skin conditions like acne or eczema, the last thing you want to be doing is clogging your skin and preventing it from functioning properly.

Unless you’re exposed to extremes in temperature, like when hiking through the Himalayas, or when you’ve got the flu and are constantly wiping your nose, your skin doesn’t benefit from having a ‘barrier’. Your skin is the barrier for your body.

Apart from preventing the skin from functioning properly, petroleum products have been found to also disrupt the immune system and nervous system.

The potential carcinogenic effect of petroleum based skin care products was revealed by studies conducted by the Susan Lehman Cullman Laboratory for Cancer Research. These studies suggest that products with petroleum increase the risk of cancerous skin tumours in mice exposed to UV light (study published online here). While the study is far from conclusive and there are other factors in the study that could have caused the increase in tumours, the inconclusive nature of the safety of petroleum based products is enough for me not to use them.

And with all of these potentially bad side affects, it’s good to remember that baby oil is pure mineral oil and using it exposes our bubs to petroleum right from birth.

For skin hydration and moisturisation, natural alternatives include plant based oils, waxes and butters. Unlike petroleum based products, these oils are closer to the skin’s natural moisturiser, sebum, and are more effective and less damaging to the skin.

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Have you read these posts?

1. what’s in our products? – parabens
2. what’s in our products? – sodium lauryl sulphate
3. Seven Good Reasons For Making Your Own Household Products
4. how to make your own massage oils
5. six ways to save money and have beautiful skin