Petroleum is a by-product of the oil industry and used in the beauty industry because it is a cheap ingredient. You will find mineral oil in lipsticks, baby lotions, oils and lubricants. It is often promoted as a healing moisturiser but this could not be further from the truth. Initially your skin will feel silky smooth but your skin does not absorb petroleum so the results are superficial. Petroleum creates a barrier and this is bad news if you are applying to a wound. Initially petroleum jelly may help keep out infection by creating a barrier on the skin but it can also have the opposite effect and trap in the germs. It is known to clog pores and block the skin’s ability to moisturise itself. Repeated use may set off skin conditions such as acne and dermatitis and for this reason I never use it on my eczema.
When buying an alternative to petroleum jelly choose products with ingredients such as olive oil, almond oil, wheat germ oil, grape seed oil, sunflower seed oil, rose hip seed oil, apricot kernel oil, jojoba, coconut oil, cocoa butter or shea butter.
12/09/12 Update - I discovered a while back cutecosmetics.co.uk they sell Vegan & natural lip balms from a variety of brands in an assortment of flavours
oil rig picture copyright www.123rf.com
This post is so important and helpful! I always try to avoid mineral oil as it breaks me out terribly! :(
ReplyDelete@vintage makeup thanks for the feedback glad you liked my post
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to see this post, i'm always informing people on which products contain petroleum and why they should avoid them. I was disgusted when I saw a men's shaver that was advertising that it had added Mineral Oil as if it was a good thing. "Now with added Crude Oil" wasn't as appealing I guess.
ReplyDeleteI haven't used any lip balms made from petroleum in years and avoid using petroleum based products for even small things like as as barrier cream for hair colour. Instead I use Lush's Ultrabalm for that as it's made up of only 3 all natural oils. I have so many good all natural lip balms though, I really don't know why anyone would use Vaseline or Lucas' Paw Paw (flavoured) Balm.
Great post, I hope that one day the use of petroleum products will be banned in cosmetics.
@MissTeaAddict - I am getting a very positive response to my post which I am pleased about. The ad you describe is shocking. Vaseline have a new special addition flavour coming out and that is what prompted me to write this post, why you you buy that?
ReplyDeleteIt does seem kind of scary, doesn't it? I was just thinking I'm gonna need something soon. My skin is already cracking and dry this year!! Thanks for the reminder. I'm gonna have to look for something different. Thanks for stopping by the Sit and Relax hop. Have a great Tuesday!
ReplyDelete@Michelle thanks for taking time out to comment glad to hear you will be searching out some natural skin care let me know what you decide to purchase :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting this! I had no idea!!
ReplyDelete@Gracie I'm really pleased that I have made you aware of this :)
ReplyDeleteGreat post, a very interesting read! Thanks for sharing x
ReplyDeleteI am really pleased you enjoy reading, thank you & I let me know if you venture into the world of natural lip balms, I am always interested in seeing what people think :)
DeleteBrilliant, have just shared the link to this page on my facebook page
DeleteThank you :)
DeleteExcellent! I love that your writing is clear and precise! Another great brand instead of Lucas PawPaw is Suvana Beauty Paw Paw & Honey Organic Lip Balm. No petroleum jelly in that one :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment, yes since writing this I have become aware of the brand Suvana, it's on my list to try :)
DeleteNooooooo!!! :'( I love Lucas Pawpaw! I use figs&rouge as well, but pawpaw is always in my handbag and my go-to lipbalm. *sigh* my tube is nearly finished now so I'll make sure not to get another one. I guess at least I found out now rather than even later!
ReplyDeleteC x
Your skin will thank you if you switch. If you like using as a lip balm Pure Papaya by Phytocare had a strong flavour so since writing this post I have discovered Suvana EcoCert Organic Pawpaw and Honey Balm. I haven't tried it yet but I am told it's nicer x
DeleteSuch a good post, and all totally true. Mineral oil is just a cheap, greasy waste product with no benefits to skin what so ever. Consumers are being ripped off and lied to every time they buy a mineral oil 'moisturiser'.
ReplyDeleteOut of all the ingredients out there to avoid, I think I feel most passionately about this one. It's the main ingredient to all eczema products and drives me bonkers. I probably suffered from eczema for longer than needed because my parents didn't know this information.
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