Oils ain’t oils
March 7th, 2007As mentioned on my About Us (meaning me) page, I grew up in a pharmacy. Well not literally - that would be cruel - but I was there after school most days.
With dad busy in the dispensary processing scripts I’d while away the hours sampling all the cosmetic testers, garishly war-painting myself to the amusement of the staff and horror of the elderly customers.
Sure, I did some work there, (I especially enjoyed teasing men that wanted condoms “what size are you after sir?”) but there’s only so much shelf dusting and chocolate-eating you can do.
When it comes to moisturisers I was in there, steel cap boots and all. With very pale and sensitive skin (*or so I thought), I was always trying new creams, especially the fancy, high-end ones, hoping one day I’d find one that actually does what the labels and brochures claim…
Because I’m allergic to aloe vera (weird I know), I would always check the ingredients, just in case. Apart from alcohol, which I figured was not a good thing to put on your skin, the other ubiquitous ingredient, even among the chic ranges, was Mineral Oil. Now, mineral water was just starting to take off in Australia and I made the quantum leap that Mineral Oil must contain, well, minerals, so it must be good for you. Vitamins and minerals and all that.
Nothing could be further from the truth. Mineral Oil is actually a mixture of hydrocarbons (hello climate change) derived from PETROLEUM, or crude oil. Very crude indeed. Mineral Oil is an irritant. As greasy as its motor oil cousin, it sits on the surface of your skin, clogging the pores and preventing any beneficial ingredients (if any) from absorbing. Defeats the purpose really.
Temporarily you feel softer because the mineral oil forms a barrier on your skin, locking in (read: suffocating) moisture, but overnight your skin becomes irritated and starts to dry out. You may even develop pimples because your skin can’t breathe.
So what do you do? Believing you have dry and sensitive skin, you put on more of the stuff the following morning and start the viscious cycle again. You drain your jar and have to buy more. Clever huh.
So why do these cosmetic manufacturers do it? Why would they include such an awful petrochemical like mineral oil? Was it some misogynist conspiracy to disfigure women and keep them scratching and blotchy? ummmm it’s possible but more likely because it’s cheap, dirt cheap, and as described above, you can become addicted to it.
At least “petroleum jelly” didn’t ever disguise its origins. But why they would suggest you put it on chapped lips or your baby’s bottom is beyond me.
Other petroleum derived nasties to watch out for: propylene glycol, isopropyl alcohol, ceresin, toluene, benzene, petrolatum, and paraffin.
If it sounds nasty, it probably is.
*Yes I thought I had very sensitive skin but all along I was reacting to the petrochemicals. My skin was trying to tell me something but I didn’t listen… repeatedly!
Julie 
