Author: Lu Antler (Master of Chemical Engineering, Sichuan University, R&D Director of a well-known domestic cosmetics group)
Although modern people's skin care habits are becoming more refined, skin problems are still emerging one after another. Consumers are more carefully selected for the ingredients used on their faces, and "no additions" products have been sought after by many consumers. Although different brands have different concepts of adding-free, mineral oil is relatively basic. I believe everyone has a bad impression of mineral oil, so let’s talk about it today.
01 What exactly is mineral oil?
Mineral oil is a saturated hydrocarbon mixture obtained by separation and purification of petroleum. is widely used in light industry, chemical industry, daily chemistry, food, medical care, machinery and other fields. It is a petroleum product with high added value. The most commonly used daily chemical products are white oil , liquid paraffin, Vaseline , microcrystalline wax , ground wax , etc. .
petroleum
In August 1859, pharmacist Chesboro discovered that there was a layer of waxy substance on the drill bit that mined oil, which had analgesic effects on burns and cuts. It took him eleven years to refine and purify and finally make a clean paste paste. In 1870, Chesboro named it Vaseline and applied for a patent, and then established a production factory. To this day, mineral oil has been used for more than 100 years.
Vaseline
02 What is the use of mineral oil?
Mineral oil can form a closed protective film on the skin, which has moisturizing and moisturizing effects, can maintain the normal physiological functions of the skin, and at the same time block external irritation, alleviate skin damage, and is also helpful to some skin problems. In addition, mineral oil has high stability and low cost, and is a very commonly used ingredient in cosmetics.
03 Are mineral oil still used in cosmetics?
Although mineral oil is a ingredient that some ingredients hate pain, it has to be admitted that mineral oil is widely used in cosmetics. Such as Lady's Facial Cream (Aqua Blue Mystery Essence Cream), Skin Repair ( Winona Soft Moisturizing Cream ), Baby Products (AVINO Baby Soothing and Soft Moisturizing Cream), Newcomer Makeup (Perfect Diary Explorer Eyeshadow), Affordable Classic (Dabao SOD Protein Honey), Makeup Removal Products (Gao Silk SOFTYMO Cleansing Oil), etc. It can be said that it involves all ages, various dosage forms and even various skin types.
04 Is mineral oil toxic? Is it cancerous? Is it sensitized? Is it causing acne? The question of
can actually be concluded from the above answer. If mineral oil really has so many risks, it is impossible to have such a long history of use and it is impossible to be widely used all over the world.
In the last century, there were indeed cases where the process level was not high and impurities in mineral oils caused skin problems. But now cosmetic grade mineral oil has clear indicators, extremely high purity, inert safety, and is a very efficient skin care raw material. Compared with oils and fats from natural animals and plants, mineral oil has outstanding advantages that it is stable in nature and will not cause oxidation and spoilage.
Mineral oil will not be absorbed into the human body and only exists on the skin surface, so will not cause acne or clog pores.
It is undeniable that people with strong sebum secretion of may have obstructed sebum secretion, which leads to acne, but even using vegetable oil may not completely avoid such problems.
05 Reasons for not choosing mineral oil
Since mineral oil has many advantages, is there any reason not to choose? There is still
. Oil is a non-renewable resource. Resource depletion, environmental pollution caused by oil extraction, and the subsequent greenhouse effect of , are all prompting us to seek cleaner energy.
In the cosmetics industry, renewable raw materials, degradable, recyclable packaging, and reducing carbon emissions are the general trend, and it is only a matter of time before mineral oil is replaced. But if such an important raw material with high quality and low price has been silently serving hundreds of billions of people for hundreds of years, not only hasn't retired, but has also been thrown into dirty water by others. This is really unfair.
While we pursue the advanced digital products, we also require skin care products to return to nature. While enjoying the convenience of modern industry, we are also worried about the risks caused by technology. Under the influence of various chaotic public opinion, it is understandable that consumers ’s contempt for flavor pigments, but it is a bit incredible to pursue pure natural without emulsifiers, no preservatives or even no thickeners. People like can do something like this a thousand years ago. We can't pursue the regression of civilization~
Let's talk about it again. Even if it is made, how can I have the 4% HPR cream in my hand?
[1] Wang Shiyu, Ling Fengxiang, Wang Shaojun. Current status and development trend of petroleum wax product standards [J]. Journal of Petroleum (Petroleum Processing), 2002, 38(3): 520-527.
[2] Yan Meiling, Xie Yingying, Wang Rongrong. Current status and application of the pharmaceutical excipient Vaseline [J]. Haixia Pharmacy, 2018, 30(9): 5-11.
[3] Jiang Ligang, Yue Juan. Cracking cosmetic rumors [J]. Daily Chemical Science , 2019, 42(9): 44-47.
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