![]() So far we were writing about ceramides in plural. The BeautyBrains blog made a fantastic article about ceramides and they have listed a couple of examples about studies showing that ceramides - especially when used in certain ratios with cholesterol and fatty acids - do hydrate the skin and can help to repair the skin barrier. Now the question is only this: If we put ceramides all over our face do they work as well as ceramides already naturally in our skin? Well, the answer is probably a no, but they do work to some extent. So ceramides form kind of a "water-proof" protecting layer and make sure that our skin remains nice and hydrated. If ceramides in the skin are decreased, more water can evaporate from the skin and there is less water remaining in the skin. Ok, so now we know what ceramides are, let's see what they do in our skin: research shows clearly that they play a super important role in keeping the skin barrier healthy and the skin hydrated. ![]() Mineral oil has such a bad reputation nowadays that cosmetic companies hardly dare to use it anymore. However, if you do not like its origin or its heavy feeling or anything else about it, avoiding it has never been easier. For dry and super-sensitive skin types it is a great option. Overall, we feel that the scaremongering around mineral oil is not justified. A 2005 study titled "Is mineral oil comedogenic?" examined this very question and guess what happened? The study concluded that " based on the animal and human data reported, along with the AAD recommendation, it would appear reasonable to conclude that mineral oil is noncomedogenic in humans." What is more, in terms of the general health effects of mineral oils used in cosmetics, a 2017 study reviewed the data on their skin penetration and concluded that " the cosmetic use of mineral oils and waxes does not present a risk to consumers due to a lack of systemic exposure."Īnother super common myth surrounding mineral oil is that it is comedogenic. While it is true that industrial grade mineral oil contains carcinogenic components (so-called polycyclic compounds), these are completely removed from cosmetic and food grade mineral oil and there is no scientific data showing that the pure, cosmetic grade version is carcinogenic. Mineral oil does not give the skin any extra goodness, it is simply a non-irritating moisturizer working mainly by occlusivity.īadmouthing mineral oil is a favorite sport of many, it is a cheap material and being connected to petrolatum makes it fairly easy to demonize. Not penetrating the skin but mostly just sitting on top of it and not containing biologically active components, like nice fatty acids and vitamins mean that mineral oil does not "nourish" the skin in the way plant oils do. ![]() The pros of mineral oil can be interpreted as cons if we look at them from another perspective. The chemical composition of plant oils is more complex with many more possible allergens or irritating components, while mineral oil is simple, pure and sensitivity to it is extremely rare. If you check out the classic French pharmacy brands and their moisturizers for the most sensitive, allergy prone skin, they usually contain mineral oil. The other thing that mineral oil is really good at is being non-irritating to the skin. When compared to heavy-duty plant oil, extra virgin coconut oil, the two of them were equally efficient and safe as moisturizers in treating xerosis, a skin condition connected to very dry skin. It is a great emollient and moisturizer working mainly by occlusivity. Occlusivity is one of the basic mechanisms of how moisturizers work and it means that mineral oil sits on top of the skin and hinders so-called trans-epidermal water loss, i.e water evaporating out of your skin. Chemically speaking, cosmetic grade mineral oil is a complex mixture of highly refined saturated hydrocarbons with C15-50 chain length. It is not merely a "by-product" but rather a specifically isolated part of petroleum that is very pure and inert. Trust us, if something is used for more than 100 years in cosmetic products, it has advantages. It is a very controversial ingredient with pros and cons and plenty of myths around it. The clear oily liquid that is the "cheap by-product" of refining crude oil and the one that gets a lot of heat for its poor provenance. The famous or maybe rather infamous mineral oil. Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
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