Health risks of petroleum and mineral oils in cosmetics
Petroleum is frequently used as an ingredient in cosmetics, and it’s made from the very same stuff stuff you find in styrofoam and gasoline. Mineral oil is also common in cosmetics, and it too comes from fossil fuels. Neither product is green in terms of the carbon emissions involved in obtaining and refining them, neither is particularly good for your skin (they clog pores), and both of them can be replaced with healthier, greener ingredients.
Propylene glycol is one derivative of petroleum that shows up in many cosmetic products. It’s been linked to kidney and liver damage and can cause nausea or respiratory irritation if taken internally. Another petroleum derivative is the highly helpful isopropyl alcohol – great for sterilizing, but not what you really want in your cleanser or toner because it can dry the skin to the point where it has tiny cracks which allow bacteria to enter and cause pimples or sores. On oily skin, the drying effect may seem fantastic at first, but over time it can make an acne situation worse.
Don’t forget that your skin absorbs stuff straight into your bloodstream – that’s why drug patches work. Whatever you put on your skin is going to end up in your body. Even though the quantities may be small, over time it adds up.
It’s easier than you think to find products that don’t use these ingredients. There are entire lines of natural cosmetics (like Aubrey Organics), and major cosmetic lines are starting to offer natural alternatives as well (though you must watch out for products that have a few “natural” healthful ingredients, and then a slew of fossil fuels and preservatives a bit further down the label).
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[...] Isopropyl Alcohol can dry out the skin, and is made from petroleum. [...]