BIOPHILE 16 — JUNE/JULY 2007 R25 - Biophile Magazine

goeswhat on...inby Trevor SteynPetrochemicals in the mixPetrochemicals have become nearlyubiquitous in creams and lotionsover the last fifty years. Mineral oilforms the base of aqueous cream andpetroleum jelly is applied generously tobabies. This is because these productsare extremely cheap and are stable andfragrance free. Mineral oil, petroleumjelly, petrolatum, paraffin wax andmost of the other petrochemicals arebyproducts of the distillation of petrolfrom crude oil.There are two sides to the petrochemicalstory and – as usual – it is upto the consumer to decide. On one sidethere are the fairly extreme claims thatpetrochemicals cause cancer and acneand deplete the skin of vitamins. Theother side is that these are very stableingredients that are resistant to oxidationand are very nearly inert. Thismakes them non-irritating and leads toproduct with a shelf life of up to 5 years.Over the last few years there havebeen many internet reports damningthe use of mineral oil in personal careproducts. A common accusation is thatpetrochemicals are carcinogenic.This was the result of findings thatsome petrochemical derivatives containpolyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)which are strong carcinogens. Thepetrochemicals that are used in personalcare products today are highlyrefined and generally contain very lowconcentrations of PAHs. The cancerrisk from exposure to these ingredientsappears to be low althoughno studies have been done toconfirm this.Mineral oil has also beenblamed as a causeof acne. There issome researchto back this up 1,2, 3but the researchis basedon exposure toindustrial grade mineral oil and thushas limited application to skincare.There are many anecdotal reports thatacne has been greatly improved byavoiding petrochemicals in skincareproducts but there is nothingin the published literature toback this up.The UpsidePetrochemicals are stableand products that use themgenerally have long shelf lives.Petrochemicals are fragrancefree and, in general, nonirritating.Mineral oil is also atleast ten times cheaperthan vegetable oils, sothe products that use itshould be very cost effective.The DownsideMineral oil and otherpetrochemicalsare very poorlyabsorbed by theskin. They siton the surfaceof the skinand slowthe production of the skin’s naturalemollients.There are also concerns that thisbarrier makes it difficult for skin toeliminate toxins.Many formulatorsuse propylene glycoland other solventsto improve the penetration of petrochemicals.Petrochemicals are also notnourishing or active in any way.Petrochemicals and their derivativesare banned by every organic certificationbody in the world. Any product thatuses petrochemicals and claims to beorganic is a long way away from globalstandards.ConclusionIt seems as though the worst that youcan expect from using products thatcontain petrochemicals is a heat rashand possibly acne.But – do you want to support multinationaloil companies and do you thinkthat you will see an improvement inyour skin?1. References:1. Contact Dermatitis. 1982 Mar;8(2):141.2. Contact Dermatitis. 1988 Feb;18(2):120-1.3. Contact Dermatitis. 1997 Apr;36(4):216-2058 Biophile Issue 16