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Most commercially available body oil is made from fragranced mineral oil. Mineral oil is a by-product of the distillation process used to turn crude oil into petrol. There are two grades of mineral oil - industrial grade mineral oil and cosmetic grade mineral oil. Cosmetic grade mineral oil is a very refined product and is the only type of mineral oil that can legally be used in commercial skincare products such as baby oil. Synthetic fragrance is usually the only thing added to the mineral oil - there is no need to use preservatives for example, because mineral oil does not spoil.
The use of mineral oil in skincare preparations is a very contentious issue. We have attempted to summarize opinions on the subject below -
Those against the use of mineral oil argue that it can be contaminated with PAHs (polycylic aromatic hydrocarbons) which cause cause cancer, and prolonged skin contact may cause irritation and occasionally dermatitis. It is true that PAHs appear to have been implicated as cancer causing in some studies. Other studies do suggest that prolonged exposure to mineral oil can cause skin irritation and dermatitis, but both of these studies refer to industrial grade mineral oil which may contain PAHs. Cosmetic grade mineral oil is very highly refined and is legally required not to contain any contaminants such as PAHs.
According to some sources, mineral oil can be absorbed into the body via the skin, where it is broken down by the liver and passes through the intestinal tract where it will absorb fat-soluable vitamins found there, eventually leading to nutritional deficiencies. Scene Green could not find any studies to support this claim, but we did find studies to show that mineral oil can 'leach' vitamins from the body – but only when taken internally as a laxative (which we wouldn't recommend!).
Other arguments against the use of mineral oil in skincare products claim that it is difficult to absorb and coats the skin like a sheet of plastic, clogging the pores and slowing down skin function, thereby leading to premature aging. Further claims are that it can cause photosensitivity, and disrupts the skin's ability to moisturize itself, thereby leading to drier skin. There is no firm evidence to prove any of these claims. Until recently, it was believed that it may be a comodogenic (ie will block skin pores encouraging the formation of blackheads), but latest studies support the case that cosmetic grade mineral oil is not comodogenic, but that industrial grade mineral oil may be.
There are large quantities of information readily available which claim all sorts of undesirable side-effects of using mineral oil on the skin. However, as far as we can tell none of these are supported by independent research and so we would advise caution when reading scare stories about mineral oil. Indeed, supporters of the use of cosmetic grade mineral oil consider it to be one of the safest, most non-irritating and effective moisturizing ingredients known.
There are even two schools of thought regarding the impact of mineral oil on the environment – supporters claim that since it is a by-product of an industrial process, it would have to be disposed of if it wasn't used in skincare preparations. Those against its use argue that using vegetable/nut oils in skincare products supports farmers who produce sustainable crops and that this is preferable to supporting large non-sustainable petrochemical companies by using mineral oil.
Whether or not you use products containing mineral oil is a personal choice – we cannot advise one way or the other since we can find no supported evidence that mineral oil is bad for the skin. You might like to try products containing either mineral oil or vegetable/nut oils and see which one works best for you.
Body oils made from vegetable/nut oils tend to be fragranced with essential oils rather than synthetic fragrances, and so use of these products would at any rate lessen your contact with chemical perfumes.
