VEGETABLE AND MINERAL OILS: WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE?

Mineral oils: where do they come from and what are they hiding from us?

Mineral oils are very popular and widely used in cosmetics.

But what do we really know about these oils whose name suggests that they originate from nature ? Mineral oils are in reality derived from the distillation of certain fossil fuels. 

The effects of mineral oils on the skin 

Mineral oils leave a protective film on the skin that limits dehydration and helps to maintain the natural moisture of the face. However, these oils do not act in depth.

They are considered to be "occlusive", which means that they clog the pores of the skin and are therefore considered comedogenic. These oils are known to promote the appearance of imperfections such as spots, black spots...

How to identify mineral oils in your products 

To identify the presence of mineral oils in your products, you will have to look at their composition   (their INCI list).

The following ingredients indicate that your product contains mineral oils: 

         - Mineral oil                                     

         - Paraffinum liquidum or paraffin oil (extremely used in lip sticks)                                                                  

         - Hydrogenated polyisobutene

         - Petrolatum 

         - Microcrystalline Cera  

         - Ozokerite

         - Ceresin

         - Words containing “methicone” or “siloxane”

For a healthy and protected skin, it is therefore recommended to promote the use of so-called "clean" products, formulated exclusively with vegetable oils.

Vegetable oils: real allies for our skin

Vegetable oils are extracted from plants, flowers and / or fruits. There are different ways of extracting vegetable oils, such as cold extraction. This technique preserves the virtues of the plants and should therefore be favored. 

There are many vegetable oils on the market:  you can find some staples of the cosmetics industry such as jojoba oil, avocado oil, sweet almond oil, argan oil... as well as popular varieties such as Amazonian acai oil, borage oil and hemp oil.

All of them are extremely rich in benefits. While some are used on the hair, nails, face, and / or body, others are ingested and act as food supplements..

These oils penetrate the epidermis and provide our skin with many essential nutrients. 

Unlike mineral oils, they act in depth and have real benefits for your skin: soothing, hydrating, protecting, antioxidant, regenerating…