Mineral oils are used in many cosmetic products. Because they are inexpensive and have a long shelf life.
Worrying: mineral oils in cosmetics
But they are also worrying: Some components are suspected of causing cancer. Lip care in particular gets into the body quickly because its ingredients are absorbed through the mouth. Stiftung Warentest tested 35 lip care products in 2017 and found critical substances in every second one. Hand creams are also often “eaten”.
Not just lip and nose care
, Stiftung Warentest some harmful substances from mineral oils in nasal care products tested body oils, creams, lip care, hair styling and petroleum jelly for aromatic mineral oils (MOAH: Mineral Oil Aromatic Hydrocarbon) . The testers were able to detect undesirable MOAH in all products tested, up to 15,000 times more than was found in food due to contamination from printing inks.
Vaseline contained nine percent of these substances. The CVUA Karlsruhe also published in 2019 that MOAH could be detected in 21 of the 57 lip products examined. ÖKO-Test detected MOAH in some skin creams with mineral oils .
MOSH and MOAH
MOSH (Mineral Oil Saturated Hydrocarbons) and aromatic MOAH (Mineral Oil Aromatic Hydrocarbons) are two groups of chemical compounds that can occur in mineral oils. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) assumes that the large number of MOAH also include substances that can alter genetic material and have a carcinogenic effect.
Saturated mineral oils (MOSH) are contained in all mineral oils, no matter how carefully they have been cleaned or treated. In humans, long-chain MOSH are often found as deposits in the form of fat granules in the liver, spleen and lymph nodes.
Mineral oil also in food
Mineral oils are not only found in cosmetics. We also ingest them through food, either because they have migrated from the packaging into the contents or have been added. Therefore, as a precautionary measure, the North Rhine-Westphalia Consumer Center recommends completely avoiding additional intake of cosmetic products containing mineral oil. The Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, however, considers health risks from highly refined mineral oils in cosmetics to be unlikely .
Alternative animal and vegetable fats
If you still want to avoid mineral oils in cosmetics, you can use products with animal or vegetable fats and oils. If one of the following terms is in the list of ingredients (“ingredients”), mineral oil is in cosmetics:
- Cera Microcrystalline
- Microcrystalline wax
- Ceresin
- Mineral Oil
- Ozocerite
- paraffin
- Paraffin Liquidum
- Petrolatum
Seals provide more security
You can also pay attention to seals: In certified natural cosmetic products, for example with the COSMOS/BDIH, COSMOS/Ecocert or NATRUE seal, ingredients based on petroleum - including mineral oils - are prohibited.


Source: Consumer advice center NRW
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