Minerals Oils - Ingredient | Inside Our Products - L'Oréal

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Ingredients
Minerals oils

What are mineral oils?
Where do they come from?
What are they used for?
Why are they questioned?
How do we use them?

What are mineral oils?

Mineral oils are fats of fossil origin, colorless, odorless and tasteless that come in different forms (oils, gels...). The most known mineral oils are petrolatum and paraffin oil. To identify them in our products, take a look at the ingredients list on packaging. They can be found under names such as MINERAL OIL, PARAFFINUM LIQUIDUM, PETROLATUM, CERA MICROCRISTALLINA, MICROCRYSTALLINE WAX, OZOKERITE, CERESINE ISOPARAFFIN, PARAFFIN and SYNTHETIC WAX.

Where do they come from?

There are two types: mineral synthetic oils, which are perfectly pure from their production, and mineral oils from petrochemicals. The latter are refined mineral oils that are obtained after the purification of fossil materials such as coal, crude oil or natural gas.

The mineral oils we use in our cosmetic products are of pharmaceutical grade and thus very pure.

What are they used for?

Mineral oils are used in skincare, hair care products and lipsticks for their multiple benefits. They protect the skin from dehydration. They are efficient for cleansing and for removing make-up. They improve the quality of textures.

Hydration
Make-up removal
Texturising agent

Why are they questioned?

The quality of mineral oils can be put into question due to the possible presence of impurities and polycyclic aromatic compounds that are cancerous.

In cosmetics, they are accused of being comedogenic and occlusive (which means they could block the pores of the skin).

From an environmental point of view, mineral oils - which are of fossil origin - are accused of not being assimilated by the environment after usage and that their use contributes to the depletion of natural resources.

Mineral oils are also regularly opposed to vegetable oils which are perceived as more environmentally friendly due to their renewability.

Facts:

Mineral oils have been safely used in cosmetics for more than 100 years. They are well-tolerated and have not been associated with any allergies, which allows them to be used on sensitive and fragile skin types.
The mineral oil we use is of pharmaceutical and food grade. Meaning we ensure de minimus levels of polycyclic aromatic compounds(PACs or PAHs).
As part of our commitment to continuous improvement, we strive to keep on reducing the environmental impact of our formulas.

How do we use them?

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The mineral oils we use are not only duly authorized, they also meet the highest standards in terms of purity, quality and safety.

We only use mineral oils of high quality corresponding to food or pharmaceutical grades. These oils have a high level of purity and are safe for skin. They are also stable at room temperature and are resistant to spoiling. Their properties are complementary to those of vegetable oils.

Mineral and vegetable oils each have specificities of their own, responding to different desired effects and are not interchangeable.