PETROLATUM (or Mineral Oil) is a common toxic ingredient in cosmetics. It’s a semi-solid mixture that is either colourless or pale yellow. They are a bi-product of the distillation of gasoline from crude oil, and are the core ingredients in Bio-oil, Petroleum Jelly (eg. Vaseline), Sorbolene, some lip balms and many ‘baby care’ products.
These petroleum based products accumulate, which can then slow and distort cellular development and create premature signs of ageing. They coat the skin, clog the pores and have been implicated as a major cause of eczema and similar skin conditions, and are a suspected cause of some cancers. These toxic ingredients in skin care products can also disrupt normal hormonal activity.