Mineral Oil

Mineral Oil has received almost as much attention as SLS and SLES. Reports claim that mineral oil shrink wraps the skin preventing oxygen from reaching it which can result in black heads, rashes and irritation. Sounds like awful stuff doesn't it.  What they rarely mention is that people have been rubbing mineral oil on their babies heads for decades. Ever heard of baby oil? Same stuff. It's an extremely gentle oil so it's used to soften the skin and prevent cradel cap - dry skin that often builds up on babies scalp. In addition to baby oil it´s used in thousands of cosmetics and has been tested thoroughly. The bottom line is that not a single test or experiment has ever been cited in relation with the negative claims.  

It´s also said that mineral oil is used in factories as an industrial lubricant and machine oil. That is completely true, however that doesn't prevent cosmetic grade mineral oil from being considered the safest, most nonirritating moisturizing ingredient ever found! (Sources: Cosmetics & Toiletries, January 2001, page 79; Cosmetic Dermatology , September 2000, pages 44-46).

If someone is knocking mineral they are either misinformed or they have an agenda - maybe both.