What is the danger associated with mineral oil in hair products

[BlkOnyx488]

Hi all
I keep reading post that mention
mineral oil in products being a bad thing.

But I can't seem to find a post that explains why it's bad.
Can someone educate me please?
thanks

 

[Bianna125]

http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=90207

http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=297379

I think there is some debate in a couple of threads about this, but I dont think there is a real "danger." I have a few DCs with mineral oil and Hawiian silky, but most of my products dont. I think the overall belief was that you have to use what works for your own hair...and that pink oil is the worst product ever (kidding!)

 

[vkb247]

http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=90207

http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=297379

I think there is some debate in a couple of threads about this, but I dont think there is a real "danger." I have a few DCs with mineral oil and Hawiian silky, but most of my products dont. I think the overall belief was that you have to use what works for your own hair...and that pink oil is the worst product ever (kidding!)

That's a good summary! Pink oil moisturizer is the debil!

 

[Soliel185]

The problem with mineral oil has to do more with leave in products than it does conditioners or treatments and here-in lies the issue:

Mineral Oil is a cheap filler that companies use to add bulk to product - it has no nutritional (where hair is concerned) value.

Mineral Oil creates the appearance of moisturized healthy hair, but it does not actually moisturize, or improve the condition of hair. In fact, because Mineral Oil so completely coats the hair strand, it can block REAL moisture from getting to the cortex - which is how you can have dry but greasy hair.

Most women continue using these products and don't understand why/how their hair could still be dry, stiff or breaking when they "moisturize" it every day - but in reality they're making the situation worse. My major issue with it in leave in products is that the products are marketed as something that they are not. They're not adding moisture, they're just adding the look of it, and you can ruin your hair by not knowing the difference.

I think Mineral Oil can be used, but you should take precautions - remember to clarify, find a product that really moisturizes, be aware of build up problems that can occur, and use them sparingly.

 

[BlkOnyx488]

My hair still has nightmares from the time I use to loob on Pink Oil thinking I wasn't using enought that's why my hair would dry our an hour later
talk about insanity.

http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=90207

http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=297379

I think there is some debate in a couple of threads about this, but I dont think there is a real "danger." I have a few DCs with mineral oil and Hawiian silky, but most of my products dont. I think the overall belief was that you have to use what works for your own hair...and that pink oil is the worst product ever (kidding!)

 

[BrownSkinQT]

Is it just my imagination or what? It seems that about 80-90% of black hair products have mineral oil in them; it's almost like we're being set up to fail. I saw a jar of the generic blue magic at one of my friend's house and looked at the ingredients and the first three were mineral oil, lanolin, and petroleum. I told her that these ingredients weren't meant for our hair and she shrugged and basically said oh well so I decided to KIM. Hey you can't save those that don't want to be saved! Why do people think you are trying to do them more harm than good when you are simply trying to give advice?

 

[GodivaChocolate]

Is it just my imagination or what? It seems that about 80-90% of black hair products have mineral oil in them; it's almost like we're being set up to fail. I saw a jar of the generic blue magic at one of my friend's house and looked at the ingredients and the first three were mineral oil, lanolin, and petroleum. I told her that these ingredients weren't meant for our hair and she shrugged and basically said oh well so I decided to KIM. Hey you can't save those that don't want to be saved! Why do people think you are trying to do them more harm than good when you are simply trying to give advice?

I agree with you 100%. It's like anything that can be done to make sure we only get temporary and minimal results.....So many black women think that they cant grow their hair long or believe in the beauty supply store products ( which most are crap) Thank God for educating yourself and forums like this one.
I wish every black woman would obtain the necessary knowledge to grow healthy hair and long if they so choose.

 

[BlkOnyx488]

this is why, I don't use store bought products.
All my life good intention people with beautiful hair, would recommend a product to me that they swore by. But when I would use it all He!! would break loose on my hair. Before LHCF I could never understand why other woman would achieve success with certain products but on my hair it was instant death of a folicle. Of couse that lead me to the mis guided belief my hair didn't grow.

Oh well now I know better. Your friend will come around, she just has to get fed up.

Is it just my imagination or what? It seems that about 80-90% of black hair products have mineral oil in them; it's almost like we're being set up to fail. I saw a jar of the generic blue magic at one of my friend's house and looked at the ingredients and the first three were mineral oil, lanolin, and petroleum. I told her that these ingredients weren't meant for our hair and she shrugged and basically said oh well so I decided to KIM. Hey you can't save those that don't want to be saved! Why do people think you are trying to do them more harm than good when you are simply trying to give advice?

I agree with you 100%. It's like anything that can be done to make sure we only get temporary and minimal results.....So many black women think that they cant grow their hair long or believe in the beauty supply store products ( which most are crap) Thank God for educating yourself and forums like this one.
I wish every black woman would obtain the necessary knowledge to grow healthy hair and long if they so choose.

 

[Glamorous_chic]

thanks soleil for that explanation. i always wondered about this topic. with the information i know now, i sometimes get soo angry when i go to the beauty supply store, and not only look at the ingredients, but also the prices they are charging for some of that crap. i used to always wonder why my hair would always be extra extra dry, and everyone would say, you have to "grease" your scalp daily, but whenever i would do that, my hair would be in worse condition than before, it was like it was greasy and dry at the same time. i never understood why this method worked for everyone else but me. i guess this is why.

 

[Soliel185]

thanks soleil for that explanation. i always wondered about this topic. with the information i know now, i sometimes get soo angry when i go to the beauty supply store, and not only look at the ingredients, but also the prices they are charging for some of that crap. i used to always wonder why my hair would always be extra extra dry, and everyone would say, you have to "grease" your scalp daily, but whenever i would do that, my hair would be in worse condition than before, it was like it was greasy and dry at the same time. i never understood why this method worked for everyone else but me. i guess this is why.

I do still use some commercial products -but I've found that there are really cheap and helpful ingredients that are all natural. Some of my favorites are coconut oil, olive oil, and castor oil - all of which can be found pretty easily in most places. Coconut milk or cream are great for treatments - and if you buy canned is less that $1.50 per can. There is tons of info here on LHCF, and soon you'll find that you need to make a trip to the BSS less and less b/c everything you need it at the grocery store.

 

[Arian]

What about my beloved ORS Olive Oil Cream? It has mineral oil as the second ingredient. Any suggestions on a different product similar to this?

 

[Transformer]

I think clogging hair follicles was always the answer I've been given

 

[Kimiche]

My hair still has nightmares from the time I use to loob on Pink Oil thinking I wasn't using enought that's why my hair would dry our an hour later
talk about insanity.

I hate flashing back to using that mess. I just remember feeling oily. That's the worst product ever.

 

[BlkOnyx488]

Sadly it's still out there

I hate flashing back to using that mess. I just remember feeling oily. That's the worst product ever.

 

[shunemite]

I'm learning more from these boards and reading articles on hair oils on the internet. I recently just read an article by NIH on a scientific experiment that compared mineral to coconut oil. It said coconut penetrates the hair shaft and has an affinity to hold onto protein. Here's the entire abstract

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&ct=res&cd=5&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fpubmed%2F12715094&ei=p8-6SrWzIM-QtgfZi4m3BA&usg=AFQjCNFKzfVyfF0cdlvF0jFWu8VNa6opYg&sig2=QHz1JmM5d0fNgVurYxUphQ

Here's one small paragraph:

(Research and Development Department, Nature Care Division, Marico Industries Ltd., Mumbai, India.)

".........published results showed that both in vitro and in vivo coconut oil (CNO) treatments prevented combing damage of various hair types. ....................coconut oil was the only oil found to reduce the protein loss remarkably ......... mineral oils do not help at all in reducing the protein loss ..............Coconut oil, being a triglyceride of lauric acid (principal fatty acid), has a high affinity for hair proteins and, because of its low molecular weight and straight linear chain, is able to penetrate inside the hair shaft. Mineral oil, being a hydrocarbon, has no affinity for proteins and therefore is not able to penetrate and yield better results........"

Here's another experiment I just found on mineral oil: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11413497?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DiscoveryPanel.Pubmed_Discovery_RA&linkpos=3&log$=relatedarticles&logdbfrom=pubmed

 

[LoveCraze]

Ladies, this youtube video explains mineral oil and why it isn't neccessarily bad for your hair. The key is moderation and also not simply using it by itself. She gives good information based on her personal research in regards to various ingredients found in our hair products. Check it out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gz_u-q408Q8

 

[BrownSkinQT]

I live in Denver and it is dry as all get out. I definately have to moisturize 2x a day, braids or not. The aforementioned friend has a nice head of thick hair but it is dry as heck and looks like cats have been sucking on it. I would give andything for that thickness. Her hair has been the same length since....circa 1990 something and she doesn't give a darn. I offered to braid it for her but she said she didn't want it done. To make matters worse, she has a four year old daughter and she's doing the same poor care to her hair. Okay I got OT but my head spins when it comes to finding a moisturizer w/o min. oil. I just got to the point if it has min. oil I just add oils usually evco or castor oil to it.

 

[Soliel185]

I live in Denver and it is dry as all get out. I definately have to moisturize 2x a day, braids or not. The aforementioned friend has a nice head of thick hair but it is dry as heck and looks like cats have been sucking on it. I would give andything for that thickness. Her hair has been the same length since....circa 1990 something and she doesn't give a darn. I offered to braid it for her but she said she didn't want it done. To make matters worse, she has a four year old daughter and she's doing the same poor care to her hair. Okay I got OT but my head spins when it comes to finding a moisturizer w/o min. oil. I just got to the point if it has min. oil I just add oils usually evco or castor oil to it.

Don't forget about water. Water is the best and most effective moisturizer there is -- you just have to seal that moisture in while the hair is damp to get the benefit. Try putting your cream moisturizer/product onto damp hair and then sealing with oil next time - it makes a big difference.

 

[CurlyMoo]

Mineral oil makes the hair crunchy because it's so drying and adds no moisturizing benefits to the hair. Some people can seal in moisture by applying petroleum jelly to the hair but it will not allow moisture to penetrate after you've applied it. Before my haircare journey I used mineral oil/pretrolatum based products and couldn't understand why my hair remained dry, crunchy and broke off frequently. Mineral oil also clogs pores on the scalp leaving a film that hampers the hair growth process. It also just sits on the hair without penetrating the shaft.

 

[longhairlover]

Mineral oil is said to block out moisture, it's in alot of hair products that promote anti-humidity and many other hair products, from my research before using products with mineral oil it's best to use an actual moisturizing leave in serum etc, that does not contain mineral oil, and then if you must use the product with mineral oil use that as your last product at least with that you have already used your moisturizing agent first. I do this and I have no problems my hair is nice and moisturized.

 

[darlingdiva]

Ladies, this youtube video explains mineral oil and why it isn't neccessarily bad for your hair. The key is moderation and also not simply using it by itself. She gives good information based on her personal research in regards to various ingredients found in our hair products. Check it out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gz_u-q408Q8

I had a feeling it was signatureshirtz (I just saw this video over the weekend.). I really like her. I'm one of her subscribers.

 

[Mizz Diamonds]

I hope that in the Good Hair movie by Chris Rock that they touch on the subject of the ingredients in a lot of these "ethnic" products coz if he doesn't i might need to make a documentry about it

 

[CenteredGirl]

Personally I don't think there is any harm in it at all. Back in the day, that's all my Mom used on my head and for the most part, most of us here over the age of 30. Personnally my hair was easily the thickest, healthiest, longest hair ever when my Mom was taking care of it.

 

[vkb247]

OT: I think it is unrealistic to compare the potential and condition of our hair as adults to our hair as it was when we are children. When we were children our bodies were still growing and were in great shape (minimal wear and tear - YMMV).