Why is mineral oil and vaseline so bad?

[Wandabee]

I've been seeing post about unrelated subjects that have the dislike of mineral oil and petrolium jelly as a common topic in them. I know that most of the common haircare products have these as their main ingredients. I feel compelled to stay away from PJ and MO but I need a good scientific reason to seek pure products.

 

[Neith]

They block moisture from getting to your hair and air to your scalp. You also need to clarify to remove them.

Natural oils don't do this becase at the molecular level, they are smaller. Water can penetrate your hair and moisturizers can get past natural oils. Petroleum makes more of a water tight barrier, causeing the hair to be dry even if you do moisturize. It's especially bad when it builds up.

Try searching here and googling it for more info.

 

[Songbirdb]

They block moisture from getting to your hair and air to your scalp. You also need to clarify to remove them.

Natural oils don't do this becase at the molecular level, they are smaller. Water can penetrate your hair and moisturizers can get past natural oils. Petroleum makes more of a water tight barrier, causeing the hair to be dry even if you do moisturize. It's especially bad when it builds up.

Try searching here and googling it for more info.

I second this

 

[dreysonsmommy2011]

They block moisture from getting to your hair and air to your scalp. You also need to clarify to remove them.

Natural oils don't do this becase at the molecular level, they are smaller. Water can penetrate your hair and moisturizers can get past natural oils. Petroleum makes more of a water tight barrier, causeing the hair to be dry even if you do moisturize. It's especially bad when it builds up.

Try searching here and googling it for more info.

Exactly they coat the hair and attract dust....

 

[*KP*]

Don't stone me but I don't necessarily think all mineral oil is bad. Ok, yes you may need to clarify more often but that's not necessarily bad.

My hair thrived the most when I was using Lustrasilk MoistureMax as a moisturiser once a day to wrap my hair. My hair would stay nicely moisturised for the day even when I left it out. I used this for about 2 years, never once had any breakage until I moved to a really hard water area. My hair suffered and I came on here and read about how evil mineral oil was, ditched the moisture max and bought several other "pure" moisturisers not knowing that I just needed to use a chelating shampoo every now and again.

When I finish my other moisturisng products (Elasta QP mango butter and Olive Oil lotion), I'm going to give the MoistureMax another go, now that I know about chelating/clarifying and see what happens.

I think you just need to figure out what works with your own hair and if that's mineral oil products then it's mineral oil products...what can ya do?

I like the mango butter and olive oil but it just doesn't give my hair that swang that I used to get with Moisture Max.

 

[dreysonsmommy2011]

Don't stone me but I don't necessarily think all mineral oil is bad. Ok, yes you may need to clarify more often but that's not necessarily bad.

My hair thrived the most when I was using Lustrasilk MoistureMax as a moisturiser once a day to wrap my hair. My hair would stay nicely moisturised for the day even when I left it out. I used this for about 2 years, never once had any breakage until I moved to a really hard water area. My hair suffered and I came on here and read about how evil mineral oil was, ditched the moisture max and bought several other "pure" moisturisers not knowing that I just needed to use a chelating shampoo every now and again.

When I finish my other moisturisng products (Elasta QP mango butter and Olive Oil lotion), I'm going to give the MoistureMax another go, now that I know about chelating/clarifying and see what happens.

I think you just need to figure out what works with your own hair and if that's mineral oil products then it's mineral oil products...what can ya do?

I like the mango butter and olive oil but it just doesn't give my hair that swang that I used to get with Moisture Max.

By all means do what works for you! Some women use it, others don't

 

[CurleeDST]

I use a tried and true moisturizer that works Dudley's PCA Moisture Retainer! It has petrolatum in it if I am not mistaken but it isn't in the amount where you would clog pores also you do not apply it to your scalp, JUST your hair. It works! I have also tried the "natural" moisturizers and they did absolutely NOTHING for me.

 

[Neith]

By all means, use it if nothing else works right... just that it always pays to be informed.

Some people's hair respond well to it.

Personally mine responds much better without petroleum, mineral oil and even cones. And I don't have any trouble with buildup whatsoever because I dont use the products that cause bad buildup in the first place.

 

[mzhotniz86]

they say it blocks out moisture.

 

[HoneyDew]

I don't think they are bad when used appropriately.

I mean there are some products that people rave about that contain these and the products work wonder for them. To me, the keracare products are mineral oil city!

Personally, I think I prefer not to use them only because the products that seem to work better for me DO NOT contain these. I put 2 and 2 together and decided that I will stay away from them because of this.

 

[PinkPebbles]

They block moisture from getting to your hair and air to your scalp. You also need to clarify to remove them.

Natural oils don't do this becase at the molecular level, they are smaller. Water can penetrate your hair and moisturizers can get past natural oils. Petroleum makes more of a water tight barrier, causeing the hair to be dry even if you do moisturize. It's especially bad when it builds up.

Try searching here and googling it for more info.

Thanks for this explanation! I pre-poo with an oil that has mineral oil in it and I wonder why my scalp stays dry; even after doing a DC. I'm going to stop using this oil and see if I notice a difference in my hair and scalp.

 

[CurleeDST]

I have a prescription for a moisturizer for the skin and it has petrolatum in it along with EVOO. It works like a charm. When my daughter has dry skin days I apply Aquaphor and she is ash free for the entire day.

I think if used in the appropriate amounts either can be beneficial and if overused it can be detrimental (as with anything). If you read the directions for applying products with these ingredients it RARELY says to slather it on generously - rather use a "dime" size amount and apply to hair. Using a dime size of anything would take a while to build up. We tend to think more is more so we overuse products which helps to contribute to build up and clogged pores.

 

[JustKiya]

I've been seeing post about unrelated subjects that have the dislike of mineral oil and petrolium jelly as a common topic in them. I know that most of the common haircare products have these as their main ingredients. I feel compelled to stay away from PJ and MO but I need a good scientific reason to seek pure products.

There's no science in my reason, it's the simple fact that my hair hates them.
It makes my hair look GOOOD - moist, shiny, silky, smooth - for a day, or so. Then, I wake up to dry, hard hair, that doesn't feel like MY hair with little bits falling off, and a itchy scalp. If I reapply, it'll look good for an ever shorter amount of time, and so on and so forth, til my head is a hot mess.
Recovering from using products with MO & Petro in them takes a good DC, usually, to get my hair back to 'feeling' right.
Cones do the same thing to me - I wonder if the women who avoid MO & Petro also tend to avoid cones.....

So, I don't knock products with those ingredients OVERALL - I jsut knock them HARD for my hair, and if people are suffering from dry/hard/breaking hair, I almost always suggest that they try to eliminate some of those things - just for a LITTLE while - to see if the issues get better. If they don't/get worse - hey, your hair likes the stuff!