A friend recently told me about a great new ‘natural’ skin product she was using, and when she started rattling off a list of its ingredients the top of the list was mineral oil.

When I stopped her to mention mineral oil wasn’t really the most desirable ingredient for sensitive skin, she seemed confused. “But mineral cosmetics are supposed to be great for sensitive skin, right? Aren’t mineral oils in the same category?” she quizzed.  She was shocked when I explained that although the term mineral oil has a healthy and natural ring to it, mineral oil has nothing to do with mineral cosmetics, or even vitamins and minerals – it actually refers to a by-product of petroleum.

Mineral oil is made during the distillation process of turning crude oil into petroleum to make gasoline for our cars and other petrol-based products. Some other names for mineral oil are the less appealing terms ‘liquid petroleum’ and ‘petrolatum’, so it’s no wonder most cosmetic and pharmaceutical companies list the product under the less innocuous-sounding mineral oil moniker.

Although mineral oils have enjoyed popular use in baby lotions, ointments and cosmetics for decades thanks to its seemingly-remarkable moisturizing and water repellent properties, it’s now commonly accepted that mineral oil is residue-forming and comedogenic – meaning it can block pores and cause acne. Petrolatum and mineral oils do not absorb into the skin because the molecules are too large to penetrate, therefore they stay on the surface and provide a barrier between the skin and the air. This makes it really useful for anti-chaffing products like nappy ointment and lip balm, and a popular additive to moisturising creams. However the barrier-like properties of mineral oil can also suffocate the skin, interfering with skin’s natural ability to eliminate toxins while trapping dirt and bacteria. Healthy skin needs to take in oxygen and release carbon dioxide, and it can’t do that when it’s covered in a dense film. When ingested, mineral oils can also block the body’s natural ability to utilize vitamins and minerals. It’s factors like these that led John Hopkins University to name mineral oil in cosmetics and moisturizers as the number two cause of skin aging behind sun exposure.

However as it’s a cheap ingredient, mineral oil is still used extensively in everything from hair care products to makeup removers. Many companies claim mineral oils are perfectly safe, but since September 2004, the EU has banned the use of petroleum jelly due to the carcinogenic contamination found in products containing petrolatum. The ingredients for which these impurities are of concern are used in one of every four personal care products.

So it may be wise to avoid mineral oil – or at the very least limit your exposure by being aware of how much of it you’re putting on your skin. Unfortunately however, it’s not always easy to identify mineral oil amongst ingredients as it has many guises and names including the following you should keep an eye out for:

* Liquidum paraffinum

* Paraffin oil

* Paraffin wax

* Petrolatum

Alexami cosmetics do not use mineral oil, and/or it’s derivatives, in any of our products. All Alexami products are proudly mineral oil free.

With an estimated 2-Billion viewers around the world eagerly tuning in, the royal wedding between Kate Middleton and Prince William was one of most watched weddings in history. Yet despite being front and centre of this monumental event, the bride reportedly chose to do her own makeup – bold move considering it was the most photographed day of her life!  If you’d find it difficult to imagine having the confidence to stand in front of countless news cameras and billions of viewers after having done your own makeup, perhaps take a few cues from the newest member of the British Royal family.

It’s been reported that Kate’s confidence in creating her own look grew after she invested time in learning a few makeup tips, although there’s a bit of discrepancy about who assisted her. According to People magazine, Kate reportedly took a series of private makeup lessons with London makeup artist Arabella Preston, while Marie Claire, quoting a statement from Clarence House, said Kate had lesson pre-wedding from make-up artist Hannah Martin.  Yet no matter who gave Kate her lessons, it’s the classic & classy ‘natural look’ she sported that had the fashion mags predicting trends. Kate opted to give herself a toned-down and natural look by shying away from overly bright or bold tones – neutral eye shadow, pale gloss on her lips, and bronzer and blush to highlight her cheekbones. In contrast, Kate is however a fan of dark eyeliner around her entire up and lower eye lids, which can look quite harsh and is usually a beauty expert makeup no-no, but she managed to carry it off – we’re sure you’re agree she looked radiant and beautiful.

While we wouldn’t necessarily recommend taking Kate’s lead in overlooking the services of a great makeup artist on your wedding day, we certainly admire her confident attitude! If you’d like to take Kate’s lead and gather a few helpful makeup tips to boost your confidence and beauty product knowledge too, Alexami have a series of how-to videos and makeup tutorials on the Alexami Cosmetics website and also on the Alexami Youtube channel at  http://www.youtube.com/user/alexami1 – and best of all they’re free!

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