Why
should we avoid Petroleum based products?
While
petroleum-based skin care products are thought to moisturise the
skin, they tend to work more as an occlusive moisturiser. This
means that it
traps
moisture inside the skin by sealing off the skin like a barrier,
rather than actually adding extra moisture. Due to its make-up,
petroleum tends to just cover the pores, trapping in sweat and
doesn’t add any nutrition to the skin.
Some petroleum-derived ingredients may also have gone through an incomplete refining process. This means they could potentially be contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons – or PAHs for short.
Some petroleum-derived ingredients may also have gone through an incomplete refining process. This means they could potentially be contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons – or PAHs for short.
PAHs
are known to have negative
effects
on human health, such as
- endocrine disruption
- allergies and skin irritation
- and are a possible carcinogen. In fact, the European Union categorize petrolatum as a carcinogen and therefore restricts its use in cosmetics.
What You Should Look Out For. Keep an eye out for these common names on your product labels when trying to avoid petroleum-derived ingredients:
- Mineral oil
- Petrolatum
- Liquid paraffin
- Paraffin oil/wax
- Petroleum jelly
- White petroleum
Natural
Alternatives.There
are plenty of natural ingredients you can use to moisturise and
soothe dry, cracked or irritated skin. Look for natural based
products with ingredients such as
![]() |
200 ml Calendula Oil, $20 available in our studio |
- beeswax
- coconut oil
- shea butter
- cocoa butter, jojoba and
- and sweet almond oil
- calendula oil
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