Mineral Oil
- †This ingredient’s score is higher if used in products that are inhalable (e.g., sprays, powders) because of respiratory concerns.
Other Concerns
Non-reproductive organ system toxicity (moderate)SYNONYMS
DEOBASE, HEAVY MINERAL OIL, LIGHT MINERAL OIL, LIQUID PARAFFIN, LIQUID PETROLATUM, MINERAL OIL, MINERAL OIL HYDROCARBON SOLVENT (PETROLEUM); MINERAL OIL (SATURATED PARRAFIN OIL), PARAFFIN OIL, PARAFFIN OILS, PARAFFINUM LIQUIDUM, PETROLEUM WHITE MINERAL OIL, PROLATUM OIL, and WHITE MINERAL OIL, PETROLEUMMineral Oil is a liquid mixture of hydrocarbons obtained from petroleum.
Common concerns
See how this product scores for common concerns.
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LOWCancer
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MODERATEAllergies & Immunotoxicity
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LOWDevelopmental and Reingredientive Toxicity
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LOWUse Restrictions
Ingredient concerns
- CONCERNS
- DATA SOURCES
Products with this Ingredient
lip gloss | 332 products |
lip balm | 311 products |
moisturizer | 278 products |
eye shadow | 180 products |
lipstick | 155 products |
antiperspirant/deodorant | 148 products |
foundation | 89 products |
bronzer/highlighter | 82 products |
facial moisturizer/treatment | 68 products |
hair styling aide | 57 products |
conditioner | 52 products |
hair treatment/serum | 52 products |
hair color and bleaching | 51 products |
concealer | 49 products |
recreational sunscreen | 48 products |
antiperspirant/deodorant (men's) | 44 products |
hand cream | 39 products |
styling gel/lotion | 34 products |
baby oil | 34 products |
lip plumper | 34 products |
diaper cream | 33 products |
mask | 33 products |
blush | 33 products |
body oil | 30 products |
body firming lotion | 29 products |
facial powder | 27 products |
brow liner | 26 products |
lip balm with SPF | 25 products |
exfoliant/scrub | 24 products |
baby lotion | 23 products |
body wash/cleanser | 22 products |
sunless tanning | 21 products |
tanning oil | 19 products |
eye liner | 19 products |
foot moisturizer | 17 products |
bar soap | 15 products |
lip liner | 14 products |
depilatory | 11 products |
makeup remover | 11 products |
hair removal waxes | 11 products |
glitter | 11 products |
shaving cream | 8 products |
facial cleanser | 8 products |
skin fading/lightener | 8 products |
damaged skin treatment | 8 products |
mascara | 8 products |
after sun product | 7 products |
hair relaxer | 7 products |
hair spray | 7 products |
7 products | |
baby sunscreen | 6 products |
eye makeup remover | 5 products |
daily use with SPF | 5 products |
makeup primer | 5 products |
around-eye cream | 4 products |
anti-aging | 4 products |
bubble bath | 4 products |
bath oil/salts/soak | 3 products |
oil controller | 3 products |
cuticle treatment | 3 products |
body spray | 3 products |
muscle/joint soreness | 3 products |
BB cream | 3 products |
foot odor control | 3 products |
nail treatment | 2 products |
after shave | 2 products |
baby soap | 2 products |
styling mousse/foam | 2 products |
liquid hand soap | 2 products |
hair-loss treatment | 2 products |
foot cleansing | 2 products |
serums & essences | 2 products |
pore strips | 2 products |
beard care | 2 products |
beard oil | 2 products |
shaving cream (men's) | 1 products |
depilatory (men's) | 1 products |
shampoo | 1 products |
toners/astringents | 1 products |
detangler | 1 products |
setting powder/spray | 1 products |
body art | 1 products |
fragrance for women | 1 products |
Allergies/immunotoxicity
CONCERN | REFERENCE |
---|---|
Human immune and respiratory toxicant or allergen - strong evidence | Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics |
Possible human immune system toxicant or allergen | National Library of Medicine HazMap |
Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive)
CONCERN | REFERENCE |
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Classified as expected to be toxic or harmful | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
Cancer
CONCERN | REFERENCE |
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Cancer - limited evidence | Scorecard.org Toxicity Information |
Data gaps
CONCERN | REFERENCE |
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4094 studies in PubMed science library may include information on the toxicity of this chemical | NLM PubMed |
Multiple, additive exposure sources
CONCERN | REFERENCE |
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Designated as safe for general or specific, limited use in food | FDA Everything Added to Food |
- AOEC (Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics). 2009. AEOC exposures codes and asthmagen designation.
- NLM (National Library of Medicine). 2006. HazMap — Occupational Exposure to Hazardous Agents.
- EC (Environment Canada). 2008. Domestic Substances List Categorization. Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) Environmental Registry.
- ED (Environmental Defense). 2006. Scorecard _ The Pollution Information Site. http://www.scorecard.org.
- NLM (National Library of Medicine). 2012. PubMed online scientific bibliography data. http://www.pubmed.gov.
- FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration). 2008. EAFUS [Everything Added to Food]: A Food Additive Database. FDA Office of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition.
Understanding scores
Cosmetics and personal care products are not required to be tested for safety before being allowed on the market. The Skin Deep® scoring system was designed to help the public understand whether a product is safe to use or whether it contains ingredients of concern.
Every product and ingredient in Skin Deep gets a two-part score – one for hazard and one for data availability. The safest products score well by both measures, with a low hazard rating and a fair or better data availability rating.
HOW WE DETERMINE SCORESHazard score
The Skin Deep ingredient hazard score, from 1 to 10, reflects known and suspected hazards linked to the ingredients. The EWG VERIFIED™ mark means a product meets EWG’s strictest criteria for transparency and health.
Data availability
The Skin Deep data availability rating reflects the number of scientific studies about the product or ingredient in the published scientific literature.