Paraffinum Liquidum/Mineral Oil ●
TL;DR. This ingredient functions primarily as an occlusive emollient, adding slip, softness, and a barrier-like film that reduces transepidermal water loss. It is common in creams, balms, ointments, and cleansing products where cushion and moisture retention are needed.
What does Paraffinum Liquidum/Mineral Oil do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient functions primarily as an occlusive emollient, adding slip, softness, and a barrier-like film that reduces transepidermal water loss. It is common in creams, balms, ointments, and cleansing products where cushion and moisture retention are needed.
Is Paraffinum Liquidum/Mineral Oil clean?
Cosmetic-grade material is highly refined, low-odor, and usually well tolerated, with very low allergy potential. Clean-beauty programs often flag it because it is petroleum-derived and depends on strong refining controls for trace aromatic impurities.
Is Paraffinum Liquidum/Mineral Oil sustainable?
This ingredient comes from nonrenewable petroleum feedstocks rather than renewable plant or mineral sources. It is not readily biodegradable, so its environmental profile is weaker than many plant-derived emollients.
Is Paraffinum Liquidum/Mineral Oil COSMOS-approved?
It is not permitted under COSMOS-natural or COSMOS-organic standards because of its fossil origin. From a Green Chemistry lens, it scores poorly on renewable sourcing and biodegradability, even though it is chemically stable and requires no complex preservation system.
How does Paraffinum Liquidum/Mineral Oil work chemically?
This material is a purified mixture of saturated, branched, and cyclic alkanes, commonly in the C15 to C50 range, with viscosity set by distillation and refining. Typical use spans about 1-20% in creams and lotions and much higher in balms or ointments; it is pH-independent, highly oxidation-resistant, and forms a continuous hydrophobic film.
Last updated 2026-05-13