Mineral oils:
Cosmetic industry cannot understand concerns of Stiftung Warentest
For more than 100 years mineral oils (often also referred to as paraffin) have been applied in cosmetic
products as safe and important raw materials. They are used with different consistencies in cosmetics,
for instance as liquid oils or solid waxes. Due to their excellent skin tolerance, their distinct caring and
protecting properties as well as their high cleansing performance, mineral oils are particularly well
suited for many cosmetic products. Moreover, they have film-forming and hydrophobic properties. In
lipsticks mineral oils support, for instance, gloss formation. Moreover, they can provide the cosmetic
product with a certain solidity and protect the skin from the loss of moisture. Substances which are
similar to mineral oils have also been shown in the human skin or in natural fats and waxes as well as in
plant oils and beeswax.
Consumers can use cosmetic products which contain mineral oils without any concerns. The safety of
consumers has a very high priority for the manufacturers of cosmetic products. All raw materials used
must be comprehensively tested and meet the highest standards in terms of purity and quality. These
requirements apply of course also to cosmetic raw materials based on mineral oil. Several studies
prove that mineral oils used as ingredients in cosmetic products do not present any health risks and are
safe. In many scientific investigations it was established that they do not have any carcinogenic effect.
The Federal Institute for Risk Assessment reaches in a current assessment the conclusion that according to the present state of knowledge no health risks are to be expected for consumers as a result of
the absorption of mineral oils in cosmetics through the skin.
The manufacturers use in their products only highly refined and high-quality mineral oils. They comply
with comprehensive statutory provisions such as the EC Cosmetics Regulation and the quality specifications are based on the specifications of the European Pharmacopeia. This means that the mineral oils
used are of pharmaceutical grade. The demands on the quality and purity of mineral oils which have
always applied, are also defined in the recommendations of COLIPA (now: Cosmetics Europe). They
include, more particularly, special specifications for lip care products, since these products are applied
directly on the lips and can, therefore, easily reach the body through an oral intake. Moreover, all cosmetic products are tested and assessed prior to their marketing by an especially trained expert (safety
assessor) in a detailed safety report.
The mineral oils used in cosmetic products are in chemical terms so-called mineral oil saturated hydrocarbons or MOSH. Stiftung Warentest criticizes in its test in issue 6/2015 that MOSH can penetrate
through the skin, However, many studies prove that an absorption through the skin does not take
place.
In addition, Stiftung Warentest criticizes the occurrence of mineral oil aromatic hydrocarbons (MOAH)
in some cosmetic products.
Before their use in cosmetic products, mineral oils and waxes are highly purified. The quantities of
MOAH which can still be contained in the product after maximum purification are safe for consumers
according to our current state of knowledge. This applies likewise to lip care products on a mineral oil
basis which can contain both MOSH and MOAH. Mineral oils, which still contained MOAH after the
purification, were repeatedly examined without a risk potential being detected. This assessment is
shared by a current position paper of the Canadian Ministry for the Environment and Health of March
2015. Many carcinogenicity studies, which are available to the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA)
confirm, moreover, that mineral oils of the grades used in cosmetics do not result in any carcinogenic
effect. They can be consulted under the menu item "Toxicological Information" > "Carcinogenicity"
here and here on the ECHA website.
As far as the currently voiced criticism is concerned, the companies associated within IKW see a need
for clarification concerning the analytical methodology applied by Stiftung Warentest. Partly considerable differences were identified between the values published by Stiftung Warentest and the findings
from corresponding internal examinations of the manufacturers.
The companies associated within IKW take all necessary measures in order to offer the consumers safe,
high quality and well-tolerated products. This is an obvious desire and goal. The manufacturers, therefore, take the current results of Stiftung Warentest and their interpretation seriously and will continue
to examine them in detail.
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