Is petroleum in your skincare?

From food to lotion, petroleum by-products are nearly everywhere. Keep reading to learn how to make healthier decisions around petroleum use.

The History

Petroleum is extracted from beneath the land or the ocean floor and is removed with giant drilling machines. The modern oil industry started in the 1850s and the invention of mass-produced cars increased petroleum extraction in the early 20th century.
Because petroleum needs to be refined to produce gasoline, there are several petroleum by-products that have been incorporated to our day-to-day lives since. After all, why not profit off of the byproducts of the gas industry?
Nowadays, Petroleum is in all plastic, nail polish, make up, many moisturizing creams and even hair conditioners. It is in food products, candles, perfume and house paint, taking over our homes and main wellness products. Should we be concerned?

Our Perspective

Although many petroleum derived ingredients are FDA approved, we don’t believe we have used petroleum by-products for long enough to prove them safe. Recent research suggests links of petroleum based products with health concerns for humans. Some examples are synthetic fragrances, known as endocrine disruptors, colorants being linked with brain disfunction, and mineral oil being linked to immune system disorders.
Besides that, consuming products containing petroleum byproducts helps sustain the fracking industry. We know it is possible to safely take care of our skin without the use of petroleum byproducts, honoring ingredients that are readily available on earth’s surface and that don’t require major refining and exhaustion of natural resources .

https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/petroleum
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2804525/
https://awarenessact.com/7-foods-made-with-petroleum-that-no-one-should-eat/
https://erc.cals.wisc.edu/wp-content/blogs.dir/14/files/2017/04/G3455_Solvents-and-Home-Cleaning-Products.pdf/