Why is liquid paraffin bad for the skin?

harryharp

I keep reading on these forums how liquid paraffin (or to give it its other names- mineral oil, baby oil, E45) is bad for your skin and causes dryness. But what I can't understand is why doctors prescribe it routinely for eczema, and generally see it as a good thing- E45 is even mentioned on the Eczema Society website as a good treatment for the condition. If liquid paraffin is so bad, why don't the experts realise this? If it's true, you would have thought that they would have figured it out!

All I can find on an internet search also seems to be all positive, eg. http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/skin_hair...ers_003761.htm
Can someone explain why some people believe liquid paraffin to be bad for the skin, or give me a link to something I can read on its negative side.

I like to try to see both sides of an argument before I make my mind up! Sad, aren't I.......

Nile

Hello harryharp

I don't understand why you've read that Liquid Paraffin makes skin dry.

From a 50g tube of E45 it says:

E45 Cream is an unperfumed and non-greasy emollient cream. It has been clinically proven to treat and soothe a wide range of dry skin conditions; including dry, itching, flaking, chapped skin, sunburn and detegent hands. It is also recommended for use in more serious dry skin conditions such as eczema, dermatitis, ichthycsis and certain dry cases of psoriasis.

Active ingredients: White Soft Paraffin BP 14.5% w/w, Light Liquid Paraffin Ph Eur 12.6% w/w

the_devil_made_me_do_it

I think liquid parafin is different to what is used in creams ect.. However, I think mineral oils are generally dying to the skin, but it's worse if you are sensitive to it. I can't use E45 at all, makes my skin rashy and sore, so I avoid it like the plague.

Savvy_Sue

Different things work for different people. I found my sons were allergic to E45 cream ... brought them out in red blotches! don't know if it was the liquid paraffin or the lanolin!

the_devil_made_me_do_it

Savvy_Sue wrote: »

Different things work for different people. I found my sons were allergic to E45 cream ... brought them out in red blotches! don't know if it was the liquid paraffin or the lanolin!

Yeah lanolin isn't good for sensitive skins either.

Ted_Hutchinson

The problem with Mineral Oil is that it is a petroleum derivative. It isn't a natural product.
You skin is your largest peripheral endocrine organ. It works by creating hormones, and allowing moisture and waste products to pass out of the body. Because it is permeable whatever you place on your skin may also be absorbed through it. This is how transdermal patches work and why most of the commonly used chemicals in sunscreens can be detected later in your urine.
It follows that ideally it is better to use on your skin only food grade substances that are fit to eat. If you consumed mineral oil it would be as a laxative and it works as a laxative because you body wants to expel it asp.

We know that refined petrochemicals are not generally regarded as healthful substances so it seems an unnecessary risk to regularly use them on your skin.

harryharp

the_devil_made_me_do_it wrote: »

I think liquid parafin is different to what is used in creams ect.. However, I think mineral oils are generally dying to the skin, but it's worse if you are sensitive to it. I can't use E45 at all, makes my skin rashy and sore, so I avoid it like the plague.

As far as I understand liquid paraffin is definitely what they use in creams etc.- E45 and many other moisturisers, hand creams, etc. In the list of ingredients it will usually say 'Liquidum paraffinum' but it's just its Latin name! As far as I know mineral oil is the same thing as liquid paraffin.

harryharp

Nile wrote: »

Hello harryharp

I don't understand why you've read that Liquid Paraffin makes skin dry.

From a 50g tube of E45 it says:

E45 Cream is an unperfumed and non-greasy emollient cream. It has been clinically proven to treat and soothe a wide range of dry skin conditions; including dry, itching, flaking, chapped skin, sunburn and detegent hands. It is also recommended for use in more serious dry skin conditions such as eczema, dermatitis, ichthycsis and certain dry cases of psoriasis.

Active ingredients: White Soft Paraffin BP 14.5% w/w, Light Liquid Paraffin Ph Eur 12.6% w/w

See Ted Hutchinson's post above- he explains it better than I could!

harryharp

Ted- many thanks, that all makes sense. But what I want to know is why, if liquid paraffin is not healthy (and indeed many people believe using it is counter-productive and actually makes the skin even drier), do doctors and experts recommend it for dry skin conditions like excema? Why don't they realise?!

Justie

Ted has explained very well the main reasons behind why many people don't like using mineral oils.

Mineral oils are in many cosmetics as they're cheap (being a byproduct of the oil industry) and as they act as a barrier they help keep moisture in and keep out irritants. For many people creams like E45 will do the job they want it to (ie stop skin itching) in part because they keep the irritants out and in part because they stop the body losing more moisture. In the long run though they don't help the body to regulate itself as they do nothing to nourish or support the body's own systems merely give time for the irritation to die down. If you can do the same job and at the same time feed the skin by applying something to it that will help support or heal it then all the better but mineral oils do not do this. The reason Drs etc will usually recommend E45 or similar is that for most people this is the cheapest way to resolve the problem and because we're all lazy and go with what works we don't look to the long term problems that might ensue.

harryharp

Justie- that's really well explained, thank you very much. You mentioned other products that will do the same job but will help the skin heal itself- can you recommend any, and do you use any yourself? My son gets rashes and itchy skin, for which my doctor prescribed diprobase cream (liquid paraffin based). If there's something else that will be better in the long run, then I'd like to try it. Also do you know of anything I can put in the bath? At the moment I use E45 junior (paraffin based again!)
Many thanks for your help.