Is Baby Oil Good For Facial And Body Skin?

You may be wondering whether or not you should apply Baby Oil to your face and body, and whether it’s any good for your skin. Baby Oil’s easy accessibility make it a common choice for parents and skincare enthusiasts alike. What many aren’t aware of is what Baby Oil actually is, and what effects it can potentially have on your skin.

What is Baby Oil?

Baby Oil is a mineral oil which is a byproduct from the distillation of gasoline. You did just read that right, it’s derived from the same thing you fill your car up with. Being completely synthetic, you might begin to question whether or not application of baby oil is doing your skin any wonders.

The composition of Baby Oil is typically 98% mineral oil and 2% fragrance, commonly used as a selling point. We’re all pretty familiar of ‘that’ baby oil smell. Who doesn’t love a good smell when applying skincare products?

Is Baby Oil good for facial and body skin?

Firstly, we’d like to clear up a common misconception about Baby Oil or mineral oil; it doesn’t clog pores. Mineral oil scores a 0 on the comedogenic scale, meaning it has close to no effect on your pores. Therefore the likelihood of exacerbating skin conditions such as acne is very low. This is why mineral oil is suitable for most if not all skin types.

Also, while Baby Oil is indeed derived from gasoline, it is subject to stringent quality control standards. This means a pure, mineral oil approved and regulated by local authorities. Studies have displayed no adverse health effects from topical Baby Oil use.

A study conducted by Eugene R. Jolly et al. [1] aimed to determine the effectiveness of Baby Oil as a dermal moisturiser. A sample of 106 females was used, with dry, cracked and inflamed skin. The findings displayed a marked improvement in the skin around elbows, shins, knees and heels after 4 weeks of application.

The verdict: Baby Oil is good for all skin types, and perfectly safe to use anywhere on the face and body. We don’t recommend using it on the face however, as it can leave a slight shine and interfere with the absorption of certain products or make your makeup routine a little more difficult. Having said that, using it won’t do you any harm.

References

[1] EUGENE R. JOLLY, M.D., Ph.D. and CHARLES A. SLOUGHFY, “Clinical Evaluation of Baby Oil as a Dermal Moisturizer”, J. Soc. Cosmet. Chem., 26, 227-234 (May 1975): http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.585.6732&rep=rep1&type=pdf