What is Mineral Oil?

Mineral Oil, also named as White Mineral Oil, Light Liquid Paraffin is a highly refined colorless and odorless paraffinic oil, manufactured from processed petroleum. It contains aliphatic hydrocarbons that are obtained from distilling petroleum at high temperatures to achieve two fractions: light mineral oil with a density between 0.818-0.880 and heavy mineral oil with a density of 0.86-0.91. Due to its very low viscosity and high purity, light mineral oil has wide reaching industry applications such as food, pharma, and cosmetics just to name a few.

How Mineral Oil is Made

Mineral Oil is derived from petroleum and undergoes distillation followed by various refining steps and subsequent purification to achieve a high purity fraction with specialized product applications. Distillation of crude petroleum yields fractions that differ in boiling point, viscosity, and molecular weight. These fractions are then refined via solvent extraction to remove any polar and aromatic compounds which are believed to be carcinogenic in nature. This refined mineral oil is composed of paraffins that are long chained hydrocarbons and cyclic hydrocarbons. The ratio of these two paraffins determines the physical properties of the oil and due to their complex chemical compositions, mineral oil is categorized based on their viscosities. The mineral oil that is used in pharmaceutical and cosmetic applications is commonly referred to as Light Mineral Oil and it is usually lower in viscosity and higher in purity.

How Mineral Oil is used in skincare

Mineral Oil has a variety of applications, however, its common uses are in the cosmetics, food, and pharmaceutical industry.

Mineral Oil is utilized in cosmetics, skin care, and hair care products that are of pharmaceutical grade. It acts as a lightweight oil that protects the skin from dehydration without being so heavy that it can clog pores leading to acne. Mineral oil is considered an occlusive ingredient in that it provides a protective seal on the top of your skin to lock in moisture, thereby preventing trans-epidermis water loss (TEWL) and preventing pollutants from penetrating the skin. This is especially useful for those with dry skin as these properties can keep skin moisturized and hydrated.

Another important property of Mineral Oil that makes it the better choice for skin moisturization is that it has enough substantivity to keep skin hydrated without being overly offensive on the sensory. It is this balance between substantivity (degree of which a substance remains on the skin) and occlusivity that makes mineral oil the preferred choice over other cosmetic emollients.

How Mineral Oil is used as a laxative

In the pharmaceutical industry, mineral oil is used to treat constipation since it acts as a lubricant laxative. It is taken orally to help soften stool allowing for easy passage through the intestines. Mineral oil works by coating the inside of the bowel with moisture, which keeps the stool from hardening. However, it is not recommended to ingest mineral oil with meals since it can interfere with the body’s uptake of key nutrients. Additionally, there are contraindications with some medications and, therefore, it is not advisable to take within 2 hours of other medications.

How Mineral Oil is used for food

Mineral Oil that is food grade has characteristics that are great at coating both wood and metal materials. This is primarily due to its ability to provide antioxidizing properties to protect wooden cutting boards, carbon steel knives, and other kitchen items that will interact with food. Mineral oil works by forming a protective layer on top of surfaces that repels water, thereby protecting the item from corrosion, staining, or rust.

Additionally, mineral oil can be added to spices, condiments, and act as a release agent in the baking industry.

Where to buy Mineral Oil

Lab Alley’s Mineral Oil, Light (USP Grade) contains >99 weight% white mineral oil and is a biologically stable product, having no tolerance level for the pathogenic bacteria support. Lab Alley is selling its Mineral Oil Light, Purified Grade in the United States of America (USA) and is available online at laballey.com.

Light Mineral Oil, USP Grade can be purchased online, locally, or call 512-668-9918 to order. Lab Alley Brand Light Mineral Oil, USP Grade is for sale in bulk sizes and is in stock. It is a high purity chemical substance that is ideally suited for scientific, development, analytical, clinical, medical, research and testing applications. Light Mineral Oil, USP Grade is delivered quickly to laboratories, factories and businesses in safe chemical resistant containers. 

The chemical formula for Light Mineral Oil, USP Grade is C15H16O6, the CAS Registry Number is 8042-47-5. Download the Light Mineral Oil, USP Grade MSDS/SDS to get safety tips and health hazard information. Light Mineral Oil, USP Grade should be carefully handled, stored in a cool dry place and chemical waste should be disposed of properly and safely.

Light Mineral Oil, USP Grade Retail Prices, Package Sizes And Bulk Quantity Ordering Options: 500ml $20, 6 x 500ml Case $55, 1 Liter $30, 4 x 1 Liter Case $65, 1 Gallon $45, 4 x 1 Gallons Case $165, 4 Liters $75, 4 x 4 Liters Case $245, 5 Gallons $320, 55 Gallons $1350.