BfR deems mineral oils safe in cosmetics

Mineral oil is clear, odourless oil derived from petroleum that is widely used in cosmetics because it rarely causes allergic reactions and it can't become solid and clog pores.

There are some harmful effects that are not associated with personal care use, and BfR has investigated for quite some time the oral intake of MOAH which can migrate from packaging material into food.

New data​

BfR says that as no representative data on MOSH and MOAH content in cosmetic products has been available so far, it conducted random spot checks on various cosmetic product, measuring MOAH concentrations of up to 5 %.

In order to generate a representative data basis the BfR recommends that monitoring programmes should be conducted which determine MOAH concentrations in cosmetic products.

It also states that the presence of MOAH in a cosmetic product does not necessarily mean that the product is of concern for human health.

“Considering all available scientific evidence, health risks for consumers caused by the uptake of the mineral oils in cosmetics through the skin are unlikely from the BfR`s point of view,”​ says the BfR opinion.

“No effects on health attributable to the mineral oil components of cosmetic products have been reported up to now despite the fact that they have been in widespread use for many years. In the opinion of the BfR, state-of-the-art technology should nevertheless be used to reduce the MOAH content in cosmetic products to the trace amounts which are unavoidable.”​

However, the Institute also notes that there are considerable data gaps which make a risk assessment difficult.

“There is, for example, a lack of reliable data on the uptake of mineral oil through the skin reflecting in particular long-term and repeated dermal exposure. Furthermore there are data gaps regarding a possible oral intake of hydrocarbons from lipsticks and hand cremes containing mineral oil,”​ it says.

The BfR says that a final risk assessment of the absorption of mineral oil through the skin can only be carried out when more data becomes available.

Permitted​

According to the EU cosmetics regulation, mineral oils are only permitted in cosmetic products if the full refining history is known and either the starting material is free of carcinogens or the distillate was tested for carcinogenic properties using specific methods.

This is intended to prevent the use of mineral oils which contain substances causing adverse health effects.