 Most commercially available baby oils contain or are made entirely from mineral oil and artificial fragrances. Learn what mineral oil is and why it is not recommended by many pediatricians, baby skin care and infant massage experts.
MASHALA BABY ORGANICS™ baby oils are 100% natural and contain no mineral oil.
What is mineral oil?
Mineral oil is a clear, liquid oil with no scent that does not spoil. It is produced as a byproduct of the distillation of gasoline from crude oil. Mineral oil is the leftover liquid, and because it is abundant, it is very inexpensive for manufacturers. In fact, it is more expensive to dispose of mineral oil, than to purchase it. Mineral oil:
• is a synthetic substance, foreign to the human body.
• clogs skin pores and has been described as like "wrapping your baby in cellophane". This slows the skin's ability to eliminate toxins.
• is absorbed into the skin, then taken into the intestinal tract where it further absorbs fat-soluble vitamins found there leading to nutritional deficiencies. There is even some medical evidence that it's use can cause lung irritation.
 "Most 'baby oils' are primarily made of mineral oil. To make mineral oil, gasoline and kerosene are removed from crude petroleum by heating, in a method called functional distillation. By using sulfuric acid, applying absorbents, and washing with solvents and alkalis, hydrocarbons and other chemicals are then removed.
Not only is there no food value in this type of oil, but some nutritional authorities believe that mineral oil, when ingested, produced deficiencies of various vitamins, and they recommend against its use as a regular massage oil. When you are in the middle of a massage and your baby puts his hand in or near his mouth, you don't want to worry that a nonfood substance is passing into his delicate digestive system. Infants, whose brains and nervous systems are not fully developed, are particularly vulnerable to substances absobed by the skin. Commercially produced mineral oils also dry the skin and clog its pores. Most modern pediatricians discourage their use for this reason alone. These oils were not made for regular massage, which encourages the absorption of whatever substance you are using. That substance, in my view should be a food product that nourishes the skin."
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