Petroleum, Petrolatum, Mineral Oil & Non-Vegetable/Non-Fruit Oil

Do you use petroleum or mineral oil products on your hair?

  • No, I never use oils with petroleum or mineral oil.

    Votes: 40 50.0%
  • Yes, I use whatever works.

    Votes: 38 47.5%
  • I don't use oil on my hair.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • I dunno. I never thought about it.

    Votes: 2 2.5%

  • Total voters
    80

chayil0427

New Member
Heya ladies

For the past few months I've been using a hair dressing from Optimum that has petroleum as its primary ingredient.

Surprisingly, my hair loves this oil. I put it in about once a week and my hair is soft and shiny without being greasy for days. And I've noticed that it doesn't break AT ALL since starting this product.

I know there are a lot of propronents of oils of DIRECT plant origin oils like coconut, almond, avocado, olive, castor ect on the board. However, does anyone out there use products that are heavy in non-direct plant source oils like petroleum? ( I say non direct because petroleum is derived from crude oil which is composed of ancient decomposed plant matter under great heat and pressure, but its not directly from the plant like the other oils I've named.)

Let us know what you think!!!

Oh Yea, and what about the dreaded BEESWAX.... I avoid that stuff like the plague!!!
 
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naturalgurl

New Member
Call me uneducated but I don't think there are other oils out there with non plant based other than petroleum which you broke it down and it does have fossilized plant matter. I could be very wrong, but my take on oils is that they all come from some sort of plant and this is why I stand on some oils being moisturizing. Plants need water to grow and an oil from them must contain some type of moisturizing property from very moisturizing to very little moisturizing. Sounds like a great discussion about to blossom.

ETA~ I think mineral/petroleum oils are not so good because they can clog and they're not derived from strictly plant matter. Petroleum has plant matter amongst other fossilized stuff which makes in impure. This is theory, I'm not trying to state facts. Mkay?
 
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chayil0427

New Member
Call me uneducated but I don't think there are other oils out there with non plant based other than petroleum which you broke it down and it does have fossilized plant matter. I could be very wrong, but my take on oils is that they all come from some sort of plant and this is why I stand on some oils being moisturizing. Plants need water to grow and an oil from them must contain some type of moisturizing property from very moisturizing to very little moisturizing. Sounds like a great discussion about to blossom.

Ya know, I think you're right. I'm sitting here and I can't think of an non-direct plant source oil that doesn't have its roots with crude oil.:rolleyes: Good point.
 

vkb247

Well-Known Member
There are non-plant oils, like emu for instance.

I generally avoid all products with mineral oil or petroleum in them, not because they don't work for my hair, but because I prefer a no-poo/low-poo routine and I fear having build up from these products. I know that they are great barriers that can keep moisture out just as well as they keep it in and this is a no-no for me.

But I did use the Hollywood Beauty Castor Oil grease for some time before I realized it had mineral oil in it (it is pretty far down in the list though) and that product worked well for me as a sealer. Now that I know that I want to use it up but I really can't bring myself to use it like I use to. I tried some Indiam Hemp grease that my mom had in the house because even though petroleum is the first ingredient all the other ingredients were so great! Again it worked well for my hair but scares me, so now I use it as a moisturizer on my skin. I slather on my feet and sleep with socks for velvety soft skin.

Did I answer your question?...What was the question again?...
 

loulou82

Well-Known Member
I don't use mineral/petroleum/paraffin oil on my hair. My hair has thrived with more natural/ organic products so I don't feel the need to experiment with products that contain it. I did buy BB Oil Moisturizer and ORS Moisturizing Lotion that contain petroleum but I phased them out by adding aloe vera juice and distilled water to them. But if I had a staple that my hair loved and it so happened to have these "no-no" ingredients I would probably continue to use it.

I used CD's Healthy Hair Butter that has beeswax but I used it twice before giving it to my SO. It did nothing for my hair.
 

msa

New Member
I don't use petroleum oil, mineral oil, or beeswax. Anytime I have in the past I did not like how it made my hair feel (greasy and dry). And the fact that petroleum is made from crude oils grosses me out.

I love olive, coconut, and castor oils. It doesn't matter which one I use they all make my hair soft and moisturized. I haven't tried emu oil...but since I don't want to eat them I probably am not going to be using the oil either.

All I know is petroleum and other oils don't work with my hair so I have no reason to use them. And, I like knowing that with the oils I use I could probably make them myself (if I had some olives, coconuts, or castor beans) since they have youtube videos for everything nowadays.
 

mrs.shakira

New Member
I never knew so can someone tell me why these oils are so bad for the hair. I have a confession about a product I used by the jar full. As i am transitioning it is the ONLY thing that is helping me transition besides co-washing. It is Lets Jam hair gel by soft sheen carson.
 

JustKiya

Well-Known Member
I don't use them because my hair doesn't like them - it makes it hard, and crunchy, and it dries out, and it starts to break off - horrid stuff.
Don't know why my hair doesn't like them, and I don't really care - it is as it is. :lol:

If your hair likes em, roll on and get your oil on!

If you are having 'mysterious' dryness/breakage issues with your hair, however, and you seem to be doing everything 'right' though - silicones and petro products are always my number one suspects.... :yep:
 

tiffers

Whisper "bleep boop" to yourself when you're sad.
My hair actually loves stuff with mineral oil and petrolatum in it :perplexed Most of the all natural stuff I've tried just doesn't work for me. It's like my hair NEEDS mineral oil and cones. My hair thrives with it :yep:
 

lilsparkle825

New Member
my hair is too fine for petrolatum but when it gets a hold on some mineral oil...wow. it seals in the moisture really well, which can be good or bad. i clarify often so i dont fear buildup.
 

CenteredGirl

Well-Known Member
I use them all! mostly for pre-poos which I then poo off. My hair can take them like that. But I don't use "the bad ones" on my scalp or during the week.
 

naturalgurl

New Member
There are non-plant oils, like emu for instance.

I generally avoid all products with mineral oil or petroleum in them, not because they don't work for my hair, but because I prefer a no-poo/low-poo routine and I fear having build up from these products. I know that they are great barriers that can keep moisture out just as well as they keep it in and this is a no-no for me.

But I did use the Hollywood Beauty Castor Oil grease for some time before I realized it had mineral oil in it (it is pretty far down in the list though) and that product worked well for me as a sealer. Now that I know that I want to use it up but I really can't bring myself to use it like I use to. I tried some Indiam Hemp grease that my mom had in the house because even though petroleum is the first ingredient all the other ingredients were so great! Again it worked well for my hair but scares me, so now I use it as a moisturizer on my skin. I slather on my feet and sleep with socks for velvety soft skin.

Did I answer your question?...What was the question again?...

Hmmmm, I remember that bird from Sesame Street! I didn't realize until now that emu oil is from that bird!Thanks, I learn something new everyday. This makes me want to go and search oils now. There are plant based and animal based like Crisco! A light bulb just came on! I used to take vaseline and put it on my hands and feet wearing socks and gloves to bed. My feet and hands were always so soft!
 

Solitude

Well-Known Member
I never knew about this topic until I joined this board. I thought I was finally mineral-oil free, but I realized that it still in my oil sheen. I try to steer clear, but I'm not crazy about it. I am building a regimen for my niece's natural hair that will be petroleum and mineral-oil free, probably even all organic/ natural products.

I wish I could say that I understood the science behind oils, but I don't. I appreciate the info I've gotten here, though.
 
The airport stole my hair oils and spray bottles when I went travelling this weekend (I didn't know the no liquids rule :sad:)

So this weekend, I had to make do with my host's "hair food" (mineral oil based) So I rinsed my hair with water in the shower and tried to use it on my ends like I would any other oil...

My hair was NOT amused. Dry dry dry ends all weekend. First thing I did when I got back was rewet my hair and get some castor oil on it.:lick:

But I understand different things work for different people.:yep: but for me, my hair never thrived when I was using the mineral/petroleum based products. So I don't think I'll be looking back.
 

RosesBlack

New Member
My prepoo overnight DC's have mineral oil. My hair loves them. I tend not to use mineral oil leave ins because after awhile my hair just gets dry.
 

Ms Lala

Well-Known Member
My hair actually seems to like mineral oil so I keep using. I use amla gold which has mineral oil and Hawaiian silky 14 n 1. I tried eliminating it and my hair and scalp seemed to respond better to products w/mineral oil. Castor oil and olive oil tend to make my scalp have a weird reaction.
 

CurlyMoo

Well-Known Member
My hair was never this healthy with products that contain mineral oil and pretroleum/pretrolatuem. By the next morning my hair felt dry. When I was younger I used to seal my hair with vasoline but it was always dry and not quite moisturized. I have to make sure I read the ingredients before I buy moisturizers and conditioners.
 

Lucky's Mom

New Member
I do not use any petroleum or petroleum derived products on my hair.

The best response to my hair has been all plant based oils.
 

MeechUK

MeechUK
Heya ladies

For the past few months I've been using a hair dressing from Optimum that has petroleum as its primary ingredient.

Surprisingly, my hair loves this oil. I put it in about once a week and my hair is soft and shiny without being greasy for days. And I've noticed that it doesn't break AT ALL since starting this product.

I know there are a lot of propronents of oils of DIRECT plant origin oils like coconut, almond, avocado, olive, castor ect on the board. However, does anyone out there use products that are heavy in non-direct plant source oils like petroleum? ( I say non direct because petroleum is derived from crude oil which is composed of ancient decomposed plant matter under great heat and pressure, but its not directly from the plant like the other oils I've named.)

Let us know what you think!!!

Oh Yea, and what about the dreaded BEESWAX.... I avoid that stuff like the plague!!!


Hi Chayil,
whilst you make a good point, mineral oil does nothing to moisturise my hair. Mineral oil may be of plant origin, but its the years of evolution that has extracted the plant/water content. Yes, a lot of products contain mineral oil but it just sits on my hair and dries it out. When I began my journey in hair care I used it to twist my hair with beeswax, which contains a high concentration of mineral oil, and whilst I retained length the health of my hair suffered it became very thin. It protected my hair but did not allow moisture to penetrate my hair and after a few days my hair would like dry and grey.

Mineral oil cannot be avoided in some good hair products, but if I can't digest it how can I put it on my hair? Since avoiding mineral oils I have noticed marked improvement in my hair and yes some products I use contain mineral oil, especially the Ayurveda products which I never use directly on my scalp.

Optimum is an excellent hair range and but every head is different. I'm glad that it works for you. I learnt from my Carribean cousins that with their hair dressings you just need a little for sheen. I stick to natural products whenever possible because they don't weigh my hair down or contribute to breakage.

MeechUK
 

Rezgirl

Member
I have been been known to use Vaseline on my ends while bunning. :peek: They actually come out really shiny and healthy looking when I take the bun down! I think it's because I keep up pretty well with my regimine though so not sure if it's the Vaseline or not! I only do this on dry hair and I don't do it frequently....
 

MyAngelEyez~C~U

Well-Known Member
Call me uneducated but I don't think there are other oils out there with non plant based other than petroleum which you broke it down and it does have fossilized plant matter. I could be very wrong, but my take on oils is that they all come from some sort of plant and this is why I stand on some oils being moisturizing. Plants need water to grow and an oil from them must contain some type of moisturizing property from very moisturizing to very little moisturizing. Sounds like a great discussion about to blossom.

ETA~ I think mineral/petroleum oils are not so good because they can clog and they're not derived from strictly plant matter. Petroleum has plant matter amongst other fossilized stuff which makes in impure. This is theory, I'm not trying to state facts. Mkay?
Emu oil is animal-based. :grin:i hear it's one of the most beneficials oils out there.
 

Americka

Well-Known Member
Many of the products I love to use - Skala, Dominican DCs, Hollywood Beauty Castor Oil, etc - have petrolatum, mineral oil, or lanolin. I use what works for my hair.
 

Vashti

New Member
I still have a container of Blue Magic grease that I use on my ends when the weather gets cold. I just don't put it on my scalp. I usually look for hair products these days that don't have petroleum products in them but if they happen to be far down the ingredient list and it has a lot of plant extracts or organic ingredients in it as well then I don't worry over it much.
 

choctaw

New Member
Many of the products I love to use - Skala, Dominican DCs, Hollywood Beauty Castor Oil, etc - have petrolatum, mineral oil, or lanolin. I use what works for my hair.

Americka, I co-sign on this. I deep conditioned with ayurvedic herbs yesterday and they rinsed out with water but I felt grit on my skin. Dabur Amla oil (green colored jasmine scented mineral/canola oil) released the grit from my strands and Skala G3 conditioner drop kicked the grit down the drain.
 
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