Anyone making an effort to be healthy will be ensuring they get all the minerals they need in their diet. For those who want to look their best at the same time, they may also buy skincare products containing minerals. But how effective are they? And, more importantly, are they safe?
First, let’s draw an important distinction. There are skincare products that contain minerals, like magnesium and zinc. Then there’s mineral oil, which is a cousin to petroleum. That may make you panic at the idea of putting it on your skin, but it’s generally considered safe because of the degree of refinement and purification it goes through to be used for cosmetic purposes. There’s just a lot of debate about whether it’s worth the effort.
Mineral oil works by creating a seal over your skin that protects it from the world, blocking things like weather and other irritants. This also helps stop your skin from losing water. Mineral oil can have a powerful moisturizing effect that actually means dermatologists may recommend it for people with eczema and other conditions of dry skin.
The main problem with mineral oil is that it can also clog your pores. This puts you at a greater risk of acne and blackheads. Clearly, that’s not going to help you look better, and it means you’re unlikely to feel better, either. Then, of course, there’s the issue you get with any petroleum product: it’s a non-renewable resource that can cause all sorts of damage to the environment.
As for skincare products with added minerals, they allow them to go straight to your skin without being diverted to other parts of the body like they might be when consumed through your diet. The skin is well-prepared to absorb such tiny molecules. Once there, they can protect, hydrate and heal. In our polluted modern world, our skin needs all the extra help it can get.
Zinc, magnesium, calcium, iron, copper and potassium are all essential in our diet, and they’re also important for healthy skin that looks and feels great. That’s why they’re good ingredients to look out for in your moisturizers and serums. You may also want to go even more traditional with mineral salts or clay masks, the kind of things humans have been using since we first started taking care of our skin.
