How Well Do You Know What You're Wearing?

Well Happy Friday folks; like you, I am so glad this week is over...I have so much planned for this weekend and I cannot WAIT to get started on all of it.  I have a very dear friend's baby shower tomorrow and then another friend's bridal shower on Sunday.

So today's topic is a mix between health and beauty...How well do you know what you're wearing? How well do you know the ingredients that are used in products you slather all over your hands, face, body, hair and even your own children?

I ask this because I was recently 'schooled' on an ingredient in nearly 97% of cosmetic products out there today...that ingredient is Mineral Oil. 

For those of you who do not know what mineral oil is, it is the by-product in the distillation of petroleum to create gasoline and other patroleum based products from crude oil.  It is of relatively low value and it is produced in massive quantities. 

The oil refineries often sell mineral oil to cosmetic and pharmaceutical companies because it is CHEAPER for them to sell it than it is to dispose of it in an environmentally safe way!  --- this statement right here just blows my mind.  So its perfectly ok, basically, to put the stuff all over my body but its not ok to just throw it away? Hmmm...this is where I became intensely intrigued.

Go to your bathroom right now and read the back of the products that you use most...most meaning, those you use on a daily basis...I'd be willing to bet that if not all, then at least half of your products contain mineral oil.  And if not, good for you, you're on the right track.  Mineral oil may be hard to find on your labels, however, because it goes by hundreds of different names

The next MAJA factor that killed me on this mineral oil schooling that I got:
John Hopkins University...a highly accredited research university in Baltimore, MD (I know you've all heard of it)
Well JHU named mineral oil in cosmetics the SECOND (yes #2) leading cause of aging.  The first being direct exposure to sun.  Well, considering that 99.9% of sunscreens out there contain mineral oil...looks like a double whammy come beach time.  Looks like its a double whammy every time you walk out of your house with whatever makeup, primer, moisturizing products you use that contain mineral oil...and I don't know about you, but aging is something I want to steer as F A R R R R R R R away from as possible!

Mineral oil is popular with manufacturers because it is inexpensive and makes skin smoother and softer to the touch and more attractive to the eye. Unfortunately, the damage that is being caused behind the scenes makes it an undesirable ingredient in any skin care product.

I have done my own research on mineral oil and I'm not gonna lie, there are conflicting reports (of course, as is with anything)...but to me, if it can't be proven safe why use it at all?