Top 6 unnecessary ingredients to avoid in face oil

Worried about those ingredients in your face oil whose names you can’t pronounce? It’s hard to know what might be questionable and what’s innocuous and that there are always people who are more sensitive than others to certain ingredients. 

Here is a list of the top 6 ingredients to avoid that regularly hitch a ride on face oil. Take heed to these red flags the next time you’re out cruising with your shopping cart especially if you have sensitive or acne-prone skin. 

Here we have categorized the ingredients to avoid into 3 groups, including: 

1. Unnatural: Mineral Oil & Dimethicone 

Mineral oil also listed as: Petrolatum, Liquid paraffin, Paraffin oil

Mineral oil and Dimethicone are ingredients that may be commonly found in face oils. While mineral oil can form an invisible film that helps reduce water loss from the skin and keep it hydrated and that dimethicone also imparts a remarkably silky feel on the skin, they are not derived from natural origins. 

As a result, their occlusive nature would not allow moisture to be absorbed from the atmosphere, like other natural emollients can, nor will they permit absorption of other nourishing active ingredients which were designed to restore skin’s vitality and glow from the inside out. 

Mineral Oil and dimethicone can be substituted with natural emollients that do more than hydrate temporarily by preventing the moisture in skin from evaporating. 

2. Unnecessary: Water, PEGs, Preservatives

Back to essence, the reason we use face oil is to help lock in moisture and thus, water is considered unnecessary in the formulation of face oil. When there’s water in it, preservatives will need to be included.

Following that, you will often see ingredients such as PEGs (better known by its acronym, PEGs) and preservatives (e.g. Triclosan & Triclocarban, Methylchloroisothiazolinone And Methylisothiazolinone, methylparabens, propylparabens, butylparabens, and ethylparabens) tagging along on the list.  

According to a report in the International Journal of Toxicology by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review, there are pollutants found in various PEG* compounds include ethylene oxide, 1,4-dioxane, polycyclic aromatic compounds, and heavy metals. 

*Depending on manufacturing processes, PEGs may be contaminated with measurable amounts of ethylene oxide and 1,4-dioxane. The International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies ethylene oxide as a known human carcinogen and 1,4-dioxane as a possible human carcinogen.

3. Questionable: BHA / BHT & Fragrance

• BHA / BHT 

Also listed as: Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT)

BHA and BHT are closely related compounds that keep products from becoming rancid. Classified as synthetic antioxidants, they are responsible for preserving the fats and oils in food, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics. Studies regarding their implicated health effects are worrying.

BHA has been classified as a possible human carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. While the European Commission on Endocrine Disruption classifies BHA as a Category 1 priority substance as evidence suggests that it interferes with hormone function. And both BHA and BHT have been found to induce allergic reactions in the skin.

If the purpose was to slow down oxidation and stabilize the product, there’s already the naturally occuring vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) typically derived from vegetable oils available which in contrast to BHA and BHT is not carcinogenic and can be used in higher dose without the occurrence of adverse effects. 

And as we all know, the skin is our largest organ. Whatever ails us on the inside is bound to show and affect us on the outside, too. Your face oil is better off without them.

• Fragrance

Also listed as: parfum

It is only natural for us to want our skincare to smell nice. One of the main points in skincare is its ability to stimulate our senses. Unfortunately, fragrance is one sneaky product with ingredients that most companies are not required to disclose. And it can be found in nearly all our beauty staples.

Be aware though that these hidden ingredients often include tons of chemicals that can cause allergies, sensitivities,. When shopping for your face oil,  avoid if you’re unsure.

Recommendation:  Finding face oils that avoid certain common ingredients can be challenging. That’s exactly why we developed the Know More Resilience Face Oil. It’s 100% natural, crafted from a complex blend of oils, and free from 2,900 unnecessary additives. This unique formulation results in a molecular weight 50% lower than that of typical face oils, enabling rapid skin penetration. It nourishes deeply without leaving any residue, imparting an iridescent, healthy glow.

Know more Ingredient: Unnecessary List