Moah, Mosh
Time and again, mineral oils from newspaper inks or cardboard packaging end up in food or cosmetic products as part of the recycling process. In this context, a distinction is made between three compounds: MOAH stands for the abbreviation “Mineral Oil Aromatic Hydrocarbons”. These mineral oils consist of 15 to 20 percent aromatic hydrocarbons. MOSH, on the other hand, stands for “Mineral Oil Saturated Hydrocarbons”, which are saturated hydrocarbons. The third term (POSH) describes the abbreviation for “Polyolefin Oligomeric Saturated Hydrocarbons”, which can migrate into the cosmetic product as oligomers from the most common packaging materials polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE).
How do we come into contact with MOAH, MOSH and POSH?
Frequent consumption of foods contaminated with MOAH, MOSH and POSH can have health effects. The same applies to the use of cosmetic products, which may also contain MOAH, MOSH and POSH. However, as is now known, contamination with mineral oil does not always occur only in the packaging process. It can also occur during production, for example. Causes include oily machine parts or lubricating greases that contain mineral oil or MOAH or MOSH.
Environmental “basic pollution” is also one of the causes. Examples include particulate matter from asphalted roads and emissions from energy supply or industrial plants.
What are the advantages of mineral oils & co.
The group of substances known as hydrocarbons is always the subject of heated debate, and yet it is the most frequently used group of raw materials in cosmetics. These substances are extracted from crude oil or increasingly also from natural gas (“GTL process”). They are mixtures of aliphatic n- and i-alkanes as well as saturated, cyclic hydrocarbons (naphthenes). Paraffin oils, the so-called “medicinal white oils”, are predominantly C20-C30 molecules. They are the purest cosmetic raw materials and usually contain less than 10 ppb of polycyclic aromatics. This purity makes them an indispensable ingredient in most medicinal ointments and lotions.
The controversial discussion stems from the fact that this group of substances is said to have an occlusive effect that impedes skin respiration. As a component of a cosmetic preparation, at most a partially occlusive effect is to be expected, and this is even desirable in order to increase skin moisture or barrier protection. When used as intended, no damage to the skin is to be expected.
The hydrocarbons also occur in nature and plants and animals also use it for protection (e.g., beeswax contains approx. 15%, candelilla wax = 50% and carnauba wax = 3%) against harmful environmental influences.
In pharmaceutical technology, the active ingredients must also be released in order to reach the site of action and develop their effect there. Here, the principle of polar active ingredient in non-polar matrix and vice versa is used. The term “Polar Paradox” was introduced by PORTER ET AL. in 1989. They were able to prove that polar antioxidants are more efficient in non-polar matrices and non-polar antioxidants in polar matrices, such as emulsions.
Controversial mineral oils and mineral oil-based products
Substances such as mineral oil (MOAH, MOSH) have long been suspected of being carcinogenic. Well-known test institutes have already found extremely high levels of mineral oil (MOAH, MOSH) in numerous cosmetic products. This high content could not have been caused solely by contamination from the production process. No wonder, because if you take a closer look at the list of ingredients, “mineral oil” is often at the top of the list. This is especially true for body oils, hair styling products, baby and lip care products as well as Vaseline®, as a classic product. Even the articles of very well-known and reputable manufacturers are contaminated with mineral oil and thus with MOAH, and MOSH. The European Food Safety Authority has therefore also generally classified low-viscosity mineral oil as risky if the substance is ingested through food. But in the meantime, this assessment can also be applied to all lip care products that are based on mineral oil. The use of such products in lip care products is therefore discouraged. By the way, mineral oil (MOAH, MOSH) is not allowed in natural cosmetics.
What are the official recommendations?
The analytical determination of MOSH, MOAH and POSH is currently still considered rather difficult, but the largest analytical laboratories can carry out such measurements (e.g., Eurofins) = Link: http://www.eurofins.de/media/2342037/mineral_oils_ger.pdf
The Federal Institute for Risk Assessment also published an analytical method ( Link = http://www.bfr.bund.de/cm/343/bestimmung-von-kohlenwasserstoffen-aus-mineraloel-oder-kunststoffen.pdf) and already pronounced a tolerable daily intake amount in 2011, but the analysis also includes related compounds that could possibly falsify the result. This applies in particular to the procedures prescribed for manufacturers of food and cosmetic products. Limit values for mineral oil (MOAH, MOSH) in cosmetics do not yet exist. Stiftung Warentest has recently devoted itself intensively to the topic and makes a very clear distinction here between MOAH and MOSH (issue 06/2015). While MOAH is considered potentially carcinogenic, there is no cancer risk for MOSH according to the findings to date. However, since these substances are deposited in human fatty tissue, long-term effects cannot be ruled out. The Federal Institute for Risk Assessment recently pointed out that skin care products based on mineral oil have been used for decades without any health problems being associated with them. There have been no clinical or epidemiological problems so far. Some products containing mineral oil (MOAH, MOSH) are even used therapeutically in dermatology because they can help with psoriasis, among other things. Currently, it is assumed that the mineral oil (MOAH, MOSH) remains in the uppermost skin layers. Panic would therefore certainly not be appropriate, but the substances should nevertheless be treated with caution.
As developers who have formulated a wide variety of products with mineral oils & co., we can only give the advice to buy excellent quality. In cooperation with the well-known producers of medical white oils, a MOAH-free quality is absolutely possible.
The most important MOAH-/MOSH-containing substances in a profile
INCI designations:
Cera Microcristallina
Ozokerite
Paraffinum Liquidum
Petrolatum
Cera Microcristallina
CAS number: 63231-60-7
Alternative names: Earth wax, paraffin wax, mineral wax, microcrystalline wax.
Functions: emulsion stabilising, binding, opacifying
Occurrence in cosmetics: stick preparations, compact creams, hair waxes
Ozokerite
CAS number: 8002-74-2
Alternative names: Earth wax, mountain wax or mountain tallow
Functions: Forms a protective layer against water and water vapour.
Occurrence in cosmetics: used for the production of Vaseline
Paraffinum Liquidum
Alternative names: viscous paraffin wax
CAS number: 8042-47-5
Functions: film-forming, protective effect on the skin
Occurrence in cosmetics: ointments, lip care products
Petrolatum
CAS number: 8009-03-8
Alternative names: Vaseline
Functions: Used as protection against chapped skin and chapped lips.
Occurrence in cosmetics: ointments, creams, lip balms
If you want to avoid mineral oil and mineral oil-based products that could potentially contain MOAH or MOSH in cosmetics, you have the option of using purely plant-based products. Ingredients such as evening primrose oil, jojoba oil and avocado oil are good alternatives that have all the properties to be used in cosmetic products. Plus point: the purely plant-based ingredients also contain vitamins, minerals and valuable fatty acids. There are also good vegetable fat mixtures (based on hydrogenated vegetable oils) that can also serve as petrolatum substitutes and have very similar skin-caring properties. Excellent quality is also crucial for these vegetable alternatives. Those who only rely on certificates and otherwise only take price as a decision criterion may also be putting their customers at risk. The cosmetics developer also has synthetic alternatives at his disposal that are not derived from petroleum. These include polydecenes, synthetic waxes (FT waxes) and hydrogenated polyisobutene.
Even though the long-term effects of MOAH, POSH and MOSH in cosmetics have not yet been fully clarified, such products of excellent quality can be used safely or formulated with plant-based alternatives. However, analytical monitoring is the order of the day and protects against unwelcome mention in the media. This is also the assessment of the BfR in a current statement of 26.05.2015. (Link = http://www.bfr.bund.de/cm/343/mineraloele-in-kosmetika-gesundheitliche-risiken-sind-nicht-zu-erwarten.pdf
Sources:
Lachenmeier DW, Mildau G, Rullmann A, Marx G, Walch SG, Hartwig A, Kuballa T.F1000Res. 2017 May 16;6:682
Weber S, Schrag K, Mildau G, Kuballa T, Walch SG, Lachenmeier DW.Anal Chem Insights. 2018 Jun 4;13:1177390118777757.
García-Cicourel AR, Janssen HG.J Chromatogr A. 2019 Apr 12;1590:113-120