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If you use Oil Of Olay products, you'd better get accustomed to a new name because the new name is simply "Olay". This is because many consumers are realizing that the 'oil' in Oil of Olay is mineral oil on skin just isn't a fine idea. In fact, it's a terrible idea and mineral oil safety is highly questionable meaning that Oil of Olay & skin aren't good companions.
When you know what mineral oil is it's not hard to see why it's not best buds with your body and mine 'cuz it's made from petroleum. Yep, that same goopy, valuable black stuff that bubbles out of the ground. Your cat might love it – but your organs don't. In fact, mineral oil is nothing but a liquid hydrocarbon that has been refined to look a little less … disturbing. If someone suggested that you should reach into an oil puddle and slap some on your face you'd stare at them in horror and disbelief. But mineral oil really isn't all that different.
Mineral oil has no nutrient value for the skin and can interfere with the body's own natural moisturizing mechanism, leading to dryness and chapping. It will clog your pores and, in the body, it increases your load of toxins.
Q: So why do skin care companies use this garbage?
A: Because it's cheap.
A Closer Look At An Oil Of Olay Moisturizer: Olay Definity Cream
Olay's Definity is marketed as an anti aging moisturizer. Obviously, anyone interested in anti aging wants their skin to be nourished and improved – otherwise, how will we look younger? So let's see what's actually in this produce [according to the Olay website]:
ACTIVE INGREDIENTS: 3% OCTISALATE, 3% OCTOCRYLENE, 2% AVOBENZONE.
ALSO CONTAINS: WATER, GLYCERIN, TITANIUM DIOXIDE, NIACINAMIDE, ACETYL GLUCOSAMINE, ISOPROPYL LAUROYL SARCOSINATE, PANTHENOL, TOCOPHERYL ACETATE, DIMETHICONE, DIMETHICONOL, TRIETHANOLAMINE, BENZYL ALCOHOL, CARBOMER, BEHENYL ALCOHOL, C13-14 ISOPARAFFIN, CETEARYL GLUCOSIDE, STEARYL ALCOHOL, LAURETH-7, CETYL ALCOHOL, PEG-100 STEARATE, METHYLPARABEN, CETEARYL ALCOHOL, PROPYLPARABEN, ETHYLPARABEN, PEG-4 LAURATE, PEG-4 DILAURATE, IODOPROPYNYL BUTYLCARBAMATE, PEG-4, AMMONIUM POLYACRYLATE, POLYACRYLAMIDE, IRON OXIDES.
Are these ingredients really good for your face? Let's see:
Glycerine: may – or may not – be Ok, depending on whether it's plant or animal glycerine.
Animal glycerine has been implicated as a cancer-agent and it definitely has some negative effects on our organs. It's called a "polyhydric alcohol" which is a technical term for a substance that is extremely drying to the skin, which is ironic in a skin care product.
Titanium Dioxide: is supposedly relatively safe on skin but it isn't safe to inhale. I have to wonder how anything with a hazardous smell can possibly be a wise idea. When it's used in in nanotechnology {Arbonne does this} then it's definitely a hazard.
Isopropyl Lauroyl Sarcosinate: this is not allowed in personal products in Japan but it considered a 'moderate hazard' in the US.
Question: why do we want ANY hazard in our skin care products?
Benzyl Alcohol: there is strong evidence of this chemical being toxic to the human neurosystem, or nerves. Many people evidence allergies to Benzyl alcohol and there have been definite mutations in human cells from this product.
Laureth-7: is a 'moderate hazard; because it is often contaminated with truly horrifying chemicals like Etheylene Oxide and 1,4-Dioxane.
Cetyl Alcohol: all alcohol is drying to the skin; it is frequently obtained from killing whales or dolphins and unless we know the source, we cannot assume it is plant-based; there are some concerns about irritation of the skin, eyes or lungs.
PEG-100 Stearate, PEG 4 Laurate, PEG-4 Dilaurate: used to thicken skin care products – yet they're so strong that they're often used in spray-on oven cleaners! PEGs can destroy the natural functioning of your skin which help keep it soft and moist. PEG products are likely to be contaminated with 1,4-dioxane, a carcinogen and research has clearly revealed that dioxane easily penetrates the skin.
Methylparaben, Propylparaben, and Ethylparaben: parabens are used as inhibitors of microbial growth and to extend shelf life of products. Widely used even though they are known to be toxic. Have caused many allergic reactions and skin rashes. Highly toxic. {From Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS)}: "WARNING! HARMFUL IF SWALLOWED OR INHALED. CAUSES IRRITATION TO SKIN, EYES AND RESPIRATORY TRACT. MAY CAUSE ALLERGIC SKIN REACTION. SKIN CONTACT: CAUSES IRRITATION TO SKIN. SYMPTOMS INCLUDE REDNESS, ITCHING, AND PAIN. MAY CAUSE ALLERGIC SKIN REACTIONS. EYE CONTACT: CAUSES IRRITATION, REDNESS, AND PAIN." It's estimated that 13,200 cosmetic and skin care products contain parabens and the number is growing astronomically because they're cheap to manufacture. Methyl paraben may degrade releasing methanol, a potentially toxic chemical {see Formaldehyde}. Studies implicate their connection with cancer. They have hormone-disrupting qualities – mimicking estrogen – and interfere with the body’s endocrine system. According to the Journal of Applied Toxicology, they have been implicated in cancers because they increase estrogenic activity in the body. They have caused many allergic reactions and skin rashes. They are effective preservatives because they inhibit enzyme activity – but the human body desperately needs enzymes. Research has shown that they may affect the future fertility of male babies. According to Professor John Sumpter of Brunel University, England, an expert on estrogenic chemicals in the environment, the use of these preservatives might just "play a role in falling sperm counts and rising breast cancer rates."
Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate: is prohibited for use in cosmetics in the European Union; it is linked to cancer, allergies, immunotoxicity, irritation of the skin, eyes or lungs; organ system toxicity; endocrine disruption; neurotoxicity ranging from subtle developmental delays to chronic nerve degeneration diseases and there is limited evidence of gastrointestinal or liver toxicity.
Ammonium Polyacrylate: this is considered of low risk – IF there is a low amount of absorption. What does "low" mean?
Keep in mind that these chemicals don't just sit on the surface of your skin. They interact with your skin cells and a certain percentage is absorbed into the body.
Further, the skin is the largest excretory organ of the body and if it is coated with chemicals, it cannot do its job.
YOU can be in charge of what goes on your skin and in your body. In fact, you'd better take charge because no one else is concerned about your safety – not the government or the skin care companies. Olay is certainly not unique.
Join the BlissPlan Health Sheet plus receive a one year FREE course on hundreds of home remedies to help with all kinds of ailments!
Join the BlissPlan Health Sheet plus receive a one year FREE course with hundreds of home remedies!
I have used the definity, the regenerist, also the newest olay product. I have had a severe eye infection, which almost caused the loss of an eye. My face swelled, my eyes swelled shut. I also had skin allergies which are still giving me problem. Has any one else had the same problems. I no longer use these products, am still having some problems. Disapointed in Olay M> Riggs
Margaret, thanks for your feedback. I used Oil Of Olay years ago and in about a week had multiple bumps underneath my skin. They looked like craters on the moon except that they were convex, instead of concave. I quit using it and in about two days they were gone. I assume if was the Olay since that was the only time in my life I ever had them and they disappeared quickly.
Sorry for your bad experience. It sounds like you might be allergic to something in the product?
I'm just curious, if this stuff causes so many skin disorders why is everyone buying it and why is it rated #1 in consumer reports for effectiveness? I highly doubt that Oil of Olay would still be in business if everyone was having this reaction. Right? I am not for or against Oil of Olay at this point. I am doing some research to determine for myself (without all the conspiracy theories) whether their products pose any health risks to me. I have used it for the last three weeks and have had NO negative side effects but that doesn't mean I am not concerned with the long term effects of the active and inactive ingredients. Again, for the ladies that talked of near death experiences because of these products, I have to believe this is the exception and not the rule or we would not see these products on local drugstore shelves and we would certainly not see Oil of Olay in business.
Olivia, I agree with you that these extreme reactions are the rarity, rather than being common to many people. The thing is … how do we know that WE aren't going to be those people with extreme reactions?
And the second question is: what is the exact number of chemicals we can take into our bodies without any ill effects? We're all exposed to HUNDREDS of chemicals every day.
I became converted to using natural products, whenever possible, when I was a 6th year teacher. I had nine kids on Ritalin in my classes. I talked to the parents of every single one of those children and suggested that changing their diets might calm the kids – eliminating sugars and junk food. Only one set of parents paid any attention – and by spring their child was drug free! The other eight kept taking the Ritalin. What a powerful lesson.
I am severly allergic to petroleum and all the derivatives of mineral oil and also alcohol. I am looking for a really good strictly herbal skin care line that does not contain any alcohol. Mold and fermenting things are equally big problems. I am bed bound due to advanced MS., never in direct sun, very fair skin, and skin sensitive due to psoriasis. i am 74 with mostly dry skin. I am searching for a good body wash, good shampoo, and good exfoliater. I really need help. My care givers are at a loss.
Shirley: I use Avalon Organic products and there are some by Jason. The ones I use have no mineral oil or alcohol and they\’re reasonable in price (unlike some of those that are $30-$40 for a bottle of shampoo). I order online from iHerb.com. Like this:
http://www.iherb.com/Avalon-Organics-Hair-Care http://www.iherb.com/Avalon-Organics-Skin-Care http://www.iherb.com/Jason-Skin-Care http://www.iherb.com/Jason-Shampoo-Conditioner
Still, I always read the labels! No matter how good a company is, they might change their formulas. I\’ve had only great experiences with iHerb.com. If you order from them use this code \”NEY648\” and you\’ll get $5 off (don\’t use the quotes).
Please accept my sincere wishes for improved health. And let us know how your search goes.
Shirley I work with MS patients and would love to help you out please contact me and lets see if I have anything you might want to try. then if you like it and it works I can get it for you.
I've been using Olay for quite some time now. I really like the Total Effects foaming face wash and the 7 in 1 Total Effects gentle 'anti ageing cream'. Not really sure if it's the Olay products that are really irritating my skin. The past few months my nice looking facial skin has started looking really bad. So there's some dryness, rashy looking stuff and burning when I put most products on it, especially Olay. Never really had any problems with my skin til the past few months. Not really sure what to do about it. Ideas anyone?
Hi! I have been using Oil of Olay for at least 35 years to date, and this was the first time I thought of researching the ingredients in it. I am 64 years old, and have had so many compliments on my skin, looking younger than my age. When the newer products came out, I tryed some, and found that for me the original worked as good as the higher priced ones. Now I am wondering if maybe I did a big mistake for many years….I wouldn't even know what to switch to for a moisturizer . I do not use makeup as foundation, only Oil of Olay, or Olay now, and have radiant skin. The question is "Do I change after all these years"?
I was wondering if any one had responded to your post. I am very interested if they did. I have been using olay for some time now as my grandmother has inplyed I do so along with Johnson and johnosons baby lotion which contains alcohol. My E-mail is Twistedara@yahoo.com thanks for your time
Hi, I have used oil of olay products off and on for many years. However for the past few years I have had bouts of eye irritation , iritis which is painful , red, irritated dry eyes which started about a month after I started using the new Olay regenerist cream. I never even thought the Olay product was the cause so I kept using it daily. I was threw many tests to find the cause of the iritis, all which came back negative. I am perfectly heathy. My eye doctor put me on Restasis. I stopped using all Olay products-guess what? No more eye problems. No more Restasis – I never needed it in the first place! So ladies, if your using Olay products and have dry eye, STOP USING OLAY IT MAY VERY WELL BE THE CAUSE OF YOUR DRY EYE-IT WAS MINE!! WOW– ARE THEY WORKING WITH THE PHARMACUTICAL COMPANIES????
Susan, congratulations on figuring out why you were having problems! You are a great bio-detective. I used Olay years ago and broke out in bumps beneath my skin which I'd never seen before – and they vanished when I stopped using the product. Olay products seem to cause problems for some of us, once again proving that nothing works for every single person.
Susan,
The exact same thing happened to me. I tried the New Olay Regenerist Cream and my eyes were so dry, they were sticking to my eyelids at night. I went to several eye doctors and they wanted to perform surgery. Come to find out, when I stopped using the Oil of Olay. They got much better. I wanted to make sure that was the culprit, so I just used it again the other night, and had the worse eye sticking I have ever had. Now the Oil of Olay is in the trash where it belongs. I can't believe something on the market could cause this. I am now using coconut oil on my face. DON'T buy this product!!
Mary, thanks so much for sharing your experiences. Obviously not everyone has such a strong reaction but obviously you did and there are many like you. I'm so glad you have an alternative. Best of luck with your new beauty regimen.
I'm 41 and have been having some issues with dry skin the last couple of months so I decided to try some Olay to help moisturize my skin. I just used a very tiny bit before applying my make up as I always have before. Within 3 days, my face was completely broken out with acne and sores! I looked like a 13 year old in puberty. :/ Ceased using the Olay and was fine again in about a week. Might be an uncommon occurrence but is it really worth the risk of finding out if you're also one of the ones who will experience this?
I used Definity Foam Moisturizer at my mom's house one night and by the next morning, my face and neck were red, my face was swollen, and both neck and face itched like crazy and were hot to the touch for three days. NEVER again will I use Oil of Olay. This is the second time I've had a reaction to one of their products.
I am 31 and have been using oil of olay(oil of ulan back then)since i was fourteen.
I get compliments on my skin and tell people that i use this moisturiser and swear by it.
I stopped using it a few months ago and tried some other brands just for a change
.Yesterday i bought a new bottle of oil of olay,but i thought i would try the "sensitive" one instead.After i put it on i became very itchy and not just on my face.My neck and upper chest were aswell.I didn't click it was the moisturiser until i had the same reaction today.
This time it was worse,i have come up with red welts under my eyes and have been scratching,making it worse.
I washed it off with just water but am still irritated.I thought it being "sensitive" it would be alot more gentle than the usual one!!
I then had a good look at the ingredients and am shocked!So many chemicals and actual WARNINGS about using a so-called "sensitive" product?!
I am very disappointed,i won't be buying this again.
Sitting at my desk reading these responses, and trying to stay awake after taking Benadryil for my itchy face! I have used Olay products for a long time, Just replaced my tinted moisturizer with the Defintiy 7 Total Effects UV …etc which I use for a foundation. Started about 2 weeks ago…but I don't wear makeup every day. Finally clicked that it has to be the Olay product, since the onbly other thing I use on my face would be water, or Johnson and Johnson baby wash. Otherwise, I don't have sensitive skin. I now have puffy eyes, maddeningly itchy and fevered skin, which is a blotchy red, from jawline up to hairline….even my eyelids are red adn itchy! The 7 Effects does not list these as one or two of the effects you should expect! It's going in the trash tonight. Too bad it's a bit pricey to toss when it's 95% full, but I could go crazy scratchng or trying not to, if I kept using it! I will be emailing Olay with this tidbit today…
Wow, those are some terrible side effects. I'm so sorry that you're having such a bad time. It's a good thing that you're taking action to let Olay know about the trouble you're having. Hope you get back to your normal 'unblotched' state.
Checking in after ceasing the use of the Olay Total Effects UV product. Went for a few days with nothing at all on my face…used Baby wash as normal. Finally back to semi normal, although crease in eyelid still seems to redden, but no more blothces, fevered skin, or pronounced itching. Process of elimination tells me it had to have been the Olay…. have now switched to a Sonja Kaschuk product, tinted moisturizer. No problems so far, but lots fewer ingredients…crossing my fingers!
The only way to know is to read each label carefully. Even then it's tough because the companies sometimes use terms that disguise what's actually in the jar. We can't even assume that the ingredients are the same in each batch!
"now if the entire medical field would just get a clue…..haha."
I understand where's you're coming from. Ha, ha, is right! That's not totally fair – there are some very well informed and caring medical people out there but there certainly are a lot who have sold out. Ultimately, WE are responsible for what goes on and in our bodies. My mother's generation treated medical people and professionals like they were demi-gods, but no longer.
Luca, it sounds as though it's time to give up Oil of Olay. Everybody's skin and body reacts differently to different products and I'm so sorry for your misery. It really sucks and three days is a l-o-n-g time to itch and feel hot.
I have used Oil of Olay for over 30 years, never had a problem, however, I have been using the Regenerist and anti wrinkle cream, and my face, and lips have developed red puffy splotchs. I also am getting dry red and itchy eyelids…I am planning to go basck to the old (and cheaper) Oil of Olay with moisturizer.
Dani, that's great that you've found what works for you. Your experience proves, once again, that we're all different and that it's important to experiment to see what happens – and to keep in mind that our skin will change in the future. There is no one-size-fits-all.
What do you think of Dimethicone? I've heard conflicting reports. Some say it's harmless others say it's another harmful chemical to stay away from. Even Avalon and other so called organic anti-aging moisturizers have it.
Here's what the Cosmetics Safety Database has to say about dimethicone.
http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ingredient/702011/DIM…
I was under the impression that the nanotechnology in Arbonne's products was replaced with vitaspheres???
Kelly, this post is close to three years old and may need some updating. Thanks for pointing this out and I'll do some research on the subject.
I used the old Oil of Ulay Beauty Fluid for sensitive skin since age about 30 till about age 50 and was happy with it but then for several years I changed to other excellent but expensive products. When I went back to Olay lotion it wasn't enough for my older skin. I tried Olat Total Effects but this product gave me red itchy blotches on my face and neck after using it twice. Boots refunded me. Then I received a gift set at Christmas and tried Olat Complete Care cream but found my skin reacted again but not to the same extent as the Total Effects. Then, still trusting the Olay brand, and blaming the reaction on the sensitive nature of my skin, I bought Olay Double Action just this week, because it bore the 'Sensitive' banner. I've used it 2 nights and mornings and my skin feels hot. Without some kind of moisturiser, my skin becomes dry and even flaky so I will continue my search for a gentle product. I did, however, like the Olay Gentle Cleansers face wash from the gift set. Also, I guess the offending products work for others. Thanks for all your reports.
Trudi, that's exactly right – some people love Oil of Olay and some have unfortunate side effects. That's true of any product, of course. The fact that your skin feels hot definitely tells you that you should stop using that product. What a bummer – use a product that's supposed to make us beautiful and we look worse. :-(
I'm really confused about whats going on with my skin. I recently realized that I'm allergic to mineral oil when putting Baby oil on my skin after a shower. After 3 days of not using it, I still have a rash on my chest (very itchy) after going online and doing more research I came across this blog and I also have used Oil of Olay products for years. I am wondering if this is the reason for my dry, itchy eyes. Especially when I wake up in the morning. My eye lashes have even started to thin out and I am now convinced it is due to an allergy from something in this product and maybe even other products I have used for years. I am 37 yrs old and I never had issues in my 20's or even early 30's. Why now?
For a long time I was immune to poison ivy/oak – and then all of a sudden I broke out in terrible rashes and it became a horrible problem. Every since then I've realized that we can use a product for a long time but develop an allergy as time goes by. Why this happens is a mystery (at least to me) but I suggest you stop using Olay for a while and see what happens.
Also, do you know that mineral oil is made from petroleum? That black, goopy stuff that comes out of the ground is good for cars but it's probably bad for humans. Your body might not like it either.
Best of luck and let us know how it goes.