Mink Oil
What Is It?
Mink Oil is a pale yellow liquid obtained from North American mink that have been raised on farms for their fur. In cosmetics and personal care products, Mink Oil is used in the formulation of hair conditioners, hair sprays, lipsticks, skin cleansers, moisturizers, and other skin and hair products.
Why Is It Used?
Mink Oil enhances the appearance and feel of hair, by increasing hair body, suppleness, or sheen, or by improving the texture of hair that has been damaged physically or by chemical treatment. Mink Oil also slows the loss of water from the skin by forming a barrier on the skin’s surface.
Scientific Facts
Mink Oil is obtained by harvesting hides from farmed animals and scraping the fat layer from the hide. The fat is then rendered and refined using high temperature processes.
Safety Information
The safety of Mink Oil has been assessed by the Cosmetic Ingredient ReviewThe Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) was established in 1976 as an independent safety review program for cosmetic ingredients. The CIR Expert Panel consists of independent experts in dermatology, toxicology, pharmacolgy and veterinary medicine. The CIR includes participation by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration and the Consumer Federation of America. (CIR) Expert Panel. The CIR Expert Panel evaluated the scientific data and concluded that Mink Oil was safe as used in cosmetics and personal care products.
CIR Safety Review: In a clinical test of skin penetration, one hour after application, Mink Oil was detected on the skin surface of all 5 panelists; it was detected within the stratum corneum in 2/5 panelists.
No erythema or edema was noted after refined Mink Oil was applied for 24 hours to intact and scarified area of skin. A 50% dilution of a Mink Oil cream did not act as a sensitizer in a maximization test. Mink Oil was not an ocular irritant. Clinical studies using single occlusive patches found no irritation with up to 2.8% Mink Oil, although transient mild to no irritation was noted in two exaggerated-use studies.
Most of the glycerides in Mink Oil are triglycerides (glyceryl triesters), the safety of which has been substantiated in previous safety assessments; e.g., dermal absorption was nil to slight; there was little or no acute, subchronic, or chronic oral toxicity; dermal application was not associated with significant irritation or sensitization; ocular exposures were, at most, mildly irritating; negative for genotoxicity; use as vehicles in carcinogenicity testing of other chemicals has produced no adverse reaction.
Clinical tests produce no irritation or sensitization reactions. Formulators should be aware of the possible penetration-enhancing properties of Mink Oil. While pesticideSubstances that destroy or repel pests, or that prevent or mitigate the effects of pests. In the United States, pesticides for use in consumer products, including cosmetics, must be registered and approved by the EPA. residues have been analyzed and found to be below levels of detection, the CIR Expert Panel advised the industry that the total PCB/pesticide contamination should be limited to not more than 40 ppm, with not more than 10 ppm for any specific residue.
If it conforms to European Union animal by-products legislation, Mink Oil may be used in cosmetics and personal care products marketed in Europe according to the general provisions of the Cosmetics Regulation of the European UnionUnder the general provisions of the cosmetics regulation of the EU, ingredients appearing on the following function-specific annexes must comply with the listed restrictions and/or specifications: colorants (Annex IV), preservatives (Annex V), UV filters (Annex VI) and other ingredients with specific concentration limits and/or other restrictions (Annex III). Ingredients specifically prohibited from use in cosmetic products are listed in Annex II. Other ingredients listed in the EU cosmetic ingredient database (CosIng) may be used without restrictions..
Link to the EU Cosmetic Regulation:
http://europa.eu/legislation_summaries/consumers/product_labelling_and_p…
More Scientific Information
Mink Oil is a mixture of the natural glycerides of 14-20 carbon chain length fatty acids. Mink Oil is used as a hair conditioning agentIngredients that enhance the appearance and feel of hair, by increasing hair body, suppleness, or sheen, or by improving the texture of hair that has been damaged physically or by chemical treatment. and a skin conditioning agent -occlusive in cosmetics and personal care products.
Resources
Search the Code of Federal Regulations http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/cfrsearch.cfm
EU Cosmetics Inventory http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/cosmetics/cosing/