Key Terms:
MOSH: Mineral Oil Saturated Hydrocarbons
MOAH: Mineral Oil Aromatic Hydrocarbons
In March 2020, the Hong Kong Consumer Council tested 45 types of lip balms available in the market [1],
36 samples were detected with MOSH mixtures, with concentrations ranging from a low of 0.011% to a high of 70%
Twenty-three samples were detected with MOAH mixtures. The maximum concentration was 4.5%
Source: Hong Kong Consumer Council
Since the hydrocarbons with carbon atoms ranging from 10 to 50 (C10~C50) are of greater concern to food safety organizations, the Council also analyzed the distribution of MOSH mixtures detected in each sample.
Detailed Testing Results:
Mineral Oil Hydrocarbons | Potential Health Risks | Industrial Recommendation Limit | Sample Testing Results | |
MOSH | Short-chained MOSH mixtures (C10 to C25) | Animal testing has indicated that these substances may be associated with liver granuloma [2] | Less than 5% (limitation recommended by the Cosmetics Europe [3]) | 18 products were detected with short-chained MOSH mixtures, of which 5 contained 6.9% to 40.8% |
Long-chained MOSH mixtures (C16 to C35) | MOSH from C16 to C35 may accumulate and cause microgranulomas in several tissues including lymph nodes, spleen, and liver [4] | Less than 10% (safety threshold recommended by the European Consumer Organisation [5]) | 35 products were detected with long-chained MOSH mixtures, of which 14 contained 12.8% to 49.7% | |
MOSH mixtures (C35 to C50) | / | No recommended limits are set | 30 products were detected with MOSH mixtures (C35~C50), ranging from 0.0056% to 38% | |
MOAH | MOAH fractions may contain carcinogenic compounds | No recommended limits are set | 23 products were detected with MOAH mixtures, with a total amount from the lowest 0.0054% to the highest 4.5% | |
Mineral oils are colorless and odorless oils made from petroleum. Lip care manufacturers prefer mineral oils over vegetable oils (such as coconut oil, shea butter, and olive oil) because they're cheaper and more effective at making skin feel softer and smoother [6].
Hong Kong Consumer Council pointed out that mineral oils are permitted to be used in cosmetics. However, they mainly consist of MOSH and MOAH. Some MOSH substances may accumulate in adipose tissue and a number of organs, whereas MOAH may contain carcinogenic substances, of which some are suspected of being genotoxic and carcinogenic [7].
The Council urged the manufacturers to review the product ingredients and the production processes to reduce the content of MOSH and MOAH in lip care products in order to protect the health of consumers. But chief council executive Gilly Wong Fung-han admitted it was difficult to call on Hong Kong authorities to set benchmarks for MOAH and MOSH content in cosmetics as no legal limitation had been established by a recognized global body [8].
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