I have become such a hair care minimalist, so the way I care for my hair has changed. The change involved removing popular oils such as The Jamaican Mango and Lime Island Oil.
Before, I used many different products for moisturizing and sealing. But I have stopped using many of them because they contain chemicals which I no longer use. I am in the process of searching for and creating natural hair products that contain little to no harsh and toxic chemicals.
Why I Removed Jamaican Mango and Lime from my Hair Regimen
I have been using Jamaican Mango and Lime for a few years. I used it as a child and I used it even more when I first started my locs.
About two months into my Loc Journey, I stopped using their retwist gel because it left build-up in my loc’d hair. However, I kept using the Jamaican Mango and Lime Island Oil.
A few weeks ago, my partner pointed out to me that the product contained mineral oil. Initially, I wasn’t aware of the dangers or even the origin of Mineral oil so I did my research.
Here is what I found
Mineral oil defined as
a distillation product of petroleum, especially one used as a lubricant, moisturizer, or laxative.
Now, I do not need to and will not be putting this on my scalp. But, I will provide you with reasons why the research says mineral oil should be avoided.
1. It Serves no Useful Purpose
i.e ..It is probably not that beneficial. Mineral oil is said to be odorless and the only thing it does is reduce water loss from the skin. Now coconut oil or any other carrier oil does this just fine. Once you put coconut oil on your hair after adding water it seals that moisture in.
2. Only properly refined is safe to use.
It is Toxic. Now if the product is properly refined it is not considered carcinogenic but in its untreated and lightly refined state it does contain carcinogenic properties. I cannot be sure if these companies are ensuring that the product (mineral oil) is well refined.
3. Benefits only the manufacturer, not consumer
Mineral oil is used because it is inexpensive not because it offers any spectacular benefits to you, your body or your hair other than that allows you to retain water which as I stated can be done by using coconut oil.
4. Fragrance
It also contains fragrance which I try to always avoid. I avoid this because, within the U.S., manufacturers can legally hide hundreds of synthetic chemicals under the word “fragrance”.
5. Dyes
It also contains numerous dyes.
Based on those findings I say Bye Bye to Mineral oil and bye bye to Jamaican Mango and Lime Island Oil, unless they have new and improved products with better ingredients.
As naturals, we want the best and only the best for our hair. There is no point in using something if it is not benefiting you. Opt for oil mixes that you can do yourself or buy from a local business. What are your thoughts on this product? Let me know below.
Thank you so much for reading.
Thanks for this post because I had no idea about this. I don’t really use the mango and lime as often like before but it is still in my hair products stash. Guess I won’t be using it anymore. Informative post.
Right! Companies need to use better ingredients. Thanks for reading hun.
Hi so I bought the oil almost a month ago, but I didn’t use it much. I was looking for as much information as possible about the product as to its efficiency and the quality of the product. Personally, I noticed that the oil gave me dandruff (it’s surely because I also put on the DAX Indian Hemp cream). In any case, your article was interesting
Hi Lisa, thank you for reading. You can try creating your own oil blend with some of your favs. Almond oil, coconut oil, castor oil, jojoba oil, olive oil, are all great choices.