Term: Mineral Oil

Mineral oil is a colorless, odorless mixture of alkanes and cyclic paraffins that come from non-vegetable sources (such as, petroleum where it is a plentiful byproduct of gasoline distillation). It is a non-drying oil that is used increasingly to clean oil paints from brushes and other painting products. Although it is not as effective as other solvents, mineral oil is nontoxic and inexpensive. Mineral oil has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in personal products and food, and is a common ingredient in baby lotions, cold creams, ointments and cosmetics.