A study has found that some moisturizers boost rates of tumor growth in cancer-prone mice. From Business Week:

The researchers found that mice treated with skin moisturizers
showed an increased rate of tumor formation. In addition, there were
more tumors on the animals treated with moisturizers than on the mice
that were only given UV radiation.

The moisturizers used were Dermabase, made by Patrick Laboratories
in Minneapolis; Dermovan, made by Galderma Laboratory Inc. of Fort
Worth, Texas; Eucerin Original Moisturizing Cream, made by Beiersdorf
of Hamburg Germany; and Vanicream, made by Pharmaceutical Specialties
Inc., in Rochester, Minn.

Conney’s group identified several ingredients in the moisturizers that appear to enhance tumor growth.

"We took out a couple of ingredients and made a cream that turned
out to be non-tumorigenic," Conney said. The resulting lotion did not
increase cancer growth in mice exposed to UV radiation, the researchers
found.

A lot of quoted experts are rapid to point out elsewhere in the article

that this proves nothing about what the moisturizers do in humans. But since it’s obviously absolutely unnecessary to slather your face and body with carcinogens, I’m sticking to my single-ingredient moisturizers: jojoba oil, and more recently virgin coconut oil, which has similar properties. My skin is happier by far without all the highly processed mystery ingredients. Putting industrial chemicals on your skin every day is like eating nothing but Spam and Snack Pack–i.e., not exactly a recipe for health, eh?

My mom has become a enormous devotee of squalane oil, which she buys from Dr. Susan Lark’s website. Squalane, naturally found in human sebum, is derived from shark livers. You can also find a vegan version made from olives at Body Moose for a mere $9.99.  My mom’s skin looks fantastic, and it seems that this stuff has in fact softened her wrinkles, so I’m going to attempt some.

Original post by Hillary Johnson