Mink oil, obtained from the fatty deposits under the skin layer of minks, is used as a moisturizer in cosmetic products. It can also be used to maintain leather boots, keeping them in a good condition for a long time.
Mink oil is widely used in beauty products, where it functions as a moisturizer to protect the skin and keep it supple. It gives the skin a smooth appearance, also protecting it from damage. Minks or Mustelidae, were widely found across the Northern hemisphere. Minks are related to weasels, and have long curvy wiggly bodies, and easily adapt to water and land. Minks are most sought-after for their high quality fur. They’re not always slaughtered for their fat to make the oil, where it can be extracted in small amounts through a syringe from the abdominal region.
What is Mink Oil?
Mink oil is basically fat that is broken down into a smooth oil, which is used in cosmetics, hair/skin care products, and even for keeping leather boots in top-notch condition. Besides being related to weasels, the family line also consists of otters. The American mink’s fur is expensive and luxurious, used for making leather clothing as well, and this is done through ‘fur farming’. It is an act that is condemned as inhumane and cruel, where animal rights activists to this day still show their displeasure for the abuse. Due to this overindulgent form of farming, the sea mink which was also sought after for its fur, is now an extinct species.
Mink Oil Uses and Benefits
Skin Care Products
It helps repair reddened, dry, oily, scaly, and rough skin, and is used as a moisturizer. It isn’t oily in nature, eliminating that greasy effect when one applies it. Fur trappers found that when mink fat came into contact with their hands, they saw how soft it made them feel. It is now sold where the oil is merged with cosmetic properties, or even in its pure form.
Hair Care Products
It is incorporated in hair care products, like sprays and shampoos. It provides good hold, luster, and an overall smooth feel and look. When natural oils deplete from one’s hair, mink oil is used in moisturizing shampoos, to replace these essential hair oils. Conditioners and oil treatments have mink oil in them as well.
Cosmetics
Some cosmetic companies infuse mink oil into the product’s core ingredients, as it is known for shielding one’s skin from damage. When wearing makeup, women first apply mink oil over their skin, or mix a little of it in the foundation, which is known to give better results.
Leather Boots Care
Milk oil was first used on leather boots by fur trappers, who found that by applying this to their boots, it made it more flexible and waterproof. It is used in leather care products where the sebum of these minks, prove to be a good way of using it for leather care, making them last longer, and pack in that sheen effect rather than giving it that dull appearance. It is mixed with beeswax, to further make its effects stronger.
It is also used for polishing handbags, leather car seats, saddles, and briefcases.
Mink oil is a very potent substance in everything to do with care and maintainability. Use this oil to your advantage whenever the need arises and spread the word of its long-lasting results.