Mink oil is an oil used in medical and cosmetic products. It is obtained by the rendering of mink fat which has been removed from pelts bound for the fur industry.[1]
(Neogale vison)
In spite of the term on products labeled “mink oil“, many commercial versions of so-named leather conditioner contain no natural mink oil whatsoever.
Characteristics edit
Mink oil is a source of palmitoleic acid, which possesses physical properties similar to human sebum. Because of this, mink oil is used in several medical and cosmetic products. Mink oil is also used for treating, conditioning and preserving nearly any type of leather.
Botanical alternatives to mink oil as a source of palmitoleic acid include macadamia oil (Macadamia integrifolia) and sea buckthorn oil (Hippophae rhamnoides), both of which contain as much or more palmitoleic acid (17% and 19–29% respectively) than does mink oil (17%).[2][3]
Mink oil and its fatty acids are unique among animal-derived fats and oils.[how?] The unsaturated fatty acids in mink oil account for more than 75% of its fatty acid content, but the oil, nevertheless, has a greater oxidative stability (resistance to rancidity) than other animal or vegetable oils.[4][5]
See also edit
- Neatsfoot oil, leather treatment
- Saddle soap, leather cleaning and conditioning
- Antipruritic, as the oil is often an ingredient in insect bite-reliever sticks
References edit
- ^ "Final Amended Report on the Safety Assessment of Mink Oil1". International Journal of Toxicology. 24 (3_suppl). SAGE Publications: 57–64. 2005. doi:10.1080/10915810500257154. ISSN 1091-5818. PMID 16422264. S2CID 13285157.
- ^ "Nuts, macadamia nuts, raw Nutrition Facts & Calories". www.nutritiondata.com. Retrieved 2016-10-03.
- ^ T.S.C. Li; T.H.J. Beveridge (2003-08-30). Sea Buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.). NRC Research Press. doi:10.1139/9780660190075 (inactive 31 January 2024). ISBN 9780660190075.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of January 2024 (link) - ^ US Patent 4038995 - Hair treating composition containing a mink oil fatty acid quaternary ammonium salt Archived 2009-07-04 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ US 4038995, Edelberg, Norman L. & Davis, Chester A., "Hair treating composition containing a mink oil fatty acid quaternary ammonium salt", issued 1977
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