Is Baby Oil Flammable?

Is Baby Oil Flammable?

The bold answer is no! Typically, all baby oils and mineral oils are not flammable. The OSHA standards confirm that oils above a flash point of 199.4°F are inflammable. 

Baby oil has a flashpoint temperature of about 335°F. So it is quite glaring that baby oil is not flammable. However, note that baby oil can catch fire readily when placed near a naked fire.

You can clear your doubts by pouring some baby oil into a bowl and placing it near a burning fire. The fire will attract the oil and flame up in a matter of seconds. This confirms the fact that baby oil can catch fire if brought close to a flame source.

So make sure you are never in a hurry to place your oiled baby near a bare flame. You don’t want to burn off your innocent infant because of ignorance. Do you?

Now, what are the compositions of baby oil? Let’s discover.

What Makes Up Baby Oil?

Typically, baby oil is a hydrocarbon—one of the major products of petroleum or plants. Applying baby oil to infants’ skin every day can help maintain soft skin. It is the joy of every mom to see their baby’s skin at its pinnacle. Therefore, a larger percentage of nursing mothers are big fans of baby oil.

An adult can apply baby oil to improve their skin’s beauty. This is because baby oil can help rid the skin of any form of rashes. So baby oil is indispensable to everyone.

Baby oil comprises primarily mineral oil, scent, and skin care additives. Famous baby oil brands like Johnson’s manufacture their oil with a great deal of mineral oil, delicate fragrance, and tocopheryl acetate.

The mineral oil is composed of pure petroleum jelly. Petroleum jelly is one product formed when crude oil is refined. However, some baby oil is also manufactured from plants.

These plant-based baby oils are made from seeds, flowers, and essential plants. They comprise triglycerides and other constituents like glycolipids, sulfoxides, phospholipids, etc. Triterpene alcohols, vitamin E, carotenoids, polyphenols, and squalene are also important components of plant-based baby oils.

Is it Safe to Heat Baby Oil?

A big no! It is not advisable to heat baby oil because it is made of combustible substances. These substances can catch fire easily when heated and flare-up.  

However, if you must heat your baby oil for personal reasons, there are ways you can go about it. Below are some safety precautions to ensure when heating baby oil:

• Make sure you heat the baby oil at a temperature lower than its flash point temperature.
• Use an aluminum or stainless steel pan to heat the oil.
• Ensure you don’t bring water close to the heated oil to avoid splatter.
• Store the heated baby oil in a cool, dry place.

Differences Between Mineral Oil and Baby Oil?

Most people assume mineral oil and baby oil have the same compositions. Meanwhile, they are slightly different. Just in case you don’t know about this, right here is some take-home for you.

Mineral Oil	Baby Oil
Mineral oils are colorless, petroleum-based products. They have a slight petrol odor. These oils also have diverse names, such as liquid paraffin, white oil, paraffin oil, liquid petroleum, etc. In the United States, mineral oil is known as “paraffinum liquidum” which means “white mineral oil”.	Baby oils are also crude oil refinement products like mineral oil. Although they can also be manufactured from essential plants. Baby oil is a collection of mineral oil, perfume products and skin care additives.Unlike mineral oil, baby oil has a nice, inviting fragrance. It is also more refined than mineral oil.

​Is Plant-Based Baby Oil Flammable?

Just like petroleum-based oil, plant-based baby oil is not flammable. However, they can ignite if placed in a heated environment. They have the same flash point as petroleum baby oils, which disqualifies them as a flammable liquid.

Some mothers prefer baby oils from plant origins to those from petroleum origins. Here’s why.

Plant-based baby oil or essential oil has a unique and natural fragrance, unlike petroleum-based baby oil, which covers up with artificial scents. Coconut oil has the smell of coconut and almond oil has the smell of natural almond. Other essential oils include chamomile, lavender, and sunflower oil.

Baby oils with plant origins comprise unsaturated fatty acids, saturated fatty acids, glycolipids, triterpene alcohols, and many other ingredients.

Even though plant-based baby oils have these special characteristics, the enormous concern is whether they are also flammable.

Read more: Is Argon Gas Flammable. Find out here.

Is Baby Oil Flammable in Sunlight?

For a substance to be combustible, oxygen must be present. This is because spontaneous flammability will only occur when a substance develops heat internally via oxidation.

Baby oils will only ignite when it is exposed to a temperature above their flash point. Meanwhile, no heat from sunlight (presence of oxygen) can ignite baby oils. This is because no heat from sunlight can surpass baby oil’s flash point temperature.

Therefore, the short answer is no, baby oil isn’t flammable in sunlight. However, you can always reduce the rate at which you expose your oiled baby to sunlight. This is to protect them from excess ultraviolet rays.

​Are Baby Oils Toxic?

No, baby oils are not harmful. They are even more beneficial than most cosmetics out there. Baby oils have several skin protective functions. If you are a lover of natural products, then go for baby oils.

Lavender oil is an important plant-based baby oil known for its therapeutic effects.

Final Recommendations.

We are pretty sure you’ve learned all about baby oils, their flammability, nature, and every other necessary detail. So, debunk any information that says baby oil is flammable and unsafe to use.

You have all the time to study this article repeatedly to be sure you don’t miss out on any hints. However, you can visit here to discover how to store flammable liquids.