Mineral Oil For Hair Clippers (The Simple Truth)
Mineral oil is a lightweight oil that spreads well but is it one you can use on your hair clippers?
In this article, you will learn all you need on mineral oil for clippers (and some sneaky points you should be aware of).
with that said, let’s get into it!
Mineral Oil For Clippers
These properties make mineral oil a great alternative to hair clipper oil in the short term.
But long term, some (types) of mineral oil can be a problem.
Oiling your clippers is important.
It keeps your clippers working their best but it’s only a small part of the clipper maintenance process.
why don’t you learn all you need to keep your clippers for longer?
Do so with our free guide.
Now back to mineral oil.
Is it safe? Can it damage my clippers?
we cover the rest of these questions and more in the rest of this post.
What is mineral oil
Mineral oil is a refined petroleum-based hydrocarbon.
Mineral oil is a combination of paraffin, naphthenes, and aromatic oils being highly refined makes minerals a great cutting and grinding fluid.
It’s a thin liquid that can be easily spread around while holding its shape.
Being thin also means mineral oil will not clog up within your hair clipper after use.
The tolerance to heat allows the oil to get in between hair clipper blades and lubricate them without its composition breaking down.
Hair clipper blades create friction when grinding against each other, mineral oil has lubricating and heat-resistant properties that can get between the blades and grease them thoroughly.
Mineral oil is a placeholder ingredient in many lubricating products.
An example of this is baby oil which contains 80% mineral oil. Baby oil can also be a viable alternative to hair clipper oil.
Is hair clipper oil a mineral oil?
Hair clipper oil is not a mineral oil but does contain a larger part of mineral oil in its formula. Most hair clipper oils contain purified mineral oil as the main ingredient.
The type of oil in hair clipper oil is highly purified and very thin compared to other synthesized oils.
Cooking oils have good lubricating properties however they make bad hair clipper oils due to their thickness.
You should avoid using cooking oils on your hair clipper blades.
Wahl hair clipper oil is produced using 100% purified white mineral oil. Purified mineral oil is used in hair clipper oils because its properties make it an effective blade lubricant. I
Mineral oil for hair clippers
Mineral oil can be highly effective on hair clippers as a lubricating agent. It is a thin oil that can be easily spread when applied to hair clipper blades.
Its tolerance to heat also makes it equipped to deal with the friction of active hair clipper blades.
There are three basic classes of refined mineral oils:
- paraffinic oils, based on n-alkanes
- naphthenic oils, based on cycloalkanes
- aromatic oils, based on aromatic hydrocarbons (distinct from essential oils)
Paraffin mineral oil is the best type of mineral oil.
Paraffinic mineral oil, which is represented in Groups I, II and III, can offer a higher viscosity index and a higher flash point in comparison to naphthenic mineral oils, which have lower pour points and better additive solvency.
https://www.machinerylubrication.com/
How viscous a mineral oil is, determines how well it gets in and out of hair clippers.
The lighter oil is the better it spreads and it is less likely to stay and clog up your clippers.
Most hair-clipper oils are formed from paraffinic mineral oil.
Below are some of the best paraffin mineral clipper oils at their current best price.
You can read more about this in my best hair clipper oil guide.
Why Do Hair Clippers Need Oil?
Hair clipper oiling ensures a hair clipper has better-cutting performance.
The front cutting rail and top cutter of a hair clipper move at a very high speed. When clipper blades are not oiled friction builds and produces heat.
The heat emitted can be hazardous and burn yourself or your clients. Also, the motor must work harder to move the blades to cut.
Putting more work on the motor causes it to wear out sooner and will reduce the life span of your hair clipper.
Hair clipper oiling is a natural step of hair clipper maintenance. After cleaning your hair clippers, you should be oiling them. You should oil your hair clippers every two uses.
Knowing how to oil my clippers is a habit I had to learn but over time ensured my hair clippers stayed with me for longer.
Correct hair clipper maintenance also had a crucial part to play here too.
Maintenance can be confusing.
That’s why we made a guide that covers oiling, cleaning, sharpening, and common fixes to faulty hair clippers.
Where Do You Put Clipper Oil?
3 drops of hair clipper oil should be placed across the front blade of a hair clipper. It is the point where the top cutter meats the front cutting rail.
Then a further two drops should be placed at the side of the blades.
It is important to allow your hair clippers to run and ensure that all excess oil is removed from the hair clippers.
Place your blade upside down after oiling. Then using a cloth, any excess oil that drops out can be wiped away.
This is important, as leaving unnecessary because hair clipper oil within a blade leads to build up.
Excess oil within your hair can attract hair and debris which stay in the blades for a long period, especially if the blades are not maintained.
Conclusion
You came to this article wondering, can I use mineral oil on my hair clippers the simple answer is yes. Look to use paraffinic mineral oil on your clippers as it’s the lightest version of the mineral and spreads the best.
Mineral oil can be found in a wide range of clipper oils from large brands such as Wahl and Andis and can even be found in baby oil.
If you have found this article helpful please leave a comment and share. Also, check out another article related to hair clipper oil:
FAQ
The wahl hair clipper oil is the best oil for hair clippers. It is a lightweight carrier oil that contains 100% purified white mineral oil. Meaning it can lubricate hair clippers without clogging up and causing internal damage within a hair clipper.
You can any lightweight oil to oil hair clippers. The oil should be thin and be able to withstand heat. The best oils for this are hair clipper oil, purified mineral oil, and bay oil. Vegetable or synthetic oils should be avoided.
Baby oil is not a mineral but is composed of mineral oil. 80-90% of baby oil is a purified mineral and the remaining 10-20% is a fragrance, this makes mineral oil a great alternative to hair clipper oil.
