As we become culturally more oil-conscious - conserving where and when we can - it can be shocking just how pervasive petroleum products are. It’s not just about filling up your car or agricultural chemicals anymore: oil is hidden everywhere. Here’s a short list of petroleum-based products that you might not have even considered.

Toothpaste: If you see mineral oil on the ingredients list, well, guess what, you’re putting petroleum on your teeth. Mineral oil is prevalent in many cosmetic products, so check ingredients and go for natural options.

Candles: Paraffin is a petroleum products, so candle-lovers would do best to stick to beeswax, palm wax or bayberry candles.

Foil Packaging: The thin, shiny packaging used for potato chips and granola bars contains mylar, a petroleum-based plastic. Be aware and buy bulk when you can.

Vitamins: Unless you are taking vitamins made from 100% whole food sources, your synthetic vitamins are likely made using petroleum-derived solvents.

Re-usable Shopping Bags: Uh oh! And you thought you were saving the world from plastics! Unless your reusable bag is made of canvas, it’s likely a petroleum-based plastic. But at least you won’t be throwing it away anytime soon.

Pillows: Memory foam is petroleum-based. Look for soy-based memory foam instead.

And the list goes on and on. The more aware we are, the more we can balance our petroleum dependency.

Image: squeakymarmot