1. TPE responds well to occasional (several times per year) light applications of mineral oil mainly to the body.
The hands, feet, fingers, and toes are best not oiled as there is a risk of damage to the thin TPE in those areas.
Petroleum Jelly or Vaseline is mineral-based. Baby oils are highly purified mineral oil products such as liquid paraffin (INCI name: paraffinum liquidum) and Vaseline (INCI name: petrolatum). These compounds are odorless and tasteless, dermatologically tested and approved, not allergenic, hydrophobic, and contain no pesticides or herbicides.
Preservatives or antioxidants are not necessary, because, in contrast to vegetable oils, there is no risk of rancidity with kinds of paraffin.
If Vegetable oil (coconut oil) is listed as an ingredient in any Baby oil product, best to avoid and source pure Mineral oil.
Corn flour is a yellow powder made from finely ground dried corn and good for cooking, while cornstarch is a fine, white powder made from the starchy part of a corn kernel.
Both may go by different names depending on where you live. Corn starch is preferred to Talc powder by some.
2. Anyway, I would avoid veg oils (including coconut) because of rancidity. All veg oils will go rancid with time, some sooner than others. And corn flour is slightly coarser than corn starch. Not to mentions will attract rodents and insects/mites. Last year a member posted pics of where roaches had chewed on his doll after he used flour (not sure if corn or wheat). I use baby powder, doesn’t matter if talc or corn-starch based.
3. Modern TPE blends are much improved and as pointed out an oiling a couple of times a year now seems adequate.
The best practice for oiling is to do the thicker parts of a doll but avoid oiling where the TPE is thin, as in fingers, toes, hands, and feet, and probably ears as well.
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