A bottle of Johnson’s Baby Oil. I photographed the ingredients. They read:
Mineral Oil, Fragrance.
I don’t see it say there is paraffin or any petroleum based substance in it.
Then, here:
Under definitions for paraffin, this was one:
“a colorless, flammable, oily liquid similarly obtained and used as fuel, especially kerosene.”
I believe that was what Yogi was referring to and that kind of paraffin oil will give a decent boost effect.
On whether paraffin is good for the skin:
“The dermatologist adds that paraffin is known to clog pores and can also be harmful if swallowed because of the fact that it does not break down easily. "In skincare, paraffin is commonly used in its oil form and again, it is a derivative of petroleum," says Shapiro. ... [But] paraffin is overall not good for the skin."”
As far as things that will be absorbed by the sponge, if you put water on the sponge it would sink in just like with a kitchen sink sponge. And the water would cause the sponge to expand. Because the topsheet is glued to the sponge, that would cause it to curl. But water would not give a boost effect even though it would curl the rubber.
But baby oil does have a mild boost effect. And I think all yogi was saying is that, if you used a lamp oil (often called paraffin although there are also other things that get called paraffin) it would have a bigger boost effect.