The myth is that all synthetic oil is purely man-made and not based on oils found in nature. In today’s synthetic oils, crude or natural oil is purified and then structurally modified to produce improved performance.
Today’s motor oils contain base oils and several additives that are carefully blended together. Synthetic base oils may be made from a variety of chemicals and processes that are designed to have excellent performance at extreme temperatures and operating conditions. Select additives are used to improve flow characteristics and lubricating quality in the harshest of conditions. Conventional base oils are refined from crude oil. Additives may also be carefully added to conventional base oils to make quality motor oils as well.
While synthetic motor oils can provide exceptional performance and protection, they don’t eliminate the need for regular oil changes. High quality synthetic motor oils can perform and protect better than conventional motor oils, but engines running on gasoline or diesel will continue to naturally contaminate and stress the oil, and the additives can only work for so long.