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This Might Be the World’s Best Budget Style & Beauty Product

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This may sound odd, but Vaseline is one of my favorite beauty products. Yes, it’s thick and goopy, but this petroleum-based product has so many innovative uses.

As legend goes, chemist, Robert Cheesebrough, founded Vaseline in the late 19th century. He observed local Pennsylvania factory workers using rod wax from the pop rods of oil wells to protect and heal cuts and scrapes. Amazed by its therapeutic benefits, he headed back to his lab and started creating batches using the wax’s key ingredient: petroleum jelly. He made so much that he had to store it in his wife’s vases! Adding “line” to “vase,” Vaseline was born—and the rest is history.

I was first introduced to this beauty wonder by my grandma, who used it as a facial moisturizer. You would be hard pressed to find a wrinkle on her face, even at age 82! Throughout the years, I developed my own relationship with Vaseline. I used it as a cheaper alternative to paraffin treatments, slathering copious amounts of the jelly on my hands and feet, and then wrapping them in hot towels for five minutes as a quick moisturizing treatment. But that’s not all there is to this wonder product. Here are 15 clever uses for the jar every woman should have in her beauty arsenal.

15 Fantastic Uses for Vaseline

1. Overnight Foot Treatment

Vaseline 1

Vaseline is an amazing antidote to dry, cracked heels. Give your feet the VIP treatment by soaking them in warm water for 15 minutes. Follow by sloughing off dead skin with a pumice stone. Apply a generous amount of Vaseline and slip into a pair of thick socks.

2. Instant Shoe Polisher

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Don’t spend a minute panicking if you’re out of shoe polish and headed to a special event. A dab — and truly just a dab — is great for restoring the sheen and cleanliness of your leather shoes.

3. An Eyebrow Tamer

Unruly eyebrows that haven’t seen a pair of tweezers in a while (hey, we’re all busy — it’s completely understandable) could benefit from a touch of Vaseline, too. Use your finger to gently coax brows into shape, taking care to use just a touch of the jelly.

4. Dye Stain Prevention

There are few beauty tasks more challenging than removing stubborn hair dye that seems to settle into the skin after a home coloring job. Smear Vaseline generously over your hairline to prevent this problem — just avoid getting it on your hair.

5. Extend Perfume Potency

What good is spritzing on your favorite perfume if it disappears before you head out the door? If you know this is a problem for you, add a little Vaseline to the areas you normally spray and then apply your perfume. It should help it last a bit longer.

6. Tame Unruly Hair

You never know when those stubborn strands will act up, but you can usually guess who’s going to win when your hair wages war with humidity. Keep a small tube of Vaseline in your purse and apply the smallest amount to tame the frizz.

7. Enhance Your Luminosity

Woman with highlighter

A great glow can come from many places — a lengthy jog, a generous amount of highlighter, or — you guessed it — a touch of Vaseline. To achieve that enviable look, simply add some to your cheekbones.

8. Create Cream Shadows

If you have an abundance of pretty powders and glitters in your makeup collection and aren’t quite sure how to make use of them, consider mixing them with some Vaseline. The consistency will be just right to apply directly to your lids as a long-lasting shadow.

9. Perfect Your Tan

The art of at-home tanning is a bit of an imperfect science, and it takes some time to master. You’ll be one step ahead with Vaseline by your side. Apply it to the dry spots, like elbows and knees, so that color won’t cling too strongly to those areas.

10. Scrub Your Lips

When even the most hydrating lip balms don’t work, your dry lips may seem impossible to heal. To the rescue comes Vaseline! Don’t just smear it on, though — mix it with some brown sugar to create a gentle yet effective scrub to eliminate the dryness.

11. Concoct Some Gloss

If you’re feeling crafty or you happen to have far too many aging tubes of lipstick sitting around, you can finally put them to good use. Mix a bit of Vaseline with the lipstick leftovers in a contact lens case and mix with a brush. Voila: instant lip gloss.

12. Get Gleaming Gams

You don’t have to do anything fancy to achieve that gorgeous gleaming finish you see in magazines. It’s truly as easy as smearing some Vaseline onto your legs. You can also mix it with your favorite liquid body bronzer to add a little tint.

13. Avoid Polish Frustration

There’s nothing worse than grabbing a bottle of nail polish, only to discover that it won’t open. Avoid this unpleasant surprise by smearing Vaseline on the inner surface of the nail polish cap. The next time you turn it, it will open easily.

14. Remove a Ring

Ouch! If you’ve struggled in vain to remove a too-tight ring, you know how frustrating it can be. A little bit of Vaseline may be helpful in reducing the friction between your skin and the metal. Take your time to gently ease the jewelry off your finger.

15. Smile Your Best

You don’t have to participate in a pageant to take advantage of this stage-worthy trick. Apply Vaseline to your front teeth to prevent your lips from sticking when you smile. If you are headed on stage, of course, the jelly will also ensure you keep smiling!

Carly

Thursday 12th of November 2015

It's a pretty great and simple product to use! I mostly use it on my hands since they always get super dry, especially around my cutical area. I cover both my hands in it and then wrap them in a hot towel. It works great!!! It evens out the natural oils in your skin. I also put it on my face about once every week or so. Make sure you put it under your eyes too to get rid of dark circles!! Just put a thin layer over your face and put a hot towel over it.

Carrie

Friday 13th of February 2015

As a last resort I used vaseline mixed in with my face soap to help with flaky skin which is a nightmare to put makeup onto. It worked! No more flakes and bumpy skin under my makeup.

donna

Thursday 16th of May 2013

is vaseline good for wrinkles?

Territeaparty

Sunday 11th of November 2012

I am 55 years old and have tried many different moisturisers to look younger. I remembered that I had heard years ago that it was a beauty secret of the stars. I've been using it for three nights in a row and I can tell a huge difference!!! Try it!

Sara Brannon

Monday 2nd of July 2012

My dermatologist started me using Vaseline as a moisturizer after I had a chemical peel. It is a great moisturizer ! Makes your face so soft ...

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