So,I am using Vaseline for the first time in my life as a facial moisterizer. In my mid thirties, well a few months shy of 35, and for the first time my skin is looking radiant and youthful again. I started using it to counter the extreme drying effects of Retin-a which I take for acne. You probably would think that vaseline should be the last think i should put on my face, but i restrict it under the eyes and my forehead. I disagree with all the naysayers out there, and thinking MD’s having the most accurate word out there is like believing when a drug pusher advises you should use cocaine and avoid the cocoa leaves that it’s made from. MDs are extremely influenced by pharmaceutical companies. And most moisterizers are comprised mainly of water so evaporate quickly and aren’t as effective as vaseline. I read about in a home remedy book, they advice mixing it with water as you apply it which makes sense to me. It thins it out and reduces the gloppiness of it. I’m fair skinned and think it’s a god-send so far. The other oils such as olive oil and other various cooking oils I guess, I think would be good but not as effective as they tend to disintegrate quickly with heat. Good for your body but not so much the face as is it needs more moisture being thinner and such and then all the musculature and expressions,Vaseline is the answer!

Facts:  the cosmetic industry in USA is NOT government regulated. The industry is suppose to police themselves—kind of like the fox pledging to faithfully guard the hen house.  Why isn’t the idustry regulated? Well,consider its a 15 billion dollar industry that gives loads of money to our politicans to ensure it doesn’t get regulated. This means you can discount any and all claims they make about their products or what is really in them. Now- regarding vaseline (petroleum jelly),it is made from petrolatum—a substance deemed to be one of the most effective moisuturizing elements availabe. But—it is proven to cause cancer and therefore is outlawed in the Eurpoean Union. Do you want to use products that is deemed unsafe by European regulators?  And many other elemnts found in our moisturizers are toxic and are not used in Europe.  Check out on-line British and Canadian drug stores and their moisturizers contain very different ingredients.  SO, I buy from them and couldn’t be happier with the results.

I find that zealous washing with soap/cleansers will undo the benefits of any moisturizer. A light hand with the cleanser is enough. Vaseline is a great product, and of course one needs to be regular. I have very dry feet, and Vaseline is a godsend : given enough time to be absorbed, all it takes is a thorough rinse with plain water, and a light dusting of talcum to remove any residual greasiness, real or imaginary. For the face & neck - leave the vaseline on for at least an hour, and then very little soap/cleanser is enough. The skin glows. At least, mine does.

Hmm..i am in love with Vasaline!  I love it in the winter for my feet and legs, put it on and the put my cotton tights on, then go to sleep.  Keep my skin soft for days.  I swear by J&J baby oil after the shower.  It is easy and fast. Plus great for the summer..no body breakout like using lotion.  For the winter, i layer on the lotion after the baby oil.

Okay.. All you Vaseline nay-sayers.. I was speaking on a panel with my girl Pam Edwards, the beauty and fashion editor over at Essence and she stated that Vaseline is a great moisturizer for those with dry to normal skin. She works with celebrities on a daily basis and says that many swear by it.

I thought that since Vaseline is a PetroChemical product that we weren’t supposed to use this on our face?

Please be careful about applying anything containing lanolin (a sheep’s wool derivative) and mineral oil (from petroleum) to your skin. Especially if you have sensitive skin.  My son’s eczema is practically non-existant with faithful use of Arbonne products. I tried everything else on the market before discovering these products. His daily routine is no longer a chore, and he is far less self-conscious. I swear by them, and use them for the rest of my family as well as for myself.  They are botanically BASED (not infused) and have less than 2% preservatives. Hypoallergenic, no animal products or by-products, etc.

Yeah I know Vaseline has been in the family for generations. My momma, her momma, and even her momma’s momma probably used it. . . but that doesn’t mean its good for you. People smoked for years b/f everyone started dying from cancer and we all used to eat Soul Food like crazy, but now we know better. Vaseline and Mineral Oil products like Baby Oil are petroleum based, just like the gas you put in your car. Not a good look for your skin. If you can avoid the vaseline do it, but if not, once you can afford to step it up, make it happen.

Say what you like about Vaseline being great, but I know for myself what is good. I suffer from severe (and I *mean* severe!) exzema on one of my hands. I was advised to put Vaseline on, which I did, and while it was OK, my exzema was there for much longer. I’ve started using mostrurizers and treatments with NO petroleum, minerals, etc., and the effect is amazing! As for it being a great hair gel, do you realise how much it weighs down your hair? As a girl with curly hair and a whole BLOG devoted to curly hair, I know what I’m talking about. Yes, Vaseline does protect your lips from the elements, but I found that if I didn’t apply every few hours my lips would feel dried out and disgusting. Since switching to Burts Bees lipbalm, I can go a few days with lip balm and my lips don’t chap. As far as I’m concerned, Vaseline is only good for making eyelashes stronger. Maybe I’m not qualified, but in my humble opinion, the person you should listen to is the one with the experience of the comment. I’m sorry I’ve written so much!

My face used to break-out into periods of dryness.  Now after using petroleum-based products (both moisturizers and cleansers) my face now suffer from excessive dryness and chapping.  What was once infrequent is now daily.  I’m stuck in a situation where I need to let my face get out of this petroleum-based funk.  I personally think vaseline stinks!  Sorry to disagree with all you petroleum-based lovers.

There is a great article on “petroleum jelly” from wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petroleum_jelly

I have used vaseline since I was a child for “rashes”, it is the ONLY thing I’ve found that always works guaranteed.  I too was (am?) afraid of it’s petroleum-based origins, but after reading this article (linked above) I think it’s safe to say that it ain’t so dangerous.  As with all things, “you create your reality with your thoughts”, so if you use it, don’t believe it will give you cancer!  peace.

as for vaseline being “carcinogenic”, read the following comment below…if you are sufficiently literate to understand what it says, you will see that you shouldn’t worry about it…

Highly refined (White Petrolatum) grades are used in pharmacy and cosmetics. Less refined grades (Yellow, amber or brown Petrolatum) are used industrially and may contain impurities such as carcinogenic polycyclic aromatics. Therefore, the European Union applies the risk phrase R 45 (May cause cancer) with Note N to petrolatum. Note N reads ‘‘the classification as a carcinogen need not apply if the full refining history is known and it can be shown that the substance from which it is produced is not a carcinogen. This note applies to certain complex oil-derived substances in Annex I’‘.

Hi, very interesting posts about vaseline.  I am 39, and I used this inexpensive product as a teenager, but I was told when I went to a finishing school to NEVER use vaseline to take off eye makeup.  The reason, it can clog the tear ducts of the eyes - yuck.  I was really shocked, and never used it again.  Perhaps, it is time to rethink my decision.  I don’t know…something to think about.  Thanks again for all the postings, I’ve really enjoyed reading all the helpful hints.

I was told to look on the back of the bottle at the ingredients to make sure that Mineral Oil isn’t among the first at least six, is that true? Today I went out lotion shopping and I looked at Johnsons Baby Oil Gel and Mineral Oil is the third ingredient, If i rememeber. So i ended up getting Vaseline Intensive Care, Total Moisture.

Personally, I try to avoid products containing petroleum, mineral oils, parabens, etc. My favorite moisturizers the Burt’s Bees and Dr. Bronner’s Sundog natural lotions. They are a bit more expensive than the budget products, but a little goes a LONG way on my super dry skin.

Everyone seems to have a grandmother who used vaseline and now has no wrinkles. But how much of that was due to the vaseline and how much was due to the melanin in their skin? I don’t know but I’m betting on the melanin.

I started using Vaseline after reading these posts- and it has worked wonders! My sensitive skin is no longer breaking out, my face is well moisturized, and soft as a baby’s. Those that don’t know had better recognize- there’s nothing better than Vaseline for moisturizing and softening skin.

I just visited my dermatologist who is the head of dermatology for my eczema and he said that I can use olive oil and vaseline for intense moisturizing.

I live in an extremely dry climate. I’ve tried all kinds of lotions, butters and creams.  I have to say that Vaseline is by far my favorite and the most effective of all to me.  I use it around my eyes, forehead, hands and feet.  Ever since I’ve come back to using Vaseline my skin looks supple. Everyone thinks I am younger then what I really am. I absolutely love Vaseline!  If it works for you then use it.  If it doesn’t work for you then stay away!  I maybe “ignorant” but I sure do look good!

I’m 56 years old and am starting to get lines and creases in my face. I’ve tried expensive facial products of all kinds but finally decided to give vasoline (I use it at night on my feet and legs). Since I have been using vasoline as a facial moisturizer, under my make-up, I have gotten so many compliments on my complexion. I’ve been asked what type of foundation I use, etc. but no one knows that it’s the vasoline that’s done the trick.

Year’s ago, I suffered a very serious burn on my arm when I improperly lit a gas oven.  I was literally blown across the floor. 

The burn on my fore arm was a good 8” long and 5” wide.  I went to see a doctor who recommended I apply ice, but that’s it.  After the blister broke and all the protective fluid drained away, I applied vaseline every single day until it healed.  I did not have ANY scar tissue whatsoever!

My teenage daughter is training to be a firefighter/emt. Everytime she has to wear the heavy gear around her face she has a very bad breakout within a few days. I was wondering if putting a thin line of Vaseline around the area would provide a barrior between her skin and the gear. I don’t know if it clogs the pores. Any advise would be appreciated. (She usually has beautiful skin with few problems).

Thank You.

I used to sell a pretty well known and expensive skin care line to dermatologists and select pharmacies. The dermatologists would often recomend vaseline as the moisturizer of choice and it would drive the cosmeticians nuts. And, I can’t say it made us all that happy either.

But the truth remains that medical professionals who dedicate their professional lives to the care and maintenance of skin, recomending a cheap solution that they make no money off of have to have a pretty good bearing in truth.

Fire Mom, as good as it is (and it is!), Vaseline is also flammable, and burns longer than most other oils. I couldn’t say with certainty that there would be no adverse effects if her skin were to come into contact with flames. To be on the safe side, I wouldn’t recommend it in her line of work.

Thanks for the sound advice, I plan on following your tips, the more economical route, to tame my dry skin.  Thank you soooooo much because I am quite frugal but I am so fed up with my dry skin I was considering spending the $$$$$ to fix it.  I think most of time we believe that just because we spend more money we are “guaranteed” that our problem will be solved; when all the long we probably already had something in our homes that could have done the trick.  Thanks again.

Rhonda in Maryland