Petrolatum: An Unsung Hero
If you’ve heard of the skincare hack called slugging (thanks TikTok and Reddit) or already partake in this healing ritual, you know that petrolatum can be a true savior for those of us with very dry/irritated skin or a compromised skin barrier.
But petrolatum a.k.a petroleum jelly doesn’t need an elaborate introduction. We’re all pretty familiar with this classic, tried-and-true ingredient that has been used and loved for over a hundred years to remedy any and all skin related ailments.
In recent years, however, petrolatum has gotten a bad rap, and is often denigrated by clean beauty consumers, popular brands and retailers far and wide. It’s origin story and impact on the environment as well as our health/wellbeing is constantly questioned. Do the words ecotoxic, comedogenic, or carcinogenic come to mind?
For a no-B.S. review of petrolatum — the truths, the myths, and WTFs — read on.
So, where does petrolatum come from? And is it bad for the environment?
Petrolatum is a thick, gelatinous substance with no odor or taste, and is a complex mix of saturated hydrocarbons derived from petroleum (a crude oil or mixture of oily liquids found in geological formations beneath the Earth's surface), which is obtained by drilling. This is where the question of sustainability and environmental concern stems from.
Did you know that petroleum is refined and converted to thousands of products (e.g., gasoline, fuel, plastics, and detergents)? And that petrolatum (as well as mineral oil) are one of the natural byproducts of the refinement process? So whether you like it or not, it’s created by default, and if the cosmetics industry doesn’t put it to good use, then it just gets thrown away.
You might be wondering, is petrolatum, alone, detrimental to the environment? Not directly — it’s a cog in the wheel. And it’s a matter of perspective. The effects of petrolatum and its application in the cosmetics industry is miniscule when you compare it to the use and sheer volumes of other petroleum based products like oil and gas.
The history: It’s Troubling
Petrolatum is perhaps best known under the brand Vaseline — they often go hand-in-hand, almost like Neutrogena and ‘oil-free’ or lip balm and Chapstick. Vaseline dates back to 1859 when a man named Sir Augustus Chesebrough visited oil rigs in Pennsylvania in an effort to research what materials could be obtained from fuel. About ten years later, Chesebrough opened for business and patented the refining process (filtration) of petroleum to make the byproduct petrolatum. He called it Vaseline. (In 1955, Chesebrough merged with Ponds to become Chesebrough-Pond’s and ultimately they became part of the Unilever family in 1987).
Now, what if we were to tell you that Native American tribes from Pennsylvania were the first people to discover the practical use of petrolatum for the skin, from those very same oil rigs? And even develop the know-how to refine/process it? Way before Chesebrough or anyone else? It’s true. Let that sink in for a minute.
The oil pits in Pennsylvania belonged to the Native Americans and they developed surface seeps of petroleum and cultivated it for medicinal purposes. From those same sources, they combined olefin-bearing hydrocarbons with methane (natural gas) to make petroleum jelly — the same ingredient in Vaseline. Native Americans used petroleum jelly as a superior lubricant to treat burns and open wounds, while Europeans were using animal fats as grease to treat their skin woes.
So what’s the deal with petrolatum and is it safe?
ICYMI, petrolatum is FDA-approved for over-the-counter use as a skin protectant (and as a food additive). Colloidal oatmeal and dimethicone are also classified as skin protectants. Petrolatum is beloved by dermatologists and medical professionals for its occlusive and healing properties; it creates a physical barrier on the skin that prevents moisture from evaporating. And did you know that petrolatum is the most popular base material to effectively deliver topical pharmaceutical drugs such as antibiotics and is used for topical burn and wound dressings? Not to mention it’s a major component of timeless classics such as Vicks Vaporub and healing balms like Aquaphor.
In terms of safety, clean beauty advocates will tell you that petrolatum (like many other “no-no” ingredients) comes part and parcel with carcinogenic side effects. Well, this is true if you slug or slather your face with the crude, unrefined version of petrolatum. The kind we use in cosmetics goes through a rigorous purification process designed to exclude substances with carcinogenic potential. And remember — because it’s approved as a food additive and as an over-the-counter skin protectant — it is closely monitored by the FDA.
In case you’re wondering, countries like Canada deem petrolatum to be safe, and the EU mandates that the full refining history of the petrolatum must be known and proven to be non-carcinogenic for cosmetic use. Petrolatum is also not a part of the Proposition 65 list of CA — one of the most stringent safety lists in the consumer product world.
When shopping for petrolatum based products, look for ‘Petrolatum USP’ on a drug facts label; it’s the golden standard in the industry. ‘USP’ stands for United States Pharmacopeia (a compendium of drug information), while the ‘100%’ indicates the grade given to the substance. Retailers like Sephora only accept products with USP grade petrolatum, while Credo encourages brands to use natural/naturally-derived alternatives.
Last but not least, the subject of petrolatum being comedogenic (pore-clogging) or creating an unbreathable layer on the skin, is a myth. While it is the most effective occlusive moisturizer and is well studied to prevent an astonishing 99% of trans-epidermal-water loss (loss of moisture) — which protects the skin and gives it a chance to heal if compromised — there is a 1% margin of breathability. The margin is equally important because nothing should completely occlude your skin. It’s a living breathing organ, after all.
And cosmetic-grade petrolatum — even mineral oil (a.k.a. liquid paraffin) — won't clog your pores. Early animal studies suggested that mineral oil was comedogenic, but the general consensus and newer evidence (in-vivo studies) demonstrates the opposite. Just make sure the mineral oil you’re using is of a similar grade to ‘USP’.
Petrolatum: The cosmetic industry’s unsung hero
So there you have it — the truths behind one of the industry’s most misunderstood skin care hero. Aside from the shocking revelations around its history and how it was invented, petrolatum is not the beauty industry’s dirty little secret. There is no chicanery going on; brands are not putting cheap, carcinogenic crude oil byproducts in your moisturizer or making misleading marketing claims around it.
Petrolatum in our skincare products are safe and effective — and while it isn’t a renewable resource or an environmentally sound ingredient, it’s a small byproduct of a massive industry. If the production of cosmetic-grade petrolatum or mineral oil products ceased to exist, the oil industry would remain completely unaffected.
So, with the words of Dr. Ranella Hirsch, we bring this article to a close: “There is so much derision for an ingredient whose entire claim to fame is to irritate no one. Sigh.”
Additional references:
Cajete, Gregory. Native Science. Sante Fe, Clear Light Books, 2000.
Weatherford, Jack. Indian Givers. New York, Penguin, 2010.