Love It or Hate It, Petroleum Jelly Elicits Emotion

Petroleum jelly, also known as petrolatum, is a gooey mix of hydrocarbons that many people use for dry skin. Dermatologists sometimes recommend applying it after washing hands to seal in the moisture. Goodness knows we are all washing our hands many times a day during flu season, as we should. Some people may find that slathering on petrolatum helps keep them from getting red and raw. Others are likely to find it too greasy. Many people see the word petroleum and freak out. More about that momentarily.

A Short History of Petroleum Jelly:

In 1859 a young New York City chemist, Robert Chesebrough, heard about America’s first oil well in Titusville, PA. He had been refining lamp oil  from spermaceti, a liquid derived from sperm whales. It was expensive to make, though.

When he learned about the first oil well in Pennsylvania he headed west hoping to find something he could synthesize from the new discovery. He may have realized that a byproduct of petroleum, kerosene, might make his lamp oil obsolete.

What he found interesting was “rod wax.” This was a byproduct of oil drilling. The goopy, greasy substance often clogged the wellheads, so it was not commercially interesting to the oil drillers. But workers frequently developed wounds and abrasions from working the wells. They would apply rod wax to to their cuts, scratches and burns with apparent good results.

Robert Chesebrough was enamored with this substance and brought the paraffin waxy material back with him to his New York laboratory. He spent the next five years refining and purifying the goopy substance. By 1865 he had patented the way he made petroleum jelly and by 1870 he was selling it as “Wonder Jelly.” Two years later he renamed petroleum jelly Vaseline.

Queen Victoria knighted Chesebrough in 1883. Sir Robert Chesebrough lived to the ripe old age of 96 and attributed his good health to Vaseline petroleum jelly. He must have made a lot of money from his discovery, but I was unable to learn exactly how rich Sir Robert became. The Chesebrough-Ponds company was acquired by Unilever in 1987.

Petroleum Jelly for Dry Skin:

Q. What’s the story on petroleum jelly? I have used it for years to soothe dry cracked skin, split finger tips and chapped lips. Why do some people badmouth this cheap moisturizer?

A. People seem to either love or hate petrolatum (petroleum jelly).

One visitor to our website offered the following:

“For years I tried just about every lotion or cream on the market. Nothing worked for my cracked fingers and hands. A nurse told me about Vaseline (petroleum jelly). It worked for both me and my husband. Several times a day and especially at night I rub some on my knees, elbows, knuckles and anywhere skin tends to crack. I love my petroleum jelly.” L.

Others are not so happy with this approach. Some are concerned because petroleum jelly is a byproduct of the oil-refining process and is not environmentally friendly. Others find it is not all that effective for dry skin.

Cheryl wrote:

“I have tried petroleum jelly. I put tons on and rub it in and sleep with gloves. Nothing works. This morning I woke up with another crack.”

Dee agreed:

“My thumbs and two fingertips on both hands crack and are very sore. I have gotten several different creams from doctors and nothing works. I have been dealing with it for a couple of years now. I have tried all the lotions and petroleum jelly. I have to type at my job and my fingers are always bandaged. Unsightly to say the least. HELP!”

J found that it’s too gooey and greasy:

“I am constantly using my smart phone, iPad and computer throughout the day. Petroleum jelly is just too greasy. I hate smearing up my phone and keyboard. Trying to wipe this stuff off is a constant hassle. Surely there is something that will work for my dry skin that won’t make everything I touch feel slippery.”

Dermatologists Like Vaseline Petroleum Jelly:

I have always been surprised by the seeming enthusiasm of the dermatology community for petrolatum or petroleum jelly. They often recommend it for wound healing and to prevent scarring after abrasions.

I will never forget when a cardiologist friend had a bad bike accident. He experienced really awful road burn on his legs and arms. After cleaning the wounds he applied petroleum jelly quite liberally for many days under gauze dressings. To my surprise, his skin healed with no infections and no lasting scars.

One reader shared this concern:

Q. My dermatologist recommended I use petroleum jelly all over my body after showering to help with my eczema. It has worked very well, but should I be concerned about using a petroleum product on my skin every day?

A. Petroleum jelly, also known as petrolatum, paraffin and Vaseline, is a common moisturizer. Dermatologists have been recommending it for decades. Most people tolerate it well, although some people may be allergic to petroleum-based products.

One of the more controversial uses for petroleum jelly is in the nose to prevent crusting or nosebleeds in the winter. We strongly recommend against this idea because if petrolatum is inhaled, it can cause damage to the lungs (Chest, March, 1994).

One reader described his experience:

“Several years ago I started to have dry nasal passages. My doctor didn’t help, though he prescribed an antihistamine and told me to use saline nasal spray. My nose would dry up very quickly even after spraying.

“I started to use Vaseline, as I was desperate. About a year later, I started to have breathing problems. Initially, I thought it was due to a cold, so I stopped the Vaseline. Within a couple of days, I noticed an improvement in my breathing. Then I found out about lipoid pneumonia. I will not be using petroleum jelly in my nose again.”

Health professionals often disagree about putting petroleum jelly in the nose. You can read about this feud at this link. We have been surprised to see how many doctors disagree about this practice. Here is open warfare. We come down firmly on the do not use petrolatum in the nose side of this argument.

What About Petrolatum for Chapped Lips?

Q. I have been using petroleum jelly on a daily basis to moisturize my lips since I was a teenager. I am now 70. I know that a great deal of this product probably ends up being swallowed, just like lipstick. Is there any evidence that ingesting petrolatum over these many years will be harmful to my health in some way?

A. An evaluation of exposure to mineral oils and waxes in cosmetics concluded that this is not a significant problem (Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, Nov 2019). Sir Robert Chesebrough attributed his long life (96 years) to swallowing some Vaseline on a semi-regular basis. Whether that was true, though, is hard to prove.

Putting it in your nose to moisturize dry nostrils is quite another story, however. Inhaling petroleum jelly can lead to chemical pneumonitis, the last thing anyone needs.

If you found this short overview of Vaseline petroleum jelly of interest, please share it with friends and family members. Where else do you get the rest of the story like you do here at The People’s Pharmacy. Our goal is to always inform and sometimes to entertain. We hope you value our efforts by encouraging acquaintances to sign up for our free newsletter at this link.