In Canada, petrolatum is classified as “a high human health priority” and as “expected to be toxic or harmful” on the Environment Canada Domestic Substance List.

Overall, if you have thin lips, you will probably have this for years. If you use it for other body parts or find household uses for it, you may run out in a few months. For the health conscious people out there, it is made from the Earth and is worth buying. It gets a good grade in my book and I recommend it to all. Petroleum jelly can cause exogenous lipoid pneumonia, which is basically where small amounts of jelly are inhaled and then enter the lungs (where they cannot be broken down by the body) and build up over time. This can lead to lung inflammation, coughing, and shortness of breath. This is why you should not use petroleum jelly on the inside of your nose, especially as a regular habit. Works best when used after a shower, before bed, after hand washing, or anytime your skin may be irritated! One of the main reasons why everyone started using petroleum jelly for skincare purposes is because of its ability to hold in moisture and create a sort of waterproof-like barrier on the skin. What’s the Difference Between Vaseline and Petroleum Jelly?

You may also like…

Vaseline is to petroleum jelly as Kleenex is to tissue. Vaseline is actually just a brand of petroleum jelly. Started in 1870, it was the first commercially produced brand of petroleum jelly. In addition to being the best ever moisturizer, Waxelene Multi-Purpose Ointment has many other beneficial properties. Here are a few of the most popular uses: It can also help relieve and treat the symptoms of eczema, psoriasis, rosacea, and a host of other skin conditions, providing relief and comfort throughout the day.

The Haz-Map list (a database that was developed by a group of doctors and researchers) also has “untreated and mildly treated” mineral oils listed as carcinogenic. There are many reasons to use skin ointment, but most commonly, it is used to moisturize dry skin and treat irritation caused by environmental skin damage or common skin conditions. So where does petroleum jelly come into the picture? If and when petroleum is properly refined and turned into petroleum jelly, it actually shouldn’t pose that much of a threat to human health. The problem, however, is that petrolatum/petroleum jelly is more often than not minimally refined and therefore is often contaminated with these PAHs. This is especially the case in the U.S., where there are no requirements on refinement in the petroleum used in personal care products. By contrast, the “EU mandates that for cosmetic use, the full refining history of the petrolatum must be known and proven to be non-carcinogenic.” I've been adding "shiny stuff" to my lips since elementary school, so that's 20+ years of trial and error... Other names you might see include mineral oil, soft paraffin, liquid paraffin, or paraffin oil. (We’ve talked about the problem with paraffin before, in our guide to non-toxic candles.)

Follow Us

PAHs are also suspected to be endocrine disruptors, which means they can mess with one’s hormones and possibly lead to things like decreased fertility and other health issues. Also, a side note: the term “mineral oil” is kind of confusing. Petroleum doesn’t technically meet the definition of a “mineral,” even though it is “mined.” Even though “mineral oil” sounds better than “petroleum,” it’s really the same thing.) Is Vaseline/Petroleum Jelly Actually Good for Your Skin? The good news is that there are SO many great, natural alternatives to petroleum jelly. These include things like: All the lotions you and I possess play a part in keeping our skin healthy and our melanin looking flawless.But I hadn’t encountered anything like Waxelene before, and now that I’ve tried it, I’m glad that I did. Despite the fact that petroleum jelly has been and still is widely used for a variety of different purposes, there are a few problems with the substance:

The American Cancer Society has “untreated or mildly treated” mineral oils on their list of known and probable carcinogens. The Multi-Purpose Ointment is made of just four natural ingredients. Each was chosen for a special purpose: P.S. The following petroleum jelly substitutes are made with beeswax, so they are not vegan. If you’d prefer some options that are completely free of any animal products, just scroll down! According to Wikipedia, several different people groups discovered various types of gel oils at different points in history—from Marco Polo in 1273, to the Native Americans in the early 1400s, to oil rig workers in the mid-1800s.As a non-renewable resource and byproduct of the oil refining process, petroleum jelly is not sustainable or eco-friendly. If you apply more than the desired amount simply remove the excess by spreading to another area or by gently dapping the area with a towel.

Waxelene’s Multi-Purpose Ointment is specially formulated to soothel, rejuvenate and rehydrate your skin, face, and lips, as well as treat a wide variety of skin-related issues. Using the natural healing properties of beeswax, our moisturizing ointment can provide relief for chapped lips, dry and irritated skin and can even act as a daily moisturizer. Because of its patented aeration process and the anti-inflammatory properties of beeswax, Waxelene Multi Purpose Ointment is also effective against various skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, rosacea, and more. It can also be used to help protect minor cuts and burns. PAHs occur naturally in unrefined petroleum. They are linked to cancer development and have been listed as a possible or probable carcinogen by:

Domestic Shipping Only

Petroleum jelly is a semi-solid mixture of hydrocarbons. As the name indicates, this jelly-like balm is made out of, well, petroleum! Petroleum is a byproduct of crude oil (which should be our first indication that it’s probably not great for human or environmental health). It’s also worth nothing that all of these different ingredients can be hidden under the “fragrance” or “parfum” label. That means that your personal care products could contain petroleum products without them even being listed on the label. This is one of the reasons why here at The Filtery, we try our hardest to completely avoid products with “fragrance” in them. You can learn more about this fragrance loophole right here. Additionally, according to the CDC, certain PAHs can also affect other bodily systems such as the blood, immune system, liver, spleen, kidneys, developing fetus, lungs, and more. This is why it is not only PAHs themselves that have been put on various hazard lists, but also the specific products we’re discussing here, like petrolatum and mineral oils: The smooth texture allows you to spread it out over a large area to create a thin and breathable protective barrier thanks to our patented aeration process.