Vaseline Therapy, the Secret to Moisturized Skin
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You probably had no objection to your parents using Vaseline (petroleum jelly) as your moisturizer when you were younger. But as you got older and got introduced to seemingly more sophisticated cosmetics, you wanted to have nothing to do with Vaseline.
However, by some strange coincidence, you still see a lot of people owning a tub of Vaseline or seeing it on supermarket shelves. What’s everyone doing with Vaseline and why is it still popular?
Vaseline is just a popular brand of petroleum jelly but the brand has gotten so popular that it is now used as a generic word for all kinds of petroleum jelly. Petroleum jelly has been and continues to be used as a healing ointment for wounds, burns, and chaffed skin for over two centuries.
A lot of people use Vaseline all over the skin of their infants but for grownups, the filmy and slick Vaseline starts to feel too oily, too simple, or greasy.
However, there are still benefits to using it even as adults. Vaseline can never be out of vogue because very few people are allergic to Vaseline. This article delves into the benefits of using vaseline on your face as well as other inventive ways to incorporate it into your skincare routine.
Before applying Vaseline to your face, you must first consider these:
1. Vaseline Isn’t Really Non-comedogenic
Although Vaseline is alleged to be non-comedogenic, it is not advisable to apply Vaseline to the face during an active breakout. If you also have oily skin or combination skin along with acne, the greasy feel that comes with Vaseline is the last thing you’ll want on your face.
You may have to find better moisturizing options and wait till your active acne is healing before you reach out for an occlusive like Vaseline.
Read Next: 7 Tips to Help You Rock Your Makeup When You Have Acne
2. Vaseline Should Always Come Last
Whatever you do, if you must apply Vaseline to your face, it is much better as the last step of the routine and it is more manageable for it to be your night routine because you may not want to deal with the greasy feeling that Vaseline gives during the daytime.
How to Use Vaseline on Your Face- Step by Step Guide
Slugging
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Vaseline is an occlusive; it locks in moisture on your face but it doesn’t actually add moisture to your face. The barrier that petroleum jelly forms combat moisture loss and it could be a suitable treatment for dry or chaffed skin.
Slugging is applying a thin layer of an occlusive like Vaseline, Aquaphor, Cerave healing ointment, or Cetaphil healing ointment to your face as the last step of your skincare at night.
First, you need to ensure that you are not sealing in dirt and bacteria. Apply Vaseline only after you have cleansed your skin and applied your desired skincare actives and moisturizer.
Keep in mind that slugging may not be compatible with strong skincare actives like AHAs, BHAs, and tretinoin because locking them in can cause over-absorption which can irritate your skin.
Related: Dangers of Petroleum Jelly
Helps Prevents Infection
Vaseline does not only seal in, it seals out. So, you can apply it on top of minor cuts and scrapes for the Vaseline to be a protective layer keeping out harmful bacteria and facilitating healing.
Lip Therapy
Vaseline is a favorite for lip care. It keeps them soft, plump and protected from harsh weather like cold, sun, dust, or wind that could normally chap the lips. All you have to do is apply a layer of Vaseline to your lips.
The best part is that Vaseline is usually free of harsh chemicals, fragrances, or flavors that could trigger irritation around the sensitive membranes of the lips.
You can also exfoliate your lips by scrubbing them with a mixture of Vaseline and brown sugar. Rinse off and apply Vaseline on the lips afterward.
Makeup Remover
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Vaseline easily dissolves any kind of makeup and is gentle enough to not irritate your eye area. Vaseline is especially effective at removing waterproof products like mascara.
Fights Dryness
People with skin conditions like psoriasis may benefit from applying Vaseline to affected areas after cleansing and other skincare at night. This is because psoriasis is usually triggered by dryness, so, an occlusive like Vaseline will be a good proactive measure to fight dryness.
Prevents Skin Stains when Dying Hair
You can also apply Vaseline on your hairline when dyeing your hair, to prevent skin stains. Remember we said it forms a barrier? Yes, you can also apply it to the scalp and around the hairline, especially around your face and ears when doing chemical treatments on your hair like relaxers.
Anti-aging effect
Vaseline also helps increase peptide regulation on the skin surface, thereby combating signs of aging like wrinkles and fine lines.
Brow Grooming
Vaseline can be used to groom your eyebrows to appear tame and lie flat. Constant use of Vaseline has also been raved to improve the growth of eyelashes.
Highlighter
For urgent photography on natural skin, Vaseline can be used as a highlighter to catch the light on high points of the face or to give them a dewy glow. Just apply the Vaseline to the high points of your face and blend.
Bottom Line
Adding vaseline to your skincare routine has significant upsides; it prevents dryness, prevents infections on injuries, help removes makeup and more.
However, you need to pay attention to how your skin reacts to adding vaseline to your skincare routine; vaseline therapy isn’t for everyone. If notice irritation on your skin after starting vaseline therapy, call it quits.
Related: Skin Layering, Glass Skin Secret
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