Petrolatum is an ubiquitous skincare ingredient perhaps popularized by good ol’ Vaseline. As common and historied as it is, it’s also one that often finds itself on top of many “dirty” lists. The two main reasons you might hear about petralatum nay-sayers are “it’s a carcinogen” and “it’ll clog your pores!”. These are some pretty serious accusations! But, as cosmetic chemists who have worked with petrolatum in formulas for years, we can say that these claims are not nearly as scary as they sound. Let’s put all the petrolatum myths to bed once and for all.
What is petrolatum and what does it do for skin?
Petrolatum is a byproduct of petroleum, which means the material is extracted from crude oil waste. Mineral oil, liquid paraffin are a few other ingredients you might spot on yoru ingredient list that have the same origin stories. Because of their non-glamorous sourcing, these are highly economical ingredients and you can find them in everything from body lotions to fancy face creams. But what does petrolatum actually do for skin?
At the core of it, petrolatum is an occlusive that works by sealing moisture in. In fact, it is the occlusive in skincare with the most data on its skin benefits. By effectively sealing in moisture, it’s considered an essential part of your moisturizing strategies, especially for those with dry skin.
Does petrolatum cause cancer?
However, because it’s derived from the petroleum industry, it’s also commonly associated with negative “chemically” reputations. One of the most serious accusations is that petrolatum can contain carcinogens. Is that true?
Petrolatum is actually used far behind just skincare. It’s commonly used in various industries, spanning from the automotive to food industry. Despite this wide range of use, all types of petrolatum are categorized under a single CAS number. This CAS number is a world-wide chemical identifier and this single CAS number has created a lot of confusion within the beauty industry.
The concern around petrolatum comes from its crude form, which contains, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), a possible carcinogen. Because of this, the FDA has set up measures to ensure that petrolatum meets a certain level of purity and the petrolatum we use in the cosmetic industry is an ultra-refined product. USP-grade petrolatum undergoes a hydrogenation process to remove unwanted impurities and must meet a certain range of consistencies and melting points to meet the FDA’s monograph. Additionally, petrolatum has undergone a lot of testing from various regulation bodies to ensure its safety and after years of testing has found no evidence that these materials have been implicated as carcinogens.
However, if you look at the EU’s Dangerous Substance Directive, you’ll find petrolatum listed as a Category 2 Carcinogen under the CMR list. This goes back to petrolatum’s archaic single CAS number. You’ll find seven separate listings for petrolatum but none of these listings offer descriptions that define the purity and limits of PAH content and doesn’t actually pertain to the USP-grade petrolatum we use in cosmetics. We’ll also leave you one last statement for peace of mind. In the CMR, they state:
“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 means that for all petrolatum that follows the FDA’s requirements for petrolatum that has been processed to be within the PAH limits, would not apply. What all this means is that – we can all use petrolatum-based products with confidence!
Does Petrolatum Clog Pores?
The second most common bad rap that petrolatum gets associated with is that it clogs pores. We can totally see how this came to be. Classic Vaseline is thick, gooey, greasy and just visually looks like it’s out to clog all your pores. But surprisingly, petrolatum actually doesn’t exhibit any comedogenic tendencies in classic rabbit ear tests.
So does that mean I can slather on petrolatum and get slugging? Well, not quite. While petrolatum itself isn’t necessarily comedogenic, don’t forget that it is a fantastic occlusive. It’s great for trapping in moisture and everything that goes underneath. So if you have serums, toners that may have irritating or comedogenic tendencies, or if your cleansing routine is not quite up to par, having petrolatum may greatly exacerbate the issue.
To sum up: while petrolatum doesn’t clog pores, make sure your skin is thoroughly cleansed and follow up with simple, lightweight products your skin tolerates well with before applying your petrolatum. We go into this topic more in our podcast:
Takeaways
Petrolatum is a safe, effective ingredient that has been around for decades to boot. If you have dry or combination skin, a solid petrolatum-based balm can go a long way in your barrier care routine.
