You may think Vaseline is “safe.”
Every mother uses it. Every household keeps it.
But here’s the truth that rarely gets spoken:
Petroleum jelly comes from the waste scraped off the bottom of oil barrels.
That’s where it was first discovered — a dark, sticky residue oil workers removed because it clogged machinery.
Even today, petroleum jelly contains PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) — toxic compounds linked to cancer risk when not fully refined.
Most consumers never hear about this.
It suffocates your skin.
Petroleum jelly is occlusive, meaning it blocks air exchange.
Your skin cannot breathe, release heat, detoxify, or regenerate properly under that thick layer.
It’s like wrapping your skin in plastic.
It clogs pores and worsens breakouts.
Because it’s extremely heavy, it traps:
Bacteria
Sweat
Pollutants
Sebum
The result?
Acne, bumps, textured skin, blackheads, and marks that refuse to fade.
But even petroleum jelly is nothing compared to the next one — praised heavily by marketing, yet completely useless in reality.