Petroleum Jelly (Vaseline) Review

Petroleum Jelly? What is that? Ya... i can see all the question marks on your head hahaha :D (kidding)... I bet many of Indonesian have not known about this product yet. It does not sound familiar here - i know ;) Let's talk about this!!!

What is Petroleum Jelly?

Petroleum jelly is a purified mixture of semi-solid hydrocarbons obtained from petroleum. It is translucent, it has no color, smell and taste, and an oil-based emollient which restricts water loss from the skin - makes it a long-lasting lubricant to smooth and protect rough and dry skin.

Over time skin care or cosmetics will start to smell or change color and may cause skin problems but petroleum jelly does not oxidize (go rancid) on exposure to the air and it is not readily acted on by chemical reagents, which means it lasts longer than the skin care or cosmetics were made with fats and oil from plants and animals do.

A Brief History of Vaseline Petroleum Jelly

According to Vaseline website :

"In the 1860's, a chemist from New York named Robert Augustus Chesebrough, discovered Petroleum Jelly. In 1870, this product was branded as Vaseline Petroleum Jelly. By 1875, Americans were buying Vaseline Petroleum Jelly at the rate of a jar a minute. Today, Vaseline Petroleum Jelly is a staple in medicine cabinets across the country. In 1969, Vaseline scientists realized they could leverage modern technology to deliver the superior moisturization of Vaseline Petroleum Jelly in a light, non-greasy moisturizing lotion. Today, Vaseline is one of the top hand and body lotion brands in the U.S."

The Benefits of Petroleum Jelly

Body

• As body scrub: to remove the dead skin cells and smooth the skin. How? Well, mix the equal amount of Vaseline and sea salt. Rub it with circular motion all over your body, leave it for a few minutes then wash it off with warm water - feel the different ;)
• For massage: if you run out of massage oil, petroleum jelly can replace it, because it is very tacky and oily

Elbows and Knees

It is doing a great job in moisturizing the dry elbows and knees

Face 

• As make up remover: since it is very moisturizing, it takes off make up, and softens the skin at the same time – ideal for those with dry skin
• As moisturizer: it does not clog pores, so you can use it as a moisturizer - for those with normal and oily skin i suggest u not to use it on your face 

Hair

For smooth polished look, take a small amount of Vaseline with your finger then rub it with the palms of your hands, after that apply it to your hair

Hands and Feet

It helps to soften and smooth the dry hands and feet, and protects skin from chapping. Since it is too greasy and tacky and the climate in Indonesia is tropical (tend to be humid) - the use of petroleum jelly is not suitable in the afternoon - especially if you spend most of your time outdoor - i suggest you guys to use it at night before you sleep - you do not want to look "oily" and feel uncomfortable when you go out during the day, do you???
 
Lips

• As exfoliator: mix the petroleum jelly with sugar then gently massage the mixture to your lips then wipe it off with a wet warm towel
• As lip-balm: it moisturizes the dry and chapped lips
• As lip-gloss: you can use it on the top of lipstick to create the "wet" look. If you are those who do not like to wear lipstick whatsoever and prefer only to wear lipgloss for everyday use and you think that a translucent no color lipgloss is so boorrring - well, you can make your own lip gloss by the way - by mixing the petroleum jelly with your lipstick or other ingredients so it has flavor and color - you can do a little "experiment" with your cosmetics - how fun is that? ;) i do it sometimes :D

Nails

To improve the cuticles appearance and to soften them before trimming, massage Vaseline into your cuticles for couple minutes

This petroleum jelly has another benefits besides for beauty need i told you above, such as a lubricant to your stuck ring, shine your leather shoes, and many more.

Pros

• It contains no fragrance and taste - it can be used for those with allergy
• It does not expire quickly and can be kept in storage for emergency uses
• It is an ideal skin conditioning agent for dry, rough and chopped skin
• It is easy to bring on your bag - since they have the different packaging from small - big tube
• It is non-comedogenic, which means no chance of pimples coming even if you are applying on your face
• Multi-purpose use
• The price is affordable

Cons

• For hair - i tried it on, it is too heavy- and i think the hair products do better
• Some people are questioning about the safeness of this product. The concern is with impurities in the manufacturing process, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons that are considered potentially carcinogenic (which can cause cancer). According to the source that i read - petroleum jelly is not the same as unrefined petroleum material that is said to be carcinogenic. Petroleum jelly for food, drugs, and cosmetics must meet FDA impurity restrictions. But not all the manufacturers choose to use refined petroleum in their product
• The product is too greasy and tacky. It can be hard to remove from both skin and clothing. For you guys who does not like the greasiness and tackiness (neither do i) then this is not the product that you are looking for. It feels like wearing a lipbalm all over your body (disgusting) ;) but i do like to use it as a lipbalm ;)
  

Conclusion 
Vaseline Petroleum Jelly is inexpensive product which has many benefits. The ability to retain moisture makes it ideal for dry skin. It is a perfect solution for you DDG who is on budget. You can save your money for buying exfoliator, make up remover, hair products and other beauty stuffs, you just need this one brilliant product for your beauty solution - head to toe ;)
Each product has their own pro and cons, so with this one - for your concern, i think you should look for petroleum jelly which meets specific purity standards, and go with trusted brands like Vaseline Petroleum Jelly. 
For those who live in Indonesia - since there are a lot of products which have not passed the safety standard of "Badan/Balai POM (Pengawas Obat dan Makanan)" marketed illegally here, you have to be careful and smart in buying and choosing the product that you want to use. It is your body - it is your own responsibility. ;)

 Is it clear for you??? if you have any questions - please comment below

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