I often deal with dry, chapped, and flaky lips. And as “tradition” tells me, I deal with it with a jar of Vaseline. But as I grow more and more conscious of the products I put on my skin, the question “Is Vaseline good for your lips?” keeps popping into my head.
Vaseline is an occlusive moisturizer. It traps moisture to prevent further drying but it doesn’t add moisture. So while Vaseline is generally good for preventing the further drying of your lips, you would need to add moisture first before sealing with Vaseline. Humectants like aloe, shea butter, coconut oil, and honey are popular choices.
Even though Vaseline has a long withstanding reputation as a “miracle salve”, it’s not all positive. There are a few drawbacks that might turn some away, so it definitely is not the ultimate solution for all.
Below, we’ll go over everything you need to know about Vaseline and if it will benefit your lips. We’ll also tell you the ultimate hack on how to get the most out of Vaseline for your lips’ sake.
What is Vaseline?
Using Vaseline as a lip balm has been around for years. It’s a simple, common, and cheap way to address cracked and chapped lips, which many know too well, especially in cold and dry climates.
Just like the “Kleenex vs tissue” topic, Vaseline is a popular brand name referring to 100% white refined petroleum jelly, also known as petrolatum.
Vaseline is a petroleum-based moisturizer. It’s often used to heal minor cuts, burns, wounds, and scrapes. One of its common use in the beauty world is to help heal dry, chapped lips, using it as some sort of a lip balm alternative, leaving lips soft and supple.
Vaseline is an occlusive moisturizer. This means when applied on certain areas of the skin, it can trap and hold in moisture. When applied right, it can help get rid of dryness and bring your skin and lips back to optimal health.
What Does Vaseline Help With?
Vaseline has been around for years now and it’s become a staple in many homes and skincare routines. It’s often referred to as a “miracle salve” thanks to the many benefits it offers to loyal users:
Vaseline acts as a barrier to prevent moisture loss
Vaseline is an occlusive moisturizer, which traps and locks in moisture. This means it prevents further moisture loss, which could possibly prevent the skin and lips from drying further.
Vaseline helps repair the skin barrier
If you have damaged your skin barrier and are suffering the consequences, Vaseline might offer a simple solution. This helps accelerate the repair of your skin’s protective barrier when you apply it to the target area after a hydrating moisturizer.
Vaseline offers dry skin relief
Dry skin can be itchy, with signs of cracking and flaking. Applying Vaseline to these affected areas while your skin is damp can help prevent moisture loss. This could potentially help heal dry skin and offer much-needed dry skin relief.
Vaseline can help heal minor cuts and wounds
Keeping minor cuts, wounds, burns, and scrapes moist can accelerate the skin’s natural healing process. You can do this by applying Vaseline to them. Additionally, Vaseline can help prevent the wounds from drying out and can even prevent scarring after they have healed.
Vaseline can help with skin irritation and chafing
If you have irritated skin due to chafing, Vaseline offers a simple yet effective solution. Applying it to affected areas can prevent chafing by reducing friction. This will help get rid of irritation in the long run.
How is Vaseline Good for Your Lips?
In an era of readily-available information, we are quick to research and look for answers to the many beauty-related questions we have.
But with the many resources we find online, answers to the question, “Is Vaseline good for your lips?” vary and this could get confusing. Below, we’ll give you the down low and everything you need to know about using Vaseline for your lips.
The short answer is, Vaseline could be good for your lips. However, it should be applied correctly.
Does it heal dry, chapped lips?
As we’ve mentioned above, Vaseline is an occlusive moisturizer. This means it’s capable of trapping and locking in moisture which prevents further drying of the lips.
While it prevents the lips from drying out, Vaseline does not, however, add moisture.
It’s important to keep in mind that Vaseline isn’t a humectant, which is a type of moisturizer capable of pulling in moisture from the air. It simply locks in moisture that is already on your lips.
How to Effectively Use Vaseline on Lips
If you’re hoping to recruit Vaseline to help heal dry and chapped lips, you should know how to do it the right way to reap the benefits.
If you’re dealing with dry and chapped lips, you can’t go straight to applying Vaseline to your lips because that won’t add moisture, which is what your lips need.
First, apply a humectant to your lips and then seal in the moisture with Vaseline, an effective occlusive.
Some humectants you can look for include aloe, shea butter, hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and honey. Lip balms with any of these components shall be an effective first step.
Drawbacks of Using Vaseline
While Vaseline is a long-time favorite and staple for many, there are still some downsides that turn some people away:
Vaseline only locks in moisture, not add
Vaseline is not a humectant and will not add moisture to your lips. It will only lock in moisture that is already on the lips. This is why applying a humectant first before the Vaseline is an important step if you want to moisturize chapped lips.
Vaseline can feel heavy and slippery
Vaseline has a thick texture so applying it on the lips can feel very heavy and even slippery. Applying only a thin layer should help minimize this.
Vaseline can cause *rare* allergic reactions and adverse effects
Allergic reactions from Vaseline are rare but a possibility. Some signs you may want to look out for include swollen lips and a burning or stinging sensation. If you experience any of these, immediately stop using it.
Vaseline may clog pores around the mouth
There is also a rare possibility of Vaseline clogging the pores around your mouth. To prevent this instance, cleanse your lips and the area around them thoroughly before applying Vaseline.
Non-hygienic Vaseline use can rather cause infections
Improper hygiene upon applying Vaseline can cause infections. Because of this thick and sticky texture, dirt, bacteria, and fungi can easily be trapped on and around your lips. And if you have open wounds and cuts on your lips that are bleeding, this is a breeding ground for infections.
To prevent this, store your Vaseline in a clean place and wash your hand and lips before application.
Vaseline is not the greenest occlusive moisturizer
Vaseline is a by-product of the fossil fuel petroleum, which is extracted in oil rigs. This means they’re not the greenest option and they’re not very eco-friendly.
How to Prevent Chapped Lips
If you often find yourself dealing with dry and chapped lips, preventing them from happening in the first place might be your best course of action:
- Avoid licking your lips too much. Saliva leaves the delicate skin on your lips drier instead of adding the moisture it needs.
- Don’t breathe through your mouth, or minimize it at least. Mouth breathing releases warm air to your lips which can be very drying.
- Hydrate yourself, your body, your skin, and your lips by drinking plenty of water. This might prevent cracked lips in the very first place.
- Using a humidifier in your home to add moisture to the air can be very good for chapped lips.
- It may be tempting but don’t pick or touch dry, chapped lips. This can introduce germs and bacteria to open wounds and can cause infections.
- Exfoliate with lip scrubs at least once a week to remove dead skin cells.
- Apply moisturizing lip balms. Something with SPF also comes highly recommended.
- If braces are your causes of chapped lips, hang in there. Keep everything clean with a great toothpaste and keep your lips moisturized. They’ll be off in no time.
Ingredients to Avoid that May Dry Out Your Lips
In the subject of preventing chapped lips, avoid these products that can potentially dry out your lips and could make chapped lips worse:
- Menthol
- Peppermint
- Salicylic acid
- Alcohol
- Cinnamon
- Fragrances
These might seem counterintuitive, since we want to have a fresh, clean taste while moisturizing, but some people can be sensitive. Carmex is just one example of a lip product that works well for some and not for others. Obviously, this is true of almost any skincare and beauty product, so be sensitive to how your own skin feels with different ingredients.
Ingredients that Can Heal Dry Lips
Alternatively, look for these good-for-your-lips ingredients that can help heal dry and chapped lips:
- Hyaluronic acid
- Shea butter
- Jojoba oil
- Coconut oil
- Argan oil
Conclusion
Dry and chapped lips are a common issue for many, especially in cold and dry climates. For years now, Vaseline has long been used to provide relief to dry, flaky, and chapped lips. Though it’s very common, more and more people are asking the important question of whether Vaseline on your lips is good or bad.
Vaseline is an occlusive moisturizer, meaning it traps moisture to prevent drying. Vaseline is good for your lips, but only when applied correctly. It doesn’t add any moisture and only traps it in. So to get the most out of Vaseline, a humectant like aloe, shea butter, or honey should be applied first before sealing with Vaseline.
And that has been our detailed guide on Vaseline and how good it really is for your lips. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us below for any more of your queries!
