Picking out pregnancy-safe skincare can seem complicated. I have an entire page on pregnancy beauty dedicated to which skincare ingredients to avoid during pregnancy, breastfeeding, or IVF.
Today is about petrolatum (petroleum jelly, popularly known as Vaseline) and its safety during pregnancy.
Vaseline or petroleum jelly is a commonly used ingredient in personal care products and has been around for as long as you can remember. Derived from petroleum, it is cheap, abundantly available, and a highly effective skin protectant.
A petroleum byproduct, it also happens to have a bad rep in the skincare industry, due to which many brands now do not use it in their line and even make a note of that with pride.
Does it deserve this bad reputation, or has it simply drowned in this neo-age of natural or nature-derived skincare? Is petroleum jelly or Vaseline pregnancy safe?
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Concern with Petrolatum. Refined vs Unrefined.
Petroleum jelly, also known as petrolatum, paraffin jelly, soft paraffin, or mineral oil jelly, is derived from crude oil or unrefined petroleum as a byproduct. This unrefined petrolatum has impurities like PAH (Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons) that are potentially carcinogenic and are used for industrial purposes like machine lubricants or shoe polishes.
When refined, all these impurities are removed, and what you get is an odorless, tasteless, smooth, white or off-white, translucent cosmetic and medical-grade petroleum jelly that is safe to use in skincare.
This distinction is important- only refined petroleum jelly is used in skincare and medicine, and only this form is considered safe during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Here is a concise video on how this refining happens:
Is Petroleum Jelly Pregnancy or Nursing Safe?
Yes, as long as it is refined.
The primary concern with using petroleum jelly is contamination with PAHs.
The National Toxicology Program states that PAHs are ‘reasonably anticipated to be human carcinogens based on sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity from studies in experimental animals.’ A review article of 2022 found that PAH exposure is linked to malignancies in multiple organ systems and also to cardiovascular diseases.
Note that petroleum jelly in skincare, per se, does not impact fertility like phthalates can or have teratogenic potential, like retinoids– the concern here is the carcinogenic potential of unrefined petroleum jelly that can impact across all age groups and life stages.
How To Know If a Petroleum Jelly Is Refined?
Refined petroleum jelly is white or off-white in color and is odorless and tasteless (unless the product has added fragrance and flavors). Lesser refined (yellow, amber, brown) versions are used in industries, like for shoe polish, and contain impurities (INCHEM) and should not be used on the skin.
Check the company website or buy only reputable brands.
For example, Vaseline clearly states on its website that it uses triple-purified petroleum jelly.
Check the label of the product to make sure it is refined petroleum jelly.
The label should read one of the following:
- White petroleum jelly
- Fully refined
- Triple refined or purified
- USP (United States Pharmacopoeia) petroleum jelly in USA
- BP (British Pharmacopoeia) in Britain
- Ph Eur (European Pharmacopoeia) in Europe
The Best Way to Effectively Use Petroleum Jelly
- Petroleum jelly is an occlusive, which means it forms a barrier layer on the skin to prevent moisture loss. Thus, using it on moist skin or immediately after a shower is the best way to lock in the moisture in your skin.
- Petroleum jelly should not be ingested! A small amount ingested accidentally while using it on the face or lips is harmless, but large amounts can cause stomach upset, like diarrhea or cramps.
- Consider a patch test before using any new product while pregnant- even products you have used in the past with no problem. With pregnancy, your immune responses change, and you might develop an allergic reaction even to products you have used in the past with no issue.
A Word On ‘Slugging’
Slugging is a buzzword in the skincare world. Simply speaking, it involves slathering a layer of petroleum jelly as the last step of your overnight routine.
Intended to seal in the moisture and heal your skin barrier, it got its name from the visual of a slug slithering around and leaving a trail of shiny mucus.
It could work for people with really dry skin or with eczema, but in the case of oily or acne-prone skin, the occlusive nature of the petroleum jelly will not let skin oils escape, causing clogging up of the pores, inflammation, and an acne flare.
Trivia
The first use of petroleum jelly was recorded in 1885 in the oil fields of Titusville, Pennsylvania. The workers were applying to their cuts and irritations, a stinking, black wax gel they called ‘rod wax’, that formed on oil rigs. They claimed it soothed and protected their wounds.
Robert Augustus Chesebrough, a young chemist from New York, saw potential in this gunk. With the realization that people would never pay for it in its crude form, he developed a technique to refine it into a clear, odorless product that he branded and sold as Vaseline. By 1875, just 5 years into official launch, Americans were buying it at the rate of one jar a minute.
