CosmeticBet
Softeners and thickeners

Petrolatum

INCI: PETROLATUM · also Petroleum jelly, White petrolatum

Petroleum jelly: it seals in water, yet lets the skin barrier recover.

How common

All products2.4%
In lip products12%
In body lotions11%
In make-up products1.8%

360 of 14,784 products with a full ingredient list in Open Beauty Facts; No. 121 of all the names found on their labels.

What it is

  • Petroleum jelly: a semi-solid ointment base refined from petroleum.

    2 sourcesHide
    Ointments (e.g., petrolatum)[1] Study · 1992 · open source
    904 Petrolatum, except if the full refining history is known and it can be shown that the substance from which it is produced is not a carcinogen[2] EU law · 2026 · open source

Why it is in products

  • To protect the skin and keep water in. In the US it is an approved skin protectant at 30 to 100%.

    2 sourcesHide
    Ointments (e.g., petrolatum) are thought to be occlusive, thereby blocking transcutaneous water loss and trapping water under the skin[1] Study · 1992 · open source
    (m) Petrolatum, 30 to 100 percent.[3] US federal regulation · 2024 · open source

What it does

  • It does not just sit on top: in a study, petroleum jelly spread through the skin’s outer layer and sped up the barrier’s recovery after damage.

    Some evidenceskin2 sourcesHide
    VPJ accelerated, rather than impeded, barrier recovery.[1] Study · 1992 · open source
    VPJ was present within the interstices at all levels of the SC, where it replaced intercellular bilayers.[1] Study · 1992 · open source

Downsides and safety

  • Purity matters: EU law bans petrolatum unless its full refining history is known and it comes from a substance that is not a carcinogen.

    SourceHide
    904 Petrolatum, except if the full refining history is known and it can be shown that the substance from which it is produced is not a carcinogen[2] EU law · 2026 · open source

Where it works

SurfaceOuter layer(stratum corneum)Living layer(epidermis)Dermis

In the skin’s outer layer, between its cells, where it holds water in.

Some evidenceSourceHide
it permeates throughout the SC interstices, allowing normal barrier recovery despite its occlusive properties[1] Study · 1992 · open source

Rules

European Union

  • Allowed only if its full refining history is known and it comes from a substance that is not a carcinogen.

    SourceHide
    904 Petrolatum, except if the full refining history is known and it can be shown that the substance from which it is produced is not a carcinogen[2] EU law · 2026 · open source

United States

  • An over-the-counter skin protectant at 30 to 100%.

    SourceHide
    (m) Petrolatum, 30 to 100 percent.[3] US federal regulation · 2024 · open source

Sources

  1. Effects of petrolatum on stratum corneum structure and function Ghadially R et al., Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 1992Study
  2. Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 on cosmetic products, consolidated text of 18 May 2026 Publications Office of the European Union (EUR-Lex/Cellar), 2026EU law
  3. 21 CFR Part 347: Skin protectant drug products for over-the-counter human use (2024 edition) US Government Publishing Office (govinfo), Code of Federal Regulations, 2024US federal regulation

Checked against these sources on 4 November 2026. Spot a mistake? Tell us.