Found in 2,236 products in our catalogue on 28 October 2026. Petrolatum is the INCI name for petroleum jelly: a semi-solid blend of refined hydrocarbons used as an occlusive moisturiser and ointment base. SkinSenseDiary’s own safety rating is 1/10 (1 = lowest risk) for cosmetic- and pharmaceutical-grade petrolatum when the EU conditions on refining history and a non-carcinogenic source are met. It is a different ingredient from mineral oil (INCI: Paraffinum Liquidum), which is liquid and a weaker film.
Petrolatum (INCI: Petrolatum) is a colourless to pale-yellow, odourless semi-solid. CosIng describes it as a complex combination of hydrocarbons obtained as a semi-solid from dewaxing paraffinic residual oil. It consists mostly of saturated crystalline and liquid hydrocarbons with carbon numbers predominantly greater than C25. That is the opposite of a single purified molecule: it is a refined petroleum cut, not a botanical oil and not liquid mineral oil.
Making a cosmetic or pharmaceutical grade takes further steps after dewaxing. White petrolatum and white soft paraffin are hydrogenated and/or treated with clay so the colour is removed and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are driven down to the limits in the pharmacopoeia tests. Yellow petrolatum is less fully decolorized. The European Pharmacopoeia names for these materials are white soft paraffin and yellow soft paraffin. The United States Pharmacopeia publishes separate monographs for Petrolatum and for White Petrolatum. A pale colour, or the words “white petrolatum” on a label, does not by itself show that the material meets either monograph.
The cancer worry attached to “petroleum” is about PAHs in poorly refined streams, not a claim that every hydrocarbon film is a carcinogen. Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Annex II, entry 904, prohibits petrolatum in cosmetics unless the full refining history is known and it can be shown that the substance from which it is produced is not a carcinogen. The harmonised CLP classification is Carc. 1B, H350 (“May cause cancer”). Under Note N, as amended by Commission Regulation (EU) 2021/643, that classification applies unless both conditions are met: the full refining history is known, and the source substance is shown not to be carcinogenic. Even when Note N’s conditions are met, classification follows the general CLP rules. A 2016 answer from the European Commission states the Annex II condition and distinguishes highly refined petrolatum from material that still contains carcinogenic contaminants. Cosmetics Europe’s recommendation describes an IP 346 DMSO extract below 3% on the feedstock as the demonstration suppliers use for the source-substance part of that condition. It is not a finding that the hazard code disappears whenever a seller says the material is refined.
Petrolatum and petroleum jelly are two names for the same substance when the ingredient really is petrolatum. Petrolatum is the INCI name on a cosmetic label and the name in the US OTC skin-protectant monograph. Petroleum jelly is the common English name. The United States Pharmacopeia has separate monographs for Petrolatum and White Petrolatum; “white petrolatum” is the name of one monograph, not proof that a pale jelly complies with it. White soft paraffin and yellow soft paraffin are European pharmacopoeia names. Soft paraffin means petrolatum, not liquid paraffin. Colour or a common name alone does not prove pharmacopoeial compliance.
Vaseline is a trademark, not a chemical name. A jar labelled 100% white petrolatum is petrolatum. A lotion that uses the same brand name can also contain glycerin, mineral oil, or other emollients, so the brand on the front is not proof that the formula is pure petrolatum. Read the INCI list for the word Petrolatum.
Names that are not petrolatum: Paraffinum Liquidum, mineral oil, liquid paraffin, and, in some Spanish-speaking countries, vaselina líquida. Those are the liquid ingredient covered on our mineral oil page. Paraffin wax is a harder solid and a different cut again.
Search interest often lands on mineral oil when the question is petrolatum versus paraffinum liquidum. They share a petroleum origin and an occlusive job. They are not interchangeable.
Petrolatum. Semi-solid at room temperature. Common names: petroleum jelly, white petrolatum, soft paraffin.
Kraft and Lynde (Skin Therapy Letter, 2005) report petroleum jelly reducing TEWL by more than 98% in the comparison in that review, and they call it the strongest occlusive there. That is a reported figure from the review, not a guarantee for every product. Petrolatum is still a very strong occlusive.
Annex II, entry 904: prohibited unless the full refining history is known and the feedstock is shown not to be carcinogenic.
Ointments, lip balms, diaper-area protectants, wound dressings, and an overnight occlusive layer (slugging) on dry or barrier-damaged skin.
Paraffinum Liquidum. Liquid at room temperature. Also called mineral oil or liquid paraffin.
The same 2005 review reports mineral oil, grouped with lanolin and silicones such as dimethicone, at about 20–30% TEWL reduction. Our mineral oil page cites a separate reported estimate of 40–60% for cosmetic mineral oil. Those are reported values from different accounts, and comparability is not established. Both accounts still describe petrolatum as the stronger film.
Cosmetic-grade mineral oil is not the Annex II/904 entry. Refining still matters, and that discussion lives on the mineral oil page.
Lighter lotions, baby oil, and cleansing oils, where a liquid texture is the point.
Choose petrolatum when you want the thicker film: very dry skin, a damaged barrier, an ointment base, or slugging. Choose mineral oil when you want a liquid emollient that spreads more easily and feels lighter. Squalane is a different, lighter hydrocarbon emollient again, if a rich ointment is too much.
It slows transepidermal water loss instead of binding water the way a humectant does. Kraft and Lynde (Skin Therapy Letter, 2005) report petroleum jelly reducing TEWL by more than 98% in that review. Petrolatum is a very strong occlusive.
Ghadially, Halkier-Sorensen, and Elias (Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 1992) found that petrolatum sped barrier recovery after acetone damage in five volunteers and sat inside the stratum corneum lipids, not only as a plastic sheet on top.
FDA lists petrolatum and white petrolatum at 30–100% as skin-protectant actives that temporarily protect injured or exposed skin. Smack and colleagues (JAMA, 1996) found white petrolatum a reasonable ointment for clean ambulatory-surgery wounds, with contact allergy showing up in the antibiotic-ointment group.
A thin layer as the last step, on damp skin, is the routine people call slugging. It is a fit for dry or barrier-damaged skin. It is not a default for acne-prone skin, or for use over retinoids and exfoliating acids.
Best suited for: dry skin, a damaged barrier, and eczema-prone skin that needs a bland ointment, including as the last step over a humectant. It is not guaranteed to suit acne-prone skin, and a thick layer over the whole face is not a default. The American Academy of Dermatology advises people who are prone to acne to avoid putting petroleum jelly on the face, because some of them get breakouts. That is not a claim that petrolatum always clogs pores. Petrolatum does not replace a prescribed eczema treatment.
Risk score: 1/10 (1 = lowest risk). This is SkinSenseDiary’s own safety rating, not a regulatory classification, for cosmetic- and pharmaceutical-grade petrolatum when the EU refining conditions are met, the grade used in ointments and skincare. The harmonised classification is Carc. 1B, H350 (“May cause cancer”). It applies unless Note N’s conditions are met: the full refining history is known, and the substance from which it is produced is shown not to be carcinogenic. Even then, classification follows the general CLP rules. FDA authorises petrolatum and white petrolatum as skin-protectant actives at 30–100%. Annex II, entry 904, prohibits cosmetic use unless those two conditions are met. CIR did not issue its own final report. According to Cosmetics Info, CIR deferred review because FDA had already assessed the ingredient. Petrolatum has no allergen tag in our database. Material that does not meet the refining conditions is outside this rating.
PAHs and the “toxic petroleum” claim. Untreated petroleum streams can contain polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Cosmetic and pharmacopoeia grades are refined to limit them. Annex II entry 904 allows cosmetic use only when the full refining history is known and the source substance is shown not to be carcinogenic. The harmonised classification (Carc. 1B, H350) applies unless both of those Note N conditions are met, and even then classification follows the general CLP rules. The European Commission’s 2016 answer distinguishes highly refined petrolatum from petrolatum that still contains carcinogenic contaminants. If a seller cannot document both parts of that condition, the EU cosmetics rule says that material does not belong in a cosmetic.
Pore clogging. Kligman’s 1996 test (10 people with acne per product, eight weeks, follicular biopsy) did not find the two products he tested to be comedogenic, and he withdrew his earlier rabbit-ear warning as a false positive. That small study does not show that petrolatum will not worsen acne-prone skin. Some people still break out. It is not guaranteed to suit every acne-prone skin, and a thick layer over the whole face is not a default. The American Academy of Dermatology advises people who are prone to acne to avoid putting petroleum jelly on the face, because some of them get breakouts. That is not a finding that petrolatum always clogs pores. Frankel’s 1985 case was unilateral acne after prolonged massage with white petrolatum on a cheek affected by Bell’s palsy, and English and Murphy replied the same year that the palsy was the more plausible cause of that case.
It does not seal the skin like plastic wrap. Ghadially and colleagues concluded that petrolatum does not behave as an impermeable surface membrane. It was found through the stratum corneum interstices and barrier recovery continued. Skin also does not breathe in the lung sense. A thick coat can still feel heavy on an oily face. Breakouts in some acne-prone skin are a separate question, covered above. The 1992 work is a barrier-repair study in people and mice. It is not a pregnancy or breastfeeding safety study, and it does not prove that nothing is absorbed into the body.
Fire risk on fabric. The overall risk is low. Emollient residue still transfers from skin onto clothing, bedding, and dressings, and dried residue can make that fabric burn more easily. Risk rises with the amount used, how often it is applied, and how large an area is covered, but heavy use is not required for the warning to apply. The same caution applies to paraffin-free emollients. Fabric that has been in contact with an emollient should be kept away from cigarettes and naked flames. Washing may reduce build-up, but it may not fully remove the residue. This follows MHRA guidance on emollients and fire risk. If you use home oxygen or are receiving oxygen therapy, avoid oily emollients such as petroleum jelly, and ask your healthcare team or pharmacist for a suitable alternative (NHS home oxygen treatment).
Petrolatum slows water leaving the skin. It does not supply water. Apply it to slightly damp skin, after a humectant such as glycerin or hyaluronic acid, if you use one.
Because the film is heavy, it goes last over a plain moisturiser when you use it for slugging: a thin layer left on overnight. Do not make a thick layer of petrolatum over retinoids or exfoliating acids (AHA/BHA) a default step. Occluding those ingredients can increase irritation, which is the caution in Cleveland Clinic dermatology guidance on slugging. If you are using a prescription treatment, follow the prescriber’s instructions.
Dry patches, lips, hands, and eczema-prone areas can take a visible film. A thick coat over the whole face is not a default, especially on acne-prone skin. For minor wounds, the OTC skin-protectant use is a clean layer that protects exposed skin while it heals. Stop and get care for deep, dirty, or infected wounds. Keep clothing, bedding, and dressings that have touched the product away from cigarettes and naked flames. Washing may not fully remove the residue.
Plain petroleum jelly is often white petrolatum alone. Healing ointments use it as the base, sometimes with mineral oil or ceramides.
Lip balms and diaper-rash protectants use the same barrier film. In the US monograph, petrolatum qualifies as a skin protectant at 30–100%.
A thin layer is usually enough; adjust to the area and your skin’s needs.
Humectants first, on damp skin, then petrolatum to slow the water leaving. That is the useful order for dry skin.
Ceramides support the barrier lipids. Petrolatum over them adds the occlusive film those lipids are trying to rebuild.
Apply a niacinamide serum first and let it dry down. The ointment goes on top. They are not a chemical conflict. Order is the issue.
Do not make a thick layer of petrolatum over retinoids or exfoliating acids (AHA or BHA) a default step. Occluding them can increase irritation, which is the caution in Cleveland Clinic dermatology guidance on slugging. With a prescription treatment, follow the prescriber’s instructions.
Kligman’s small study did not find the products he tested to be comedogenic. That does not mean petrolatum will not worsen acne-prone skin. Some people still break out, and a thick layer over the whole face is not a default. The American Academy of Dermatology advises people who are prone to acne to avoid petroleum jelly on the face. Dimethicone or squalane is a lighter step when a heavy ointment is the wrong choice. This is not a claim that petrolatum always clogs pores.
Keep clothing, bedding, and dressings that have been in contact with petrolatum, or with other emollients, away from cigarettes and naked flames. Washing may not fully remove the residue. See the fire note above.
Found in 2,236 products in our catalogue on 28 October 2026. This is an on-site usage statistic, not evidence of safety. Petrolatum appears across many product categories — particularly moisturisers (627), body lotions (240), lip care (146), treatments (97), face products (93), styling products (76), face masks (73), and sunscreens (66).
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