Pe
Petrolatum
PetrolatumBarrier
A moisture sealer that works inside the skin’s top layer. It’s the last step in slugging and in barrier repair routines.
What it does
It seals water into skin, and not just from the surface: in human testing it spread between cells all through the skin’s top layer, and the barrier recovered faster. It’s the last layer in slugging and on chapped lips.
The evidence, graded
expert consensusOintments such as petroleum jelly and mineral oil hold in more water than creams or lotions, and dermatologists call them the most effective option for very dry skin. Petrolatum does not smother skin; in a controlled study it sped up barrier recovery. Use it as the last step, on damp skin or over a lighter moisturizer. Heavy ointments can worsen acne-prone skin.AAD 2022 · AAD patient education (aad.org) ↗
emergingFine together — put hyaluronic acid on damp skin, then a moisturizer on top. Humectants like hyaluronic acid and glycerin draw water into the top layer of skin, from the air and from deeper skin. A review notes they can raise water loss by pulling water up from deeper skin, where it evaporates, so they are often paired with an occlusive.Papakonstantinou 2012 · Dermato-Endocrinology ↗
emergingPetrolatum seals in water, but in a study on human volunteers it did not act as a sealed film. It spread into the spaces between cells at every level of the skin's outer layer. Skin whose barrier had been stripped with acetone recovered faster with it than without.Ghadially 1992 · Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology ↗
emergingIn rabbit-ear tests, isopropyl myristate, isopropyl palmitate, cocoa butter and other esters clogged pores, while petrolatum and paraffin did not; a 1989 test graded “coconut butter” 4 of 5. The rabbit test is more sensitive than human skin, and whether high scorers clog human pores is uncertain. In a small human test, finished products with them did not necessarily clog pores. The 1989 test graded mineral oil 0 to 2, squalane and dimethicone 1, glycerin 0; hyaluronic acid is untested.Nguyen 2007 · Cutaneous and Ocular Toxicology ↗
Graded per the methodology: strong · moderate · emerging · expert consensus. A weak source on a strong claim gets the weaker label.
Also known as
petroleum jelly, vaseline
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