Is Vaseline Good For Your Lips?

During the cold winter months, dried, chapped, and cracked lips are a common concern for all. If you’ve wondered if you can put vaseline on your lips, you’re right, it can be your best bet when that happens as it works as a thick moisturizing agent that smooths your lips and eliminates dryness and chapping. Also, you are usually advised not to use products like lipsticks or glosses since they can worsen the problem. While Vaseline may be the most widely used lip balm, does it really work? Keep reading to learn more.

Is Vaseline Good For Chapped Lips?

Vaseline is basically petroleum jelly, a type of occlusive moisturizer that helps lock the moisture in your skin (1). Unlike humectants that acquire water from the air, Vaseline works by forming a protective barrier on the lips to prevent moisture loss. This means that it does not add any moisture to your lips but seals in the existing moisture, making it an effective lip therapy product. Therefore, if your lips are chapped and need moisture, applying Vaseline first will not do you much good since there is not enough moisture for it to lock in (2).

Vaseline is good for lips. It is a safe and gentle way to retain moisture in your lips and keep them protected. It strengthens the skin barrier and helps deal with extreme dryness and irritation (3). You can include it in your daily skin care regimen and use it in combination with other moisturizing products to prevent your lips from chapping. It also improves lip nourishment. Additionally, it may even speed up lip healing.

Bianca, a blogger, shared her experience of using Vaseline to keep her lips healthy in her personal blog. She said, “ My lips instantly feel hydrated, moisturized, smooth and soft not only when applied but even after it wears off, my lips still feel nourished (i).”

Dr. Anna Chacon, MD, FAAD, says, “You may make your chapped lips worse if you only lick them before applying Vaseline, as lips don’t retain water very well.”

However, you must also remember that Vaseline is produced by a refining process that uses potentially harmful chemicals. Also, it is obtained from petroleum using a drilling technique that is harmful to the environment. It is a complicated product and needs thorough analysis before you decide to buy it.

Slathering Vaseline on your chapped lips is not a great way to use it. Learn the best way to use this chapped lip remedy in the next section.

How To Use Vaseline On Lips

When your lips dry out and turn flaky, you should avoid licking or picking the flaky skin. Here’s what you need to do to improve lip care:

1. Exfoliate your lips to buff away the dead skin and flakes. You can make your own exfoliating scrub with sugar and natural lip emollients such as cocoa butter.
2. Moisturize your lips with a soothing moisturizer or lip balm containing hyaluronic acid and ceramides to prevent irritation and further chapping. You can also use a natural moisturizer, such as shea butter, coconut oil, cocoa butter, etc., to moisturize dry lips.
3. Finally, apply a coating of Vaseline to lock the moisture in and retain the softness and smoothness of your lips. It can be used as a lip conditioner or a lip salve.

Note:

Do not exfoliate your lips daily. You can use a mild exfoliant to scrub away dirt, dead skin, and impurities from your lips 2 to 3 times a week.

Trivia

In the 1880s, people of America discovered Vaseline’s medicinal uses, and that’s when they started using it to treat dry and chapped skin.

Side Effects Of Vaseline On Lips

Some side effects of Vaseline include:

• Adverse Reaction
  Petroleum-based products may cause adverse reactions like redness and irritation if you have sensitive skin. Therefore, always perform a patch test on your arm before using Vaseline on your sensitive skin.

• Infection
  Petroleum jelly may cause a fungal or bacterial infection if you don’t maintain proper hygiene before using it. Its sticky texture may trap fungi or bacteria that you then apply and spread around your lips. So, make sure that you keep your jar of Vaseline clean and in a hygienic place. Also, make sure that you wash your hands and cleanse and dry your lips properly before applying it to your chapped lips.

• Aspiration Pneumonia
  Please consult your doctor before using Vaseline around the nose or the mouth area, especially for children. Accidentally inhaling Vaseline can lead to aspiration pneumonia (4).

• Clogged Pores
  Vaseline is comedogenic, which means it can clog pores. When you use it on your lips, there are chances that the pores around your mouth can get clogged up and unclean over time. Therefore, cleanse your lips thoroughly before using Vaseline.There have been concerns regarding the potential carcinogenic effects of petroleum jelly, which are mostly related to its manufacturing process. However, Vaseline and other commercially available petroleum jelly are refined and purified to remove any carcinogenic material.

Now, let’s answer the question that is on everyone’s mind.

Is Vaseline Better Than Chapstick?

You can use a chapstick infused with sunscreen (SPF) on your lips to keep them hydrated and moisturized and then top up with Vaseline to prevent the moisture from escaping.

The main differences between chapstick and Vaseline are:

• Chapsticks can be flavored and fragranced, whereas Vaseline is odorless, tasteless, and colorless.
• Vaseline contains petroleum jelly with a bit of scent to lock in the moisture, whereas chapsticks are made with moisture-infusing ingredients that help in healing dry lips.
• Chapsticks are only made for lips, whereas Vaseline can also be used on other body parts (like knees and elbows) to get rid of dryness.

So, should you use chapstick or Vaseline for lip maintenance? Both! Chapstick moisturizes dry lips, and Vaseline helps in sealing the moisture in and keeping the skin barrier intact. While you can get away with using just chapstick, there is no point in using Vaseline without applying chapstick first.

Fun Fact

The #lipslugging trend went viral on TikTok when users applied hydrating lip mask and sealed it with a thin coat of Vaseline to treat their chapped lips.

How To Prevent Chapped Lips

Some of the things you can do to prevent chapped lips are:

• Do not breathe from your mouth. Mouth breathing emits warm air over your lips that can lead to dryness and chapping.
• Do not keep licking your lips when they are dry. People find it almost irresistible, but your saliva can worsen the dryness and leave your lips even more chapped and flaky.
• Avoid touching your lips repeatedly when they are dry and chapped. This can transfer germs onto their surface and cause an infection.
• Drink plenty of water to keep your body, skin, and lips hydrated.
• During winters, use a humidifier in your room to maintain optimum humidity. Lack of moisture in the air causes skin dryness due to trans-epidermal water loss.

• Stay away from lip products like lip softeners or lip ointments that contain artificial dyes and fragrances as they can lead to dryness and allergic reactions. Also, products containing preservatives and harsh substances like sulfates and parabens are best avoided as they strip away the natural oils from your lips and leave them dehydrated.
• Use a lip moisturizer or balm with SPF since excessive sun exposure can also cause dryness.
• Ingredients such as menthol, cinnamon, salicylic acid, and alcohol can irritate the skin and make it dry and flaky. Avoid them in your lip products.
• Exfoliation is the key. It helps eliminate dirt and impurities to smoothen the skin.

Besides following these tips, you can also avoid certain ingredients that can dry out your lips and use others that can heal them. Check them out below.

Ingredients To Avoid That May Dry Out Your Lips

According to the American Academy of Dermatology, these are some of the worst offenders on the list (5):

• Menthol
• Eucalyptus
• Artificial flavors and fragrances
• Camphor
• Lanolin
• Octinoxate or oxybenzone
• Propyl gallate
• Phenol
• Salicylic acid

Ingredients That Can Heal Dry Lips

These are some of the best ingredients to combat lip dryness (5):

• Ceramides
• Mineral oils
• Castor oil
• Shea butter
• Petroleum
• Cocoa butter
• Zinc oxide and titanium oxide
• White petroleum jelly
• Dimethicone
• Hemp seed oil

Infographic: Does Vaseline Work Well For The Lips?

Do you also find yourself worrying about dry, chapped, and cracked lips during the winter months? Well, your ideal solution probably is Vaseline, which can smoothen your lips and reduce dryness and chapping. But how good is Vaseline really for lips? Does it have any side effects? To learn more, consider checking out the infographic below.

Illustration: StyleCraze Design Team

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Vaseline suitable to use as a lip primer?

Yes, Vaseline can be used as a lip primer. It hydrates and creates a smooth base for lipstick or gloss application. However, it may impact the longevity of the lipstick.

Is it okay to keep Vaseline on my lips overnight?

Yes. Keeping Vaseline on the lips overnight will moisturize and soften them.

Can Vaseline make lips pink?

Massaging the lips with Vaseline may promote blood circulation, making your lips naturally pink.

Can I use Vaseline on my lips every day?

You may apply Vaseline on your lips daily to lock in the natural moisture and prevent dryness. You can also apply it as a lipstick base. However, avoid doing so if you are allergic to the product.

Does vaseline darken lips?

There is no scientific evidence to suggest that Vaseline can darken lips. It does not contain any ingredients that are known to cause pigmentation or discoloration of the lips. However, using Vaseline on your lips regularly can keep them hydrated and soft.

Experience the wonders of Vaseline for your lips. Watch this video to uncover how it can keep your lips soft, smooth, and nourished.

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Reviewer Expert Author Editor Fact Checker

Dr. CP ThajudheenMD

   

Dr. CP Thajudheen has over 20 years of experience in various lasers, light-based devices, and other advanced equipment. He was one of the beginners who introduced cutaneous lasers in India. He carries out dermato surgeries regularly, including hair grafting and vitiligo surgeries.

Read full bio of Dr. CP Thajudheen

• 
  Dr. Anna ChaconMD, FAAD Dr. Anna Chacon, MD, FAAD, is a double board-certified dermatologist with over 7 years of experience. She has authored many peer-reviewed articles and managed clinical research studies during her fellowship. She completed her medical school in the PLME (Program of Liberal Medical Education) at Brown University.
  
  Dr. Anna Chacon, MD, FAAD, is a double board-certified dermatologist with over 7 years of experience. She has authored many peer-reviewed articles and managed clinical research studies during her fellowship. She completed her medical school in the PLME (Program of Liberal Medical Education) at Brown University.

Arshiya SyedaCo-Editor-in-Chief

 

Arshiya Syeda is the Co-Editor-in-Chief of StyleCraze with 8 years of experience. Prior to that, she was a content writer who combined her writing and research skills to write over 200 high-performing articles on hairstyles, hair care, and skin care.

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Ramona SinhaEditor

Ramona is an editor at StyleCraze with 11 years of experience in writing and editing. She has authored over 200 articles on skin and hair care. She graduated from the University of Calcutta, West Bengal, and did her post-graduation from the University of Kalyani, West Bengal.

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Monomita ChakrabortyBeauty & Lifestyle Writer

Monomita has a graduate degree in mass communication and video production from St. Anthony's College, Shillong, and a master’s degree in journalism and mass communication from the Royal Global University, Guwahati. She is also a certified skincare coach with a keen interest in skin, hair, tattoos, nail art, and lifestyle trends.

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