I was out with a friend this week and got some Vaseline out of my bag to put on my lips. “You know that actually makes your lips drier, right?” she said. It’s a myth I’ve heard before, but is it actually true?
Vaseline is the brand name for petroleum jelly, a mixture of mineral oils and waxes that’s known for its healing properties. It’s one of the world’s best-known lip balms, so surely it can’t actually make your mouth drier?
You’ve been using Vaseline wrong
We spoke to Dr. Hana Patel, NHS GP and GP Medico-Legal Expert Witness, who revealed everyone’s been using Vaseline wrong. The product isn’t actually a lip moisturiser at all, it’s called an occlusive, which means it seals moisture into the skin.
“Vaseline alone is not enough to hydrate the lips as it acts more just as a barrier rather than moisturising the lips,” she said.
When applied to moisturised lips, petroleum jelly will lock in that moisture and ensure they stay plump and smooth. However, if your lips are already dry and chapped, the product won’t do much at all and your lips will still feel dry.
That’s why it sometimes feels like Vaseline is making your lips drier, because you’re lathering it on like a lip balm in an attempt to moisturise your lips, but that’s not actually its intended use.
A great time to apply Vaseline is after taking a short, cool shower. Your skin will have drawn in the moisture from the water, and the petroleum jelly will lock this into the lips.
Vaseline also recommends applying a layer of their jelly onto the lips before heading outside to create a barrier and protect them from the cold and wind.
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I put it to the test
I put Vaseline on my lips every day for a week and my lips did in fact feel drier – because they were dry and chapped in the first place. They felt wet and moisturised at first of course, but after around an hour they felt tight and still just as chapped.
After that, I waited for around a week until my chapped lips had healed and were hydrated again, before applying a layer of Vaseline again – and it worked wonders. Once my lips were nice and plump I applied a layer of Vaseline to lock in that moisture, just as it should be used.
I took a look at the tin and was shocked to discover that Vaseline isn’t even classed as a lip balm at all – it clearly says “lip therapy” on the front. That’s a common misconception, and everyone has been using it wrong for their entire lives!
By definition, a lip balm is a product that soothes sore or cracked lips by nourishing and hydrating them, and that’s not what petroleum jelly is designed to do.
How to heal chapped lips
Patel doesn’t recommend putting any lip balms on dry and chapped lips and says it’s best to let your body heal them, but there are a few things you can do to help.
She advises not to pick or bite any flaky skin on your lips as this can slow down healing. Do not keep licking dry or cracked lips either, as this can make them sore.
Avoid touching your lips too, and if you do choose to use a lip balm, don’t share it with anyone else as this can spread germs.
The American Academy of Dermatology says you should avoid using lip products that contain flavorings. For example, cinnamon, citrus, mint, and peppermint flavors can be especially irritating to dry, chapped lips.
Instead, use products that are fragrance-free and hypoallergenic, anddrink plenty of water as this will help hydrate them.
