Since Cailin recently posted about using Vaseline as a mascara alternative, I’ve thought of a few more ways (twenty, to be exact) to work petroleum jelly into your beauty routine. You’ll be surprised at how many different way you can use something so simple – and so inexpensive!
- Keep your hands clean. Rub some petroleum jelly onto your hands before doing any type of messy work. It’ll keep things like paint from absorbing into your skin, making it easy to just wipe them off later.
- Protect skin from hair color. Apply around your hair line to ensure no hair color absorbs into your skin. Just wipe off later and you’ll be ready to go!
- Moisturize chapped lips. Apply and go – it’s basically the same thing as Carmex.
- In fact, moisturize your whole body. You can use it on your hands, elbows, knees, wherever!
- Protect your nails when painting them. Apply around the edge of your nail. It’ll make sure no polish gets on your skin while softening your cuticles.
- Get soft feet! Apply to rough feet 3 minutes after bath or shower to moisturize them. Applying it right out of the shower helps absorption. You can also put it on your feet before bed and wear socks and you’ll wake up with soft, smooth, lovely feet.
- Use as a make-up remover. Petroleum jelly safely removes your make up while softening your skin as well.
- Create a smoky eye shadow look. Apply black eyeliner, and then use a small amount of petroleum jelly over the top. Slightly smear it for a messy, smoky look.
- Skip your mascara.
- Make your eyelashes grow. Many people swear by this trick. Apply every night before bed and over time you will have longer, stronger, thicker lashes.
- Soften hands. Apply a generous amount to your hands, then wear gloves to bed. You will wake up with the softest hands ever.
- Shine your bald beau’s head. Rub into his scalp and he’ll be so shiny, you’ll be able to predict the future with his head.
- Gloss your lips. Vaseline works great as a sheer, shiny gloss. ( You can also add Kool-Aid mix to the Vaseline to make your favorite lip gloss color. Yummy!)
- Look dewy. Apply to your cheeks for a radiant dewy glow.
- Tame your brows. Apply a tiny bit of petroleum jelly to your brows for a fabulous finished look.
- Remove false eyelash glue. Rub a little on your eyelashes to remove frustrating leftover glue from fake eyelashes.
- Smooth your lips. Apply to your lips after exfoliating with a toothbrush to ensure the smoothest lips you’ve ever had.
- Hide split ends. Dab a bit onto the ends of your hair to hide your dry, split ends.
- Prevent razor burn. Apply a little to your legs after shaving. It will both soothe them and smooth them!
- Homebrew an exfoliating scrub. Add sea salt, and it become the perfect bath time exfoliant.

Let me remind you about one thing that you are putting ON your body.
Petroleum! Meaning this is a crude oil based product.
Not a good thing no matter how many uses you can find for it!
Vaseline is one of the thing we are already so used to have around, that we never question what they are made of…
let’s also not forget that has a high risk for cancer..
damn give us cancer
ew – i don’t think i’ll be using anything on my skin that is a by-product of making gasoline.
Very useful tips. Thankss
Boo. Not a fan of smearing petroleum on myself.
Ew. That all would be like smearing lard all over yourself
Ick.
petroleum jelly protects your skin, softens it, etc. But it does not make your eyelashes grow. there is nothing about petroleum jelly that helps with hair growth. if you think it makes your eyelashes grow, then why wouldn’t it make your arm hair and leg hair grow? it’s a myth
Chill out people…..let’s not over react. It’s only suggestions…jeepers
Don’t forget lube.
You know, for that creaking door or cabinet or for car parts.
Ladies, thank you for all of your feedback. These were just suggestions for how you could use it. Also, these are not suggestions that you should rub PJ all over your body everyday and soak in it. They are simple suggestions on how to get soft skin, etc. It is highly unlikely that you will get cancer from applying a little bit as a lip balm. However, I do appreciate your feedback. Thanks!
Hey guys, just F.Y.I. – Petrolatum, the main ingredient in Vaseline, is found in tons of cosmetics. It’s from a rod wax that is distilled, so no worries about smearing nasty things all over yourself (consider when whale blubber was used to make lipstick – oh, the things we do for beauty…). Also, products like Aquaphor are dermatologist recommended. Believe me, it’s way better than some of the chemicals present in lotions that are being made today. Thanks for these tips – I’ve also found that Vaseline can act as a sunscreen in a pinch. It just makes you super-shiny.
I think they’re good tips although I’m with the general disbelief of the hair growth statement… You can also use it to make dance make up…. I’m a Cheer coach… instead of spending tons of money on expensive glitter makeup you can take Vaseline and dump craft glitter in and mix well and use as costume makeup.. its also good to use over your teeth in a performance or photoshoot it keeps your lips/inside of your mouth from sticking to your teeth… I’ll swear by this I do it to every cheerleader i have.
[...] Cailin • July 30, 2008 Since you ladies loved our posts on DIY beauty uses for petroleum jelly, Q-tips and olive oil, I thought I’d give you a host of beauty tips on another common [...]
Thanks for your information. But we have high risk of getting cancer using this product.
[...No cuticle oil? Switch in olive oil, lip balm or petroleum jelly...]
dey wudnt sell it over d counter if u cud get cancer from it for gods sake. if der was Lanolin in it which is a known carcinogen den i wud agree, but even so it wud not be for sale, think about it. All the lawsuits. And anyway if u read the meaning of the ingredients in everything we use u wud be surprised at far worse things dan abtract of petroleum. All that shimmery stuff in eye-shadow, lipsticks and nail varnish comes from gaunine which is fish scales for cryin out loud. Stop reading too much into things.
[...] beauty products sure to change your life – or at least your morning routine. I’m proud to say Vaseline made the list (we told you it was useful!) along with MAX Factor Volume Couture Mascara and the new [...]
For those who are saying Vaseline or petroleum jelly can give you cancer, you must not use any kind of makeup. It is one of the main ingredients in lip balm and some lip sticks. The product has been around since the 1880s with no incidences with any health problems.
Please, if you are so worried about a product that was meant to go on your body, google it. You will find it’s main ingredient is Petralatum, and has nothing to do with “gas”.
I will have to use the split end idea, I’m sure it would make hair nice and shiny as well. Nice list.
I don’t see the point in worrying about getting cancer from Vaseline. We’ll all probably get cancer anyways, either from genes of from the sun, etc.
Thanks for the tips though. I’ll definetly be useing some of them=))
Hey guys,
These are all good suggestions; (you do have a choice not to use it); however everyone reacts differently to different products. I’ve worked @ one of the Best Cancer Hospitals in the country for 15 yrs… Our facility ranks either #1 or 2 each yr. Our physicians do Research on various types of Cancer on-going. There are no studies that state PJ causes Cancer! There are actually good benefits of using PJ as a skin protectant for many things…
TO anyone criticizing this post. ..GO SOMEWHERE ..PLEASE! You’re ridiculous. It was a post. no one said you HAD to use it, believe it, etc. Yeah, it’s a big conspiracy the beauty bunny wants you to get cancer. GROW UP lol dur
ok, you may as well go lock yourself in a padded cell and refuse to eat, because almost every part of our daily lives can give us cancer now! ppl have been using vaseliene for yrs and havnt been dying. you wont use vaseliene but you probably all go sunbaking which is a much bigger cause of cancer! and proven.
Congratulations! The Beauty Bunny has randomly selected several of this post’s commenters to receive our Super Special Reader Gift Pack. If your name is “Val”, “50 cent I-really-want-you-to-buy-my clothing”, or anything excrement-related, you have won!
Your prize includes a customized package we’ve put together including a pack of Lucky Strike cigarettes, a six-month membership to Darque Tan and of course, petroleum jelly. Thanks so much for speaking your mind here at The Beauty Bunny, where we definitely do not want to give you cancer.
Great tips for different way for being simple and beauty!! give a thumbs up on SU!!
Thanx! I bought some vaseline like a month ago and it’s been sitting on my bathroom counter ever since because I did not know what to honestly do with it. Great suggestions. Anything that keeps me soft and cuddly I’m willing to try ;}
Petroleum jelly and mineral oil are NOT bad for you! To the commenters who can’t distinguish reality from urban myth, go back to trying to make popcorn with your cell phone.
Hehe, good point Isabel. It’s tough to say what does and doesn’t have some relation to cancer these days, but let’s just say it’s highly unlikely petroleum jelly would still be sold in its current form if there were any link, or the media would have a field day with Vaseline.
Vaseline is pure petrolatum.Topical application of petrolatum can help the skin’s outer layer recover from damage, reduce inflammation and generally heal the skin(Source:Acta Dermato-Venereologica, November-December 2000, pages 412-415).
I think it could cause cancer. It is made from oil. Your skin can’t even absorb it, so what good is it rubbing it on your body?
One reviewer says “…It’s unlikely petroleum jelly would still be sold in its current form if there were any link [to cancer] ” They still sell cigarettes and tobacco products and there is a link to cancer.
Just because a product has been around for decades doesn’t mean it is good for you.
Remember when we used to put talcum powder on a babies butt ? Now it is not used anymore because we have learned better. People used to smoke everywhere now you can hardly find someone smoking.
You don’t have to believe it but in a few years petroleum jelly will not be used anymore.
for crying out loud….GET OVER IT!!! look at the ingredients in most of your beauty products, you probably can’t even pronounce them. some kind of weird chemicals, yet you are freaking out over VASELINE!!!! for heaven’s sake. the tub i’m looking at says ’skin protectant’ they wouldn’t sell it as a skin product yet you are freaking out about putting it on your skin! people think everything causes cancer. just live in a little bubble if you are so worried about it, then someday you can join the real world and realize that the elements of this world won’t kill you.
vaseline is also good for diaper rash on babies
haha very funny. and did you know that if you rub it on your tongue you can sing like Britney Spears…
you guys are overreacting…. geez.
Someone put a lot of work into this and you are stomping all over it. I hate it when people go onto a website e.g., picture or article, and think they can post worthless crap that they think people need to know. If people wanted to read what you thought, they wouldn’t waste their time reading or looking at what REALLY needs to be looked at
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Thanks for all of the tips! I haven’t tried this one yet, but it works with water and glycerin so i bet it works with petroleum:
apply some petroleum to your palm with an eyeliner brush, then apply some black eyeliner (or whatever color you want) to your palm, mix together and voila! gel eyeliner.
Ok so my boyfriends birthday is coming up and I really need to get something good for him. I have to admit I am one of those people that likes to buy a present for someone that will benefit me lol! Yeah I know it sounds bad, but true. So here it goes, I love a man that smells great so does anyone know if that Fahrenheit 32 by Christian Dior is a good cologne? FAHRENHEIT 32 by Christian Dior
Although vaseline is a by-product of petroleum, it still has many uses that beat the alernative to say burning. It does protect your skin if you dye your hair and put some around the top of your face along the hair line and then add a layer of cotton. Ofcourse it would be better if you didn’t use peroxide-based dyes but used vegetable-based instead..I use it to keep my sinuses from drying out so I can breathe as they have been acting up due to the forced propane heat in the winter here. I suppose I could have a similar effect with olive oil. There is nothing wrong with ‘mineral oil’ but baby oil has alot of paraben in it which I would not recommend on any baby bottom! Also soy is a better choice than paraffin in your candles. Pump sprays are better than aerosols and so on. What is the biggest organ of your body? Give up? It is your skin. When you rub petroleum and parabens into your skin it enters your blood stream as if you were eating it! Fact. Many things are on the market that very clearly are no good for you, your family, your pets, are tested on animals, or the planet. many don’t care. I do so I choose to live as ethically as I can but mind you I still eat meat and yea cows are still being killed with a bullet to the head and chikens are alive when they die on a conveyor belt. The cattle industry is inhumane clearly but, I tried going vegan and I felt awful so..I do my best but I’m not nuty about it.
-Ann (alternative health practitioner)
you know what!? petroleum jelly also help to remove my scars and my skin much pleasant! and good luck!! mwuaah
[...] ang hinala ko, petroleum jelly pa rin ang pinaka-maaasahang produkto. Bukod sa very affordable, ang dami ring gamit nito. Hindi mo na kailangan ng samu’t-saring produkto, mas tipid at simple ang buhay. Higit sa [...]
Amazing tips. Especially the smoky eye one! Another great use of Vaseline is to use it before applying a self-tanner (because real sunlight is baddddd, it causes cancer!) Rubbing on Vaseline will even out the self-tanner, giving you better color and less streaks.
Shaw- Cigarettes also REQUIRE a surgeons general warning on them, by law, stating their ill-effects as proven by studies showing they contain carcinogens. I’m staring at a tub of vaseline right now and I can’t find that warning…… hmm…. Now why wouldn’t vaseline notify me that I must choose between either having chapped lips or undergoing chemo, radiation therapy, medications, miscarriage, heartache, death, etc.. That’s messed up!
All plastics are by-products of petroleum also. Welcome the the ersatz jungle…
i agree with you. i had an electrical burn in my right hand few years back when i was staying at a dormitory. my roomie dumped my hand into cold water and my hand ended up watery and had white spots as it was healing. it looks gross and ugly. i had to wrap a hankie around it. then someone suggested pertoleum jelly, i had been applying it religiously for over 3months over my hand. and voila! now no one could tell the difference between my left and right hand skin color, softness and integrity. i guess the petroleum jelly did wonders! i am a testimony of it.
I for many years of fungus problem lower extremeities …you name it..I have tried it. Was told to change to clean one up and then use petroleum and all he chemical used will disappear. Yes they cost a lot when using physicians recommendation..It has been the first I have heard of vaselilne for this problem..Has anyone else tried it…..groin and feet areas……
wt da f**k.is ths,,dont apply on face
Jesus! Everything is supposedly carcinogenic at the moment, chicken, shampoo, eggs, vaseline, paracetamol, lipstick, alcohol, coal, paint, salt etc. Seriously if we stopped using stuff just because it has a 0.00004% chance of adding to cancer risk we would have very very sad boring lives xo
petroleum jelly doesn’t cause cancer
Pet Jelly is made of paraffin wax, microcrystalline wax and white oil. All these are raw materials derived from the distillation of crude oil. These raw materials are further refined and are stabalized through varying degrees of hydrocracking/isomerisation/hydrogenation. The end result are very highly refined and high purity products. The FDA then certifies these materials fit for varying degrees of human application and consumption. Liquid paraffin = baby oil. Waxes used in food packaging, chewing gum bases etc. The problem arises when producers make Pet jelly with inferior quality raw materials, ie less refined, develops odour over time, discolours over time. These are the bad products supplied by unethical producers. There are lots of them around. In any event Pet Jelly is not harmful if the right raws are used.
OMG!!!!! Hellooooooooooo guyssssss!!!!!!!!! Lets not forget what VASELINE is originally bought for…… BABIES????? nappy rash?? Fcuk man.. If it gave us cancer ime sure it would be on tha news or something to stop using it for babies bottoms!!
Wow. these tips are awesome! thanks for sharing! I’ll be trying some of them out
can it be used as sex lube?
I’m a little late… but brilliant!
wow .. i love these tips .. spically the smoky eye’s one .. can’t wait to try it..
i am interested in the eye lash one ..i might try it .
thank you
Your grandmothers have been using this product for years and years, it’s an all purpose beauty product. I’m sure none of them or anyone else has died from this product. Most of our makeup and lip balms have this in it, in fact I’m looking at my tube of Chapstick, says 40% white petroleum. So, if you use any type of lip balm for soft lips, then stop using it now for your “risk” of cancer. (rolls eyes)
Marge, cosmetic products are not regulated by the FDA. They can pretty much put anything they want in the product and sell it. If you are stupid enough to put it in/on your body, you’re generally SOL.
I have been used the PJ to soften the crack dry hands and feet for years, and it really works very well. I also started to use PJ for mascara sometime. It made my lashes seemed darker and fuller, but I could not swear it would help grow the lashes.
Our family has been using PJ for years and years and years !!!
No other barrier jelly like it !!
Great for babies bottoms……!! What would we do without it ??
Thanks for the great tips.
Yes, it can be used as a lubricant for sexual intercourse. Although, I do not recommend it, you can use it.
God, are people ignorant. They come out here, and just because they see the name “petroleum”, think they know everything about it.
Petroleum jelly IS NOT petroleum. “oh, but it comes from it!”. yeah, right. if you go to the origins of stuff, you’ll see that petroleum comes in fact from animals and plants long dead. however, when you put gas on your car, your not filling your tank with corpses are you?
this is simple chemistry, people. two similar molecules with a difference of an atom are completly diferent substances. when can kill, the other may save you. so gasoline and petroleum jelly are completly diferent. like CO and CO2 are completly diferent.
plus, to cure my extremely dry lips, my DOCTOR told to use vaseline. yes, someone who actually studied medicine, if that actually makes you feel safer.
i think these tips are great and so useful!