Is Petroleum Jelly Bad for You?

The Good

• It helps stop the loss of moisture and helps maintain existing hydration under the skin.
• It feels good on our skin, helping to alleviate the feeling of chapping and irritation.
• The Environmental Working Group gives petroleum jelly the highest safety scores.

The Bad

• It forms a seal over the pores of the skin that disrupts the body’s ability to eliminate toxins, dirt and contaminants, which would otherwise pass through those pores and exit the skin.
• It does nothing to hydrate or heal the skin itself.
• It slows cellular regeneration and can damage collagen and elastin, thereby contributing to older looking skin.
• It is difficult to remove from the skin.

The Ugly 

• While petroleum jelly may be safe in its pure form, purity remains a problem, and the impurities often found in petroleum jelly, such as poly aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), have been linked to cancer.
• Unlike in the European Union, there are no refinement requirements in the United States, and so U.S. manufacturers are not legally obligated to remove the PAHs and other conta