Acne is a skin condition with no cure, although it can be treated effectively. Since it is affected by hormonal activities, you can only wait and try different remedies and lifestyles to either make it feel better or disappear. Can petroleum jelly remove acne? Let’s find out.
Can Petroleum Jelly Remove Acne?
Petroleum jelly, as found in Vaseline, is ideal for softening rough cuticles, soothing cracked skin, taming the brown, etc. However, it cannot ‘remove acne’. On the contrary, it can add to the effect and make your breakout worse.
Petroleum jelly can trigger an acne breakout if you use it on an active breakout or acne-prone skin. True, petroleum jelly is safe for use on dry skin since it has occlusive properties that will soothe the skin. You can also use it on sensitive and oily skin. However, as per dermatologists, petroleum jelly is not the best fix for an acne breakout.
Applying petroleum jelly to acne, a painful cyst, for example, may help keep the skin’s barrier function. When you apply a generous dose of the jelly to your skin, say before you sleep, you seal all the products you have used earlier, and this routine may be handy in helping the skin heal. Apart from this, the jelly is also known for its anti-inflammatory effects.
Petrolatum is comedogenic. This means that it will likely cause acne rather than heal it. Although it serves as an excellent barrier between the skin and the elements, it also does not let moisture flow too much to the surface. As expected, although well-meaning, it traps dirt and bacteria beneath the skin, two factors that can cause acne.
Apart from this, petroleum jelly is linked to cases of rare allergic reactions in some people. Although rare, we cannot turn away from the fact that a reaction to petroleum jelly may cause purging in sensitive people.
Not only this, petroleum jelly is thick, and with its thick consistency, it is not absorbed by the skin readily. It takes time to absorb and sits on your skin for a long time. Hence, it is not ideal for use under makeup for daily activities.
When you think about it, petroleum jelly is not practical for use against acne. But it does an excellent job of forming a protective barrier that seals the skin from external invasion. Although it won’t cure acne, you can use petroleum jelly in combination with other known treatment options to better your chances against acne.
The trapping barrier petroleum jelly forms on the body ultimately does little to help with acne. Since it is an occlusive agent, it forms a film on the skin to prevent water loss. However, in doing so, petroleum jelly blocks the pores and affects natural perspiration.
In essence, it blocks the pores and lets nothing in or out. If you are acne-prone, consider it as wrapping yourself in tape. Since your skin needs to breathe and get things out, it won’t do much good not to be able to. Hence, although petroleum jelly shields the skin from external elements, improvement in skin condition because of its application is not a given.
Look at it this way to help you understand how petroleum jelly really works. Let us assume you have a dirty hand, an extremely dirty hand if you will. Now, you apply petroleum jelly in generous amounts on your hand. True, it will seal off the hand and form a barrier. However, there is nothing in it that goes down to the pores deep beneath the skin to heal them, cause exfoliation, kill bacteria, or affect oil production. Besides, it is not like it inherently has properties to moisturize the hands. Instead, it locks what is already on the skin and no more.
If you want to nourish the skin, you might have to combine petroleum jelly with other products to nourish the skin. For example, you can combine it with olive oil, coconut oil, jojoba oil, etc. which have natural properties that nourish the skin.
You can visit a dermatologist for acne treatment for recommendations on what product to combine with petroleum jelly against acne.
Is Petroleum Jelly Good For Your Skin?
Acne aside, petroleum jelly offers exciting benefits for the skin. Some of them are:
Helps With Skin Healing And Condition
Ointments, unlike lotions, are more effective for treating dry skin. Hence, you can safely apply petroleum jelly to a cracked or dry skin, including the eyelids, lips, and other thin skin areas. It is also ideal for use on minor scratches, scrapes, and wounds to keep the site moist and prevent it from drying out.
This way, you will prevent a scab from forming and the scar from getting too deep, itchy, and large. Plus, it is handy against painful skin irritation like chafing and blisters.
Also, petroleum jelly is known to reduce diaper rash in babies, though not significantly.
Moisturize Your Hands And Face
Petroleum jelly functions as an occlusive moisturizer that keeps your skin from drying out. It accelerates healing by locking in moisture; hence, it is handy for treating cracked heels, chapped lips, and rehydrating the nails to minimize brittleness.
In a way, petroleum jelly does enough to reduce acne caused by drying of the skin. For example, when your skin is excessively dry, perhaps due to environmental or self-induced conditions, it can cause acne to form.
However, when your skin is dryer than it should, the system makes oil to replenish the ones you lose and keep your skin hydrated. Unfortunately, excess oil production is one significant acne cause. Since petroleum jelly seals moisture and keeps the skin hydrated, it is an effective way to avoid acne caused by dry skin.
Use As A Lube
Petroleum jelly is used to get around objects like rings, etc. Some even use it as a lube during sex. However, it is not ideal for personal intercourse as it is difficult to clean; hence, it may lead to an infection.
Apart from this, you can use it as a lube for stuck objects. It can also reduce how your split ends in your hair look.
Petroleum Jelly For Skin Conditions
Eczema And Psoriasis
When the skin cannot lock water in, it can cause it to dry, crack, and allow bacteria invasion. You can apply petroleum jelly to areas where eczema and psoriasis symptoms are common, to seal moisture – without irritating the skin.
Petroleum jelly, when combined with medicines, works better and gives a higher chance of success. You should use it on the skin when it is damp for a significant result.
Atopic Dermatitis And Lice
Petroleum jelly is handy for relieving itchy skin in infants and newborns. You can use it on babies three weeks after they are born in case they are born with it. Apart from this, like mayonnaise, jelly is a home remedy for killing adult lice. Although it does little to the egg, it kills adult lice.
Rosacea And Aging
Rosacea is an inflammatory skin condition whose symptoms vary in individuals. However, researches indicate that occlusive jelly can be of tremendous help to people with rosacea. Not only does the properties protect red and inflamed skin, but it also conditions it for healing.
Prevents Blisters And Helps Wounds Heal
Since petroleum jelly seals water in the skin, it provides a moist environment for wounds to heal. It also reduces the redness associated with a new scar and the chances of an infection.
If you are an athlete, you can rub some between your heels or legs to prevent chafing in areas that rub. If a blister develops, you can add petroleum jelly to the sore to heal faster.
So, Can Petroleum Jelly Remove Acne?
Petroleum jelly is a safe treatment that locks moisture into the skin. One huge win for it is that it is handy for use on different skin types and helps heal wounds and heal. Although it doesn’t have moisturizing properties itself, it locks in moisture that will do the trick.
However, petroleum jelly is not the best option for curing acne. Since acne is caused by deep interactions between hormones within the system, petroleum jelly has little effect on such interactions. Therefore, although it is beneficial to the skin, it is not a great idea to use petroleum jelly with an aim to cure acne-prone skin.
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