It happened on Instagram. I couldn't help myself.

After reading the list of ingredients for a 'daily skin repair lotion' of a well-known skincare brand made especially for sailors, I couldn't stay quiet. I posted a cheeky little graphic comparing the ingredients in my herbal cream to those in their lotion and asked, "Which would you rather put on your skin?"

Quite a few of their ingredients made me squirm but petrolatum made me jump right out of my chair. Petrolatum is another name for petroleum jelly, which of course is derived from petroleum and we’re all hyperaware of the environmental pollution from the petrochemical industry.

Petroleum jelly acts like a plastic coating so I see the appeal for sailors who need to prevent moisture loss from their skin. The downside though is that skin can't breathe or absorb moisture which could actually further dehydrate skin with long-term use. Petroleum jelly is considered safe to use though it's difficult for me to understand why anyone would want to.

On the original patent application for Vaseline filed in 1872, its inventor Robert Chesebrough explained, "The substance from which Vaseline is made is the residium of petroleum left in the still after the greater part of the petroleum has been distilled off."

Eew. Seriously. You don’t want that on your face.

2024 Edit: Since this post was written, I've closed my Instagram account