Vaseline and acne: the AAD and a review disagree

Sources disagree on whether petroleum jelly causes breakouts, and no trial has tested it on the faces of people with acne. The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) tells patients: "Avoid putting petroleum jelly on your face if you are acne-prone, as this may cause breakouts in some people." A 2024 review in the AAD's own journal calls the idea that it causes acne a misconception. Vaseline is a brand name of petroleum jelly, and this page uses the plain name from here on. This page is part of Skinli's guide to home remedies for acne.

Skinli gives general education and is not a doctor. For the studies below, Skinli read the published summaries (abstracts). Petroleum jelly has no acne use on its label, and this page gives no way to use it on acne.

What petroleum jelly is, and what its label covers

Doctors call petroleum jelly petrolatum. The 2024 review says: "Petrolatum, also known as petroleum jelly, is a widely used topical agent, with a variety of uses in dermatology."

In the United States it is sold as a drug of the skin protectant type, which the FDA rule describes as a product that temporarily protects injured or exposed skin. The rule lists "(m) Petrolatum, 30 to 100 percent." and "(r) White petrolatum, 30 to 100 percent." A petroleum jelly label on DailyMed, the label database of the US National Library of Medicine, shows what that means in practice:

Label line	What it says
Active ingredient	"WHITE PETROLATUM, USP (100%)"
Purpose	"skin protectant"
Uses	It temporarily protects minor cuts, scrapes and burns. It also "temporarily protects and helps relieve chapped or cracked skin and lips" and "helps protect from the drying effects of wind and cold weather"
Do not use on	"deep or puncture wounds", animal bites and serious burns
Directions	"apply as needed"

The label says nothing about pores or acne, in either direction. Petrolatum is also absent from the FDA's separate list of acne drug ingredients.

Two opposite views, and no trial in people with acne

Source	What it says	What it is based on
AAD patient page on petroleum jelly	"Avoid putting petroleum jelly on your face if you are acne-prone, as this may cause breakouts in some people."	The page gives no study for this line
NHS page on emollients, its word for moisturizing treatments	Reactions can include "blocked or inflamed hair follicles (folliculitis) that may cause boils" and "rashes on the face that can aggravate acne"	A list of possible reactions. The page does not name petroleum jelly
MedlinePlus acne page	"Avoid greasy cosmetics or creams."	General advice
NICE acne guideline for England	Skin care users with acne should "avoid oil-based and comedogenic preparations."	A guideline recommendation
2024 review, Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology	Data on "comedogenicity are detailed, dispelling misconceptions about petrolatum use around oxygen and as a cause of acne."	Skinli read the summary only, and it gives no figures
2007 rabbit ear test	The summary lists the materials tested and says "The first nine were deemed positive." Petrolatum is the last on the list	Rabbit ears

Comedogenic means able to clog pores. A clogged pore is what doctors call a comedone.

The rabbit ear test has limits. The authors of a 1984 rabbit ear study wrote that the test "is not an ideal animal model but is the best we have." They also wrote: "If an ingredient is negative in the rabbit ear assay, we feel it is safe on the acne-prone skin." A 2006 study in six people with large pores on the upper back tested finished cosmetics and concluded: "Finished products using comedogenic ingredients are not necessarily comedogenic." In plain words, a list of ingredients does not settle what a product does on a person.

The two views compare like this. The AAD's advice to patients, the NHS list and the NICE guideline all advise care with greasy products on an acne-prone face. One recent review calls the acne link a misconception, and one animal test found no clogged follicles with petrolatum. The searches run for this guide found no trial of petroleum jelly on the faces of people with acne, and the summary of the review names none.

The AAD page opens its warning with this line: "While petroleum jelly has many benefits, it shouldn't be used for everything."

What petroleum jelly does in the outer skin layer

The studies of petroleum jelly are about moisture and the skin barrier.

• AAD, dry skin. "Ointments and creams add more moisture to skin and are more effective than lotions." Petrolatum is on the AAD's list of ingredients to look for when skin is dry. That page is about dry skin and does not mention acne.
• AAD, petroleum jelly. "For the best results, always apply petroleum jelly when your skin is damp."
• A 1992 study. Researchers damaged the outer skin layer of volunteers with acetone, a solvent, and then applied petroleum jelly. They reported that the skin barrier, the outer layer that holds water in, recovered faster on the treated skin. The jelly was found between the cells at every level of that layer.
• A 2016 study. In a study of 36 healthy people and 13 people with eczema, skin covered with petrolatum showed "increased stratum corneum thickness", which means a thicker outer skin layer.

Neither study looked at pores, oil or acne.

Slugging: petroleum jelly on the face overnight

A 2022 paper in Clinics in Dermatology defines the habit. Slugging "entails slathering a petrolatum-based ointment on the skin as a last step in your evening skincare routine." The paper warns: "Due to its occlusive nature, slugging has a potential risk for harm." Occlusive means that it seals the surface of the skin.

That paper is a count of the top 50 videos on slugging on one social media app. It found that "18 (36.7%) videos were deemed educational, discussing risks and/or benefits." It tested slugging on nobody, and its summary does not say what the harm would be.

No public AAD page on slugging was found for this guide. The AAD line that applies is the one at the top of this page, which is written for acne-prone people.

Petroleum jelly on a popped pimple or a scab

For small wounds, the AAD recommends petroleum jelly by name:

• "For minor wounds such as cuts, scrapes, and scratches, use petroleum jelly to keep the wound moist."
• "This helps prevent the wound from drying out and forming a scab, as scabs take longer to heal."
• "choose petroleum jelly that comes in a tube instead of a jar." The AAD gives the reason: to prevent spreading dirt and bacteria.

A 1996 trial enrolled 922 patients after small skin surgery at a US Army hospital. One group used white petrolatum and the other used bacitracin, an antibiotic ointment. Infections were few in both groups: "9 (2.0%) in the white petrolatum group vs 4 (0.9%) in the bacitracin group", and the trial found no clear difference between the two. No patient on petrolatum had an allergic skin reaction, against 4 on the antibiotic. The authors concluded: "White petrolatum is a safe, effective wound care ointment for ambulatory surgery." Ambulatory surgery is surgery where the patient goes home the same day.

Those wounds came from skin surgery. The AAD's wound pages are about cuts and scrapes, and its warning is about the face of an acne-prone person. Neither speaks about one open pimple, so no source settles it. For a pimple, the AAD also names another cover: "a hydrocolloid acne patch can be applied to protect your skin and improve healing." Skinli's guides on what to do after popping a pimple and on pimple patches explain both. The page on Neosporin on a pimple covers antibiotic ointment.

What the AAD, the NHS and the FDA rule support

For a dry face with acne, the AAD's answer is a moisturizer with one of three descriptions on the container:

1. Oil-free
2. Non-comedogenic
3. Won't clog pores

The AAD says: "When you see one of these descriptions, it means that the moisturizer is unlikely to cause acne." Plain petroleum jelly cannot carry the first description. The NHS acne page gives the same advice: "use skincare and make-up products that are non-comedogenic (this means they will not clog pores)".

A product with these words can still cause breakouts in some people. The FDA says: "FDA does not have a list of approved or accepted claims for cosmetics." MedlinePlus adds: "Remember that products that say they are noncomedogenic might still cause acne in you personally." Its practical test is short: "Therefore, avoid any product that you find makes your acne worse." Skinli's guide on what non-comedogenic means explains the label in more detail.

A moisturizer can also help once treatment starts. The AAD says of acne medicines: "These treatments tend to dry and irritate the skin. Using a moisturizer every day can help your skin tolerate these medications." The guide to moisturizer for acne-prone skin covers how to choose one.

For the acne itself, the AAD names adapalene, azelaic acid, benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid for a deep, painful pimple. The NHS names salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide. The FDA rule for acne drugs sold without a prescription lists benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, sulfur, and sulfur combined with resorcinol. The AAD's acne pages name a maker of prescription acne drugs as their supporter.

Bumps that are not acne, and when to see a doctor

Two other conditions can look like acne. The AAD says: "A skin infection called folliculitis can also be mistaken for acne." It also says a rash around the mouth can be perioral dermatitis, and that "Something may be irritating your skin, such as a skin care product or toothpaste." No source read for this guide links petroleum jelly to perioral dermatitis. A doctor can tell which condition you have.

The label of the product says: "See a doctor if condition last more than 7 days". The wording is the label's own.

For the acne itself, the NHS says to see a GP, which is a family doctor, if "you have lots of spots, or the spots are deep, painful or causing scars". The AAD says to see a dermatologist when acne has not cleared with treatment you can buy without a prescription. For a cut that is healing, the AAD lists the signs of infection that need a call to a doctor: "pus or increased redness, swelling or pain".