Vaseline

Vaseline (/ˈvæsəliːn/)[1][2][note 1] is an American brand of petroleum jelly-based products owned by transnational company Unilever.[3] Products include plain petroleum jelly and a selection of skin creams, soaps, lotions, cleansers, and deodorants.

For other uses, see Vaseline (disambiguation).
Vaseline
Product typePetroleum jelly, body lotion
OwnerUnilever
CountryUnited States
Introduced1872 (1872)
MarketsWorldwide
TaglineThe Healing Power of Vaseline
Websitevaseline.com
Vaseline in container. Produced in USSR.

In many languages, the word "Vaseline" is used as generic for petroleum jelly; in Portugal, the Unilever products are called Vaselina, and in Brazil and some Spanish-speaking countries, the Unilever products are called Vasenol.

History
An image from Vaseline company archives

In 1859, Robert Chesebrough, a chemist who formerly clarified kerosene from the oil of sperm whales, traveled to the oil fields in Titusville, Pennsylvania to research what new materials might be created from this new fuel. There he learned of a residue called rod wax that had to be periodically removed from oil rig pumps. The oil workers had been using the substance to heal cuts and burns. Chesebrough took samples of the rod wax back to Brooklyn, extracted the usable petroleum jelly, and began manufacturing a medicinal product he called Vaseline.[4]

The first known reference to the name Vaseline was by Chesebrough in his U.S. patent (U.S. Patent 127,568) in 1872. "I, Robert Chesebrough, have invented a new and useful product from petroleum which I have named Vaseline..."

The name "vaseline" is said by the manufacturer to be derived from German Wasser "water" + Greek έλαιον (elaion) "oil".[5]

Vaseline was made by the Chesebrough Manufacturing Company until the company, which merged with Pond's in 1955, was purchased by Unilever in 1987.[3]

Uses
Further information: Petroleum jelly § Uses
Vaseline in its container

Vaseline can be used as a lubricant for metallic and plastic surfaces. Vaseline should never be used as a lubricant in sexual practices, as it may introduce infection-causing bacteria,[6][7][8] damage latex condoms,[9][10] and is not recommended for internal use.[11] It can also be used as a moisture insulator for local skin conditions characterized by dry skin, such as atopic dermatitis and eczema.[12]

Topical application

As a petrolatum product, Vaseline is used as a topical moisturizer which assists with skin water retention by acting as an occlusive agent that prevents evaporation of water from the stratum corneum (outermost skin layer) and seals out external water.[11][12] Vaseline is intended for external use only, and is not recommended for deep skin cuts or punctures, animal bites, or serious burns.[12] Topical petrolatum products like Vaseline are used to manage and relieve atopic dermatitis and eczema in adults.[11][13]

Vaseline contains mineral oils.[12] Unrefined mineral oils often contain adulterants including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which can increase risk for certain forms of cancer when consumed orally.[14] When used topically (as is recommended with Vaseline), dermal absorption of PAHs is insignificant.[15] No link between topical petroleum jelly-based moisturizers and cancer has been found in large studies over many years.[16]

Ingredient sources

White petrolatum, the ingredient in petroleum jelly Vaseline, is refined from petroleum.

References

Notes
  1. Also pronounced with the main stress on the last syllable /ˌvæsəˈliːn/.

Citations
  1. "Definition of Vaseline". The Free Dictionary. Retrieved 7 November 2013.
  2. "Define Vaseline". Dictionary.com. Retrieved 7 November 2013.
  3. Speser, Phyllis L. (2012). The Art and Science of Technology Transfer. John Wiley & Sons. p. 210. ISBN 978-1-118-42893-1.
  4. The History of Vaseline Petroleum Jelly began in the Pennsylvania Oil Fields!, Drake Well Museum pamphlet, copyright 1996 by Holigan Group Ltd, Dallas, Texas
  5. Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
  6. Brown, Joelle M.; Poirot, Eugenie; Hess, Kristen L.; Brown, Stephen; Vertucci, Michele; Hezareh, Marjan (11 March 2016). "Motivations for Intravaginal Product Use among a Cohort of Women in Los Angeles". PLOS ONE. 11 (3): e0151378. Bibcode:2016PLoSO..1151378B. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0151378. PMC 4788422. PMID 26967165.
  7. Brown, Joelle M.; Hess, Kristen L.; Brown, Stephen; Murphy, Colleen; Waldman, Ava Lena; Hezareh, Marjan (April 2013). "Intravaginal Practices and Risk of Bacterial Vaginosis and Candidiasis Infection Among a Cohort of Women in the United States". Obstetrics & Gynecology. 121 (4): 773–780. doi:10.1097/AOG.0b013e31828786f8. PMID 23635677. S2CID 1580695.
  8. Workowski, Kimberly A.; Bachmann, Laura H.; Chan, Philip A.; Johnston, Christine M.; Muzny, Christina A.; Park, Ina; Reno, Hilary; Zenilman, Jonathan M.; Bolan, Gail A. (23 July 2021). "Sexually Transmitted Infections Treatment Guidelines, 2021". MMWR. Recommendations and Reports. 70 (4): 1–187. doi:10.15585/mmwr.rr7004a1. eISSN 1545-8601. ISSN 1057-5987. PMC 8344968. PMID 34292926.
  9. Voeller, Bruce; Coulson, Anne H.; Bernstein, Gerald S.; Nakamura, Robert M. (January 1989). "Mineral oil lubricants cause rapid deterioration of latex condoms". Contraception. 39 (1): 95–102. doi:10.1016/0010-7824(89)90018-8. PMID 2535978.
  10. de Graaf, Ron; Vanwesenbeeck, Ine; van Zessen, Gertjan; Straver, Cees J.; Visser, Jan H. (February 1993). "The effectiveness of condom use in heterosexual prostitution in The Netherlands". AIDS. 7 (2): 265–270. doi:10.1097/00002030-199302000-00016. PMID 8466690. S2CID 25489307.
  11. Eichenfield, Lawrence F.; Tom, Wynnis L.; Berger, Timothy G.; et al. (2014). "Guidelines of care for the management of atopic dermatitis". Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. 71 (1): 116–132. doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2014.03.023. ISSN 0190-9622. PMC 4326095. PMID 24813302.
  12. "Petrolatum topical". Drugs.com. 23 February 2021. Retrieved 4 November 2022.
  13. van Zuuren, Esther J; Fedorowicz, Zbys; Lavrijsen, Adriana; Christensen, Robin; Arents, Bernd (2016-03-11). Van Zuuren, Esther J (ed.). "Emollients and moisturisers for eczema". Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2 (2): CD012119. doi:10.1002/14651858.cd012119. PMC 6464068. PMID 28166390.
  14. IARC Working Group, on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans (2012). "MINERAL OILS, UNTREATED OR MILDLY TREATED". Chemical Agents and Related Occupations. International Agency for Research on Cancer. Retrieved 4 November 2022.
  15. Chuberre, B.; Araviiskaia, E.; Bieber, T.; Barbaud, A. (7 October 2019). "Mineral oils and waxes in cosmetics: an overview mainly based on the current European regulations and the safety profile of these compounds". Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology. 33 (S7): 5–14. doi:10.1111/jdv.15946. eISSN 1468-3083. ISSN 0926-9959. PMID 31588613. S2CID 203850745.
  16. Pirow, Ralph; Blume, Annegret; Hellwig, Nicole; Herzler, Matthias; Huhse, Bettina; Hutzler, Christoph; Pfaff, Karla; Thierse, Hermann-Josef; Tralau, Tewes; Vieth, Bärbel; Luch, Andreas (21 October 2019). "Mineral oil in food, cosmetic products, and in products regulated by other legislations". Critical Reviews in Toxicology. 49 (9): 742–789. doi:10.1080/10408444.2019.1694862. eISSN 1547-6898. ISSN 1040-8444. PMID 31939687. S2CID 210812934.
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