Vaseline can be found in almost all of American homes. It is a commonly trusted brand, and is used for many different things! But research shows that Vaseline is actually really harmful.
You might use Vaseline for chapped lips or burns, but you should stop immediately. This goes for petroleum jelly specifically. It was initially discovered in the mid-1800’s, when it was used for coating the bottom of oil rigs. Vaseline turns out to be completely unnatural and contains ingredients that can threaten your health!
Petroleum jelly’s primary purpose is to soothe and take care of the skin. This isn’t quite the case though. Vaseline actually creates an environment on your skin that is perfect for the multiplication of bacteria! It also causes your pores to shut down! Vaseline is full of hydrocarbons.
Hydrocarbons are compounds containing carbon and hydrogen only. The hydrocarbons involved in air pollution are gases (or those that are volatile) under ordinary conditions. The important sources of hydrocarbons in the natural environment are bacterial decomposition of organic matter, forest fires and vegetation. Incomplete combustion of gasoline fueled vehicles and industrial emissions account for 1/6 th of all hydrocarbons in atmosphere. These compounds can be extremely harmful for your body! the side effects of petrolatum include finding the petroleum byproduct in breast tumors, suffocation of the skin, premature aging and aggravated acne.
A study linking the petrolatum impurity polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons or PAHs to breast cancer was completed at Columbia University. The study indicates that breast tissue of women with breast cancer were 2.6 times more likely to have increased amounts of PAHs attached to their DNA than the breast tissue of women without breast cancer. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are found in oil, coal and tar deposits as byproducts of fuel burning. Researchers June K.Dunnick, Michael R.Elwell, James Huff and J.Carl Barrett of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC also found that PAHs were found in the mutated genes of test animals with mammary gland cancer.
Other studies show that Petroleum jelly suffocates the skin. Research at the Herb Research Foundation noted that skin absorbs up to 60 percent of the chemicals in products that it contacts and these chemical move directly into the bloodstream. The Organic Make-up company notes that the petrolatum developed for its cost effective glide in makeup application suffocates the skin by absorbing these chemicals directly into the bloodstream decreasing oxygen absorbed through the skin.
With many carcinogens such as nicotine, environmental pollution and chemical additives ingestion and absorption of these products can increase free radicals that can cause the skin and organs to age at a rapid rate or wear prematurely. Petrolatum found in many cosmetics can cause skin irritations and rashes. Skin that does not receive sufficient oxygen as noted in the Herb Research on skin suffocation can cause the death of skin cells and thus premature aging to skin cells.
You can replace Vaseline with many natural ingredients. Organic Shea butter is an excellent replacement for the toxic Vaseline. It is great for making homemade and natural beauty and skin products. I included a recipe below.
Ingredients:
- 1 ounce or 1/8 cup Beeswax
- 1/2 c. olive oil
Directions:
Mix the ingredients together in a saucepan and heat on a very low heat until the beeswax has melted. While it’s warm, pour into a jar or another container. Use as you would Vaseline. This recipe made enough to fill a little half pint glass jelly jar.