Petrolatum

The Truth About Petrolatum

Petrolatum clogs the pores:  FALSE.
Nope, not the case. In fact, petrolatum has been affirmed to be non-comedogenic and to not cause allergic reactions (American Academy of Dermatology Invitational on Comedogenicity, 1989).
The greasy, oily feeling of petrolatum leads consumers to believe that petrolatum makes them break out, yet what actually can actually cause break outs is what is used in conjunction with petrolatum. Because petrolatum traps moisture and water-based ingredients under the skin, it can essentially “trap” non-comedogenic ingredients used together with petrolatum under there, causing stronger reactions (Allergy, 2004). Be sure to avoid ingredients like lanolin, coconut oil, squalene, mineral oil, and isopropyl myristate when using petrolatum (Cosmetic Dermatology, 2002).