The main ingredient in Vaseline, petroleum jelly, can be found in many beauty products, especially for skincare. However, this clear, odorless jelly is not the best choice for your skin.
It actually makes toxins stay in your skin by blocking the pores and impede the healing of the skin.
Problems Caused by Petroleum Jelly
Petroleum jelly doesn’t just block your pores, but it can also harm your skin in the following ways:
1. Collagen Breakdown
Petroleum jelly forms a barrier on the skin, thus causing collagen breakdown. Once it covers the skin, it impedes the healing process and prevents it from using nutrients. Moreover, it can distort the cell renewal process as well as suck out the nutrients and moisture from the skin.
2. Harmful Carbs
Since the human’s skin is not able to metabolize this type of jelly, it stays as a protective layer until removed. Scientists are worried that the carbs from petroleum jelly can become fat tissue in the body since our body can’t use this ingredient like coconut oil or shea butter.
One study suggests that the greatest contaminant in the human’s body are mineral oil hydrocarbons, with around 1 gram per person. Some routes of contamination are food intake, air inhalation, and dermal absorption!
3. Estrogen Dominance
Since petroleum jelly is loaded with estrogen, it can cause estrogen dominance, characterized by menstrual problems, infertility, allergies, fast aging, nutrient deficiencies, and autoimmune diseases. It also contains xenoestrogens which can act on the hormone receptors, thus increasing the risk of estrogen problems in the body.
4. Other Problems
One of petroleum jelly’s ingredients, 1.4 dioxanes, is a well-known carcinogen. This means that petroleum jelly might be the reason for many types of cancer, including breast cancer. What’s more, inhaling small amounts of the jelly can cause to migrate into the trachea and lungs, and longer use can lead to a lung inflammation known as lipoid pneumonia.
Via Grand Masthing | Grandma’s thing | Mayo Clinic