Aquaphor Healing Ointment Advanced Therapy: how to use it

What does Aquaphor actually do?

Aquaphor forms a protective barrier on the skin that helps limit moisture loss while allowing excess moisture to escape. This is called a semi occlusive barrier: it helps skin retain moisture without completely sealing it off. The protective layer supports a moist healing environment for minor injuries. Aquaphor's main job is moisture protection, which is less glamorous than its name and rather more useful.3

The ointment is intended for extremely dry skin, chapped lips, and cracked hands and feet. It also protects against the drying effects of wind and cold weather. Choose it when a protective ointment suits the area you want to treat, rather than assuming it is interchangeable with a lotion or cream. Protection and relief are the purpose; there is no fixed overnight recovery timetable for dry, cracked skin.2

What is in the US ointment?

The active ingredient is petrolatum 41%. The other listed ingredients are mineral oil, ceresin, lanolin alcohol, panthenol, glycerin and bisabolol. Aquaphor describes panthenol and glycerin as helping moisturize the skin. The ointment is fragrance free and preservative free. Check your own packaging before buying or using it, because Aquaphor updates ingredients and its website and packaging can occasionally differ.12

How do you use it on dry skin?

For dry skin, general petroleum jelly guidance gives a useful application sequence:

1. 1Apply the ointment while the skin is still damp. Petroleum jelly works best for dry skin when applied this way.
2. 2Target the dry area, such as cracked hands, feet or chapped lips.
3. 3Reapply as needed. Aquaphor's directions do not require a morning only or evening only schedule.

Can you put Aquaphor on your face?

Petroleum jelly can relieve dry facial skin, but avoid using it on your face if you are acne prone: it may cause breakouts in some people. That is general petroleum jelly guidance, not a reason to expect Aquaphor to treat acne. A whole face layer is not necessary to use an ointment on a dry patch. Keep Aquaphor out of your eyes.14

Can you use it for chafing and cuticles?

Aquaphor can be applied before exercise to help prevent chafing. Chafing happens when skin rubs against skin or clothing; general petroleum jelly guidance suggests applying it to problem areas such as feet or thighs. For nails and cuticles, petroleum jelly applied between polishes helps reduce brittleness and chipping. Apply it while nails are damp for best results. The same protective approach has several uses, so separate packaging is not a prerequisite for every body part.34

How do you use it on a minor cut?

Aquaphor is labeled to protect minor cuts. General minor cut care follows this sequence:

1. 1Wash your hands with soap and water.
2. 2Gently clean the cut with cool or lukewarm water and a mild soap or cleanser to remove dirt.
3. 3Stop the bleeding with pressure from a clean washcloth or gauze. Maintain pressure for one to two minutes or until bleeding stops.
4. 4Apply petroleum jelly to keep the wound moist, and continue using it until the cut heals. A tube helps limit the spread of dirt and bacteria compared with a jar.
5. 5Cover the cut with a sterile bandage. Change the bandage daily, clean the wound daily, and keep it covered until healed.

Keeping a minor wound moist helps prevent a dry scab, which takes longer to heal. Routine topical antibiotic ointments are not needed for a minor cut kept clean daily, and can irritate skin. Most minor cuts heal within a week. That is a general healing timeframe, not a promise that Aquaphor will close every cut on that schedule.45

How do you use it for diaper rash?

Change wet or soiled diapers promptly, cleanse the diaper area and let it dry. Apply Aquaphor liberally with each diaper change, especially at bedtime or before prolonged exposure to a wet diaper. It helps protect chafed skin from wetness and is labeled to treat and prevent diaper rash. With appropriate care, diaper rash should clear in about three to four days; if it does not, see a dermatologist.14

Who should be careful with Aquaphor?

Avoid this formula if you have an identified allergy to lanolin or its derivatives, because it contains lanolin alcohol. Fragrance free does not mean free of every possible allergen. People with already damaged skin, including eczema or wounds, appear more likely to become sensitized to lanolin. Sensitization means developing an allergy after exposure.16

Lanolin contact reactions can cause redness, itching, swelling or blistering hours to days after application. A reaction can develop even after a product was previously tolerated. Stop applying the product if the area worsens and seek medical advice. A dermatologist can investigate suspected lanolin allergy with patch testing; redness can be harder to recognize in darker skin, so pay attention to the other symptoms too.6

When should you stop or get medical help?

• Do not use Aquaphor on deep or puncture wounds, animal bites or serious burns.
• Stop use and ask a doctor if symptoms last more than seven days, worsen, or clear and return within a few days.
• Seek immediate care for a cut longer than three quarters of an inch, deeper than a quarter inch, or one that will not stop bleeding.
• Contact a doctor for pus or increasing redness, swelling or pain around a wound. Check your tetanus vaccination with your doctor after a cut from a dirty or rusty object if you are unsure it is current.
• Keep Aquaphor away from children. If swallowed, get medical help or contact a Poison Control Center immediately.