Aquaphor ingredients and uses

What is in Aquaphor?

Petrolatum is the active skin protectant. The other six ingredients are listed as inactive ingredients, without individual percentages. Aquaphor Healing Ointment is fragrance and preservative free, but it contains lanolin alcohol, which matters if you have a lanolin allergy.12

An emollient is a moisturiser. Emollients form a protective oily layer that traps moisture in the skin and helps the skin repair. Aquaphor fits the ointment approach: protecting moisture rather than offering the light finish of a lotion. The useful part is the protective layer, not whether the jar looks sufficiently scientific.3

What can you use Aquaphor for?

• Dry, chapped or cracked skin and lips.
• Protection from the drying effects of wind and cold weather.
• Temporary protection of minor cuts, scrapes and burns.
• Diaper rash, including protection of chafed skin from wetness.

Petroleum jelly also has useful roles in preventing friction chafing and caring for dry nails and cuticles. For chafing, apply it to areas that rub against clothing or each other, such as feet or thighs. For nails, apply it while they are damp between polishes to reduce brittleness and chipping. These are general petroleum jelly uses, rather than separate Aquaphor directions.4

How do you apply Aquaphor to dry skin?

Use this general emollient method for dry skin.

1. 1Wash your hands before applying the ointment.
2. 2After washing or bathing, gently pat your skin dry and apply while some moisture remains.
3. 3If using a tub, remove the ointment with a clean spoon rather than your fingers.
4. 4Smooth a thin layer over the area in the direction of hair growth instead of rubbing vigorously.
5. 5Leave the ointment on rather than washing it off. Allow about 10 minutes for the layer to settle.

Aquaphor's label says to apply as needed. For ongoing dry skin, general emollient care often means applying whenever skin feels dry, sometimes 2 to 4 times daily or more. Washing and cold weather can make more frequent application useful. There is no need to choose a stronger percentage for ordinary use: the labelled ointment contains 41% petrolatum.136

Ointments are thick, greasy and particularly useful for very dry or thickened skin. A cream can be easier to wear during the day, with an ointment reserved for overnight use. The greasy finish is part of the format, not a packaging error. Choose the texture you can comfortably keep using rather than treating ointment as the only respectable moisturiser.36

Can you use Aquaphor on your face and lips?

Aquaphor is labelled for chapped or cracked lips and skin. However, avoid covering your face with a petroleum jelly based ointment if you are prone to acne: petroleum jelly can cause breakouts in some people. General petroleum jelly guidance includes small amounts on dry eyelids, but Aquaphor must not get into your eyes, and its lanolin content is relevant to allergy risk.14

How do you use it on a minor cut?

For a minor cut, combine skin protection with proper wound care.

1. 1Wash your hands, then gently clean the cut with cool or lukewarm water and mild soap or cleanser.
2. 2Stop bleeding by applying pressure with clean gauze or a washcloth.
3. 3Apply the ointment to keep the wound moist. A tube helps limit contamination from dirt and bacteria.
4. 4Cover the cut with a sterile bandage, change the bandage daily and keep the cut covered until it heals.

Keeping a minor wound moist helps prevent a dry scab and supports healing. Routine minor cut care does not require topical antibiotic ointment, which can irritate skin. Most minor cuts heal within a week. Seek immediate medical attention if a cut will not stop bleeding, is longer than three quarters of an inch or is more than a quarter inch deep. Contact a doctor for pus or increasing redness, swelling or pain. If the injury came from a dirty or rusty object, check that your tetanus vaccination is current.47

How do you use Aquaphor for diaper rash?

Change wet or soiled diapers promptly, clean the area and let it dry. Apply Aquaphor liberally with each diaper change, especially before bedtime or prolonged wetness. With appropriate care, diaper rash generally clears in about 3 to 4 days; seek medical advice if it does not.14

Who should be careful with Aquaphor?

Avoid Aquaphor Healing Ointment if you have a known lanolin allergy. Lanolin alcohol is a lanolin derivative, and lanolin's free alcohols are its main allergy triggers. Broken skin, wounds and existing dermatitis, meaning inflamed skin, increase the risk of becoming sensitised to lanolin. Reactions can include itching, redness, swelling or blistering hours to days after application, even after previous use without trouble. A dermatologist can investigate a suspected contact allergy with patch testing.2

For eczema, match the moisturiser to the state of the skin. Ointments suit very dry areas but should not be used on weeping eczema. Creams or lotions can be more suitable for inflamed areas. If an emollient makes your skin react, stop using it and ask a pharmacist about an alternative. Avoiding the ingredient causing contact dermatitis is central to getting the reaction under control.56

Can you use it with prescription creams?

Keep an emollient and a topical steroid or other skin treatment 20 to 30 minutes apart, and ask the prescriber which goes first. The gap avoids diluting the treatment or spreading it onto skin that does not need it. If you are receiving ultraviolet light treatment or radiotherapy, get specific instructions for emollient use rather than following an ordinary routine.36

When should you stop or get medical help?

Do not use Aquaphor on deep or puncture wounds, animal bites or serious burns. Stop and ask a doctor if the condition worsens, lasts more than 7 days, or clears and returns within a few days. If swallowed, get medical help or contact a Poison Control Center immediately.1

Persistent burning or stinging, inflamed hair follicles or worsening facial breakouts also warrant advice from a pharmacist or clinician. Keep emollients away from flames and cigarettes: residue on clothing, bedding and dressings makes fabrics easier to ignite, and washing does not remove all of it.6