Can I use Vaseline over moisturizer every night?

What does Vaseline add to moisturizer?

Petroleum jelly is an occlusive: it forms a protective layer that reduces water loss from the skin. Humectants, such as glycerin and hyaluronic acid, help skin hold water. Putting petroleum jelly over moisturizer adds a seal over that hydration. Your skin barrier is the outer layer that protects you and prevents water loss; when damaged, skin loses more water and becomes more sensitive to irritants. Keeping water in helps dehydrated skin repair itself.12

How often should you use it?

For occasional facial dryness, try a couple of nights and reassess whether your skin still feels dry. Slugging is more useful in dry winter weather and less necessary in warm, humid weather. There is no fixed schedule or precise number of nights that everyone needs. Slugging is a moisture sealing step, not a requirement to turn a simple routine into a nightly production.1

Regular ointment use for eczema is a different situation from optional full face slugging. Eczema care can include petroleum jelly or other moisturizers 2 to 3 times daily, including on damp skin after bathing. Follow your treatment plan rather than treating the occasional slugging schedule as a limit on eczema care. Do not apply an ointment to weeping eczema.34

How to apply Vaseline over moisturizer

1. 1Cleanse gently in the evening. Do not scrub or exfoliate dry, peeling skin.
2. 2Apply moisturizer while your skin is still damp. For dry skin, choose a cream rather than a lighter lotion, and avoid fragrance.
3. 3Smooth a tiny amount of plain petroleum jelly over the areas that need it. Use a clean spoon or spatula to take it from a tub.
4. 4Allow about 30 minutes before bed for the products to settle. A towel over your pillowcase can protect the fabric.
5. 5Wash your face gently in the morning to remove the coating and anything that has stuck to it overnight.

You can apply a small amount just to dry lips or eyelids instead of covering your whole face. A full face coating is optional, despite the trend's apparent commitment to varnishing everything. With combination skin, moisturize dry areas and leave oily areas alone.156

Can you put it over retinol or prescriptions?

Avoid trapping retinoids, including retinol, or exfoliating alpha hydroxy acids and beta hydroxy acids beneath petroleum jelly, because the combination can irritate skin. If you use a steroid cream or another prescribed skin treatment, ask your doctor which product goes first and leave 20 to 30 minutes between the treatment and an emollient. That spacing helps avoid diluting the medicine or spreading it onto areas that do not need treatment.14

When should you stop?

Stop facial slugging if you develop breakouts, redness or irritation. Seek medical advice for persistent burning or stinging, inflamed hair follicles, or dryness that becomes painful, cracked or bleeding despite moisturizing. Petroleum jelly can cause breakouts in some people with acne prone skin; it is not a treatment for acne.1456

Keep away from flames and cigarettes when using emollients. Clothing and bedding contaminated with these products can catch fire easily, and washing does not completely remove the buildup.4