Is Vaseline toxic?

Can you use petroleum jelly on your skin?

Plain white petrolatum is used as a skin protectant. A skin protectant has a specific job, which is less ambitious than a bathroom shelf full of promises. It temporarily protects minor cuts, scrapes and burns, helps relieve chapped or cracked skin and lips, and protects against drying wind and cold. These are external uses, not reasons to swallow it.2

For general use, follow your own jar's directions. Major Pharmaceuticals' 100% white petrolatum skin protectant label says to apply as needed, without specifying a morning or evening schedule. It also says to keep the product out of your eyes and children's reach. Do not use it on deep or puncture wounds, animal bites or serious burns. Stop using it and ask a doctor if the condition worsens, lasts more than seven days, or clears and returns within a few days.2

What if someone swallows Vaseline?

A large swallowed amount can cause abdominal pain, diarrhea, throat irritation, coughing or shortness of breath. Petroleum jelly entering the lungs is more concerning than petroleum jelly reaching the stomach. If someone has swallowed it, get medical or poison control advice rather than waiting for symptoms.12

1. 1Stop using the product. Do not make the person vomit: petroleum jelly can enter the lungs during vomiting.
2. 2Contact poison control or medical help. In the United States, call Poison Help at 1 800 222 1222. The service is free, confidential and available at any time, including when you are unsure whether an exposure is dangerous.
3. 3Have the container ready, along with the person's age, weight and condition, the amount involved and when it happened. Take the container to hospital if possible.

In the UK, call NHS 111 if you are unsure whether something swallowed or inhaled is harmful. Call 999 or go to A&E for suspected harmful exposure, unconsciousness, seizures or severe breathing difficulty. While waiting for help with suspected poisoning, do not give food or drink or try to make the person vomit.3

Why should you avoid putting it inside your nose?

Petroleum jelly inhaled into the lungs can cause lipoid pneumonia, an uncommon condition involving oil buildup and inflammation in the lungs. Avoid using petroleum jelly inside the nose. Repeated application around the nostrils as a decongestant also warrants caution: a reported case involved Vicks VapoRub, a petrolatum ointment, used externally around the nose nightly for more than a year.45

Lung symptoms can begin within hours of inhaling an oily substance or develop slowly with repeated exposure. They include cough, shortness of breath, fever, chest pain and coughing up blood. People with chronic acid reflux or conditions that make aspiration easier need particular care; aspiration means a substance enters the lungs instead of the stomach. See a clinician for a lasting cough or shortness of breath. Chest pain, high fever or difficulty breathing require emergency care.4

What if petroleum jelly gets in your eyes?

Stop using the product and flush your eyes with plenty of water for at least 15 minutes. Contact poison control for further advice about the exposure.1