Vaseline vs Aquaphor for wounds

What is the difference?

Is Aquaphor or Vaseline better for wound healing?

Choose plain Vaseline if your priority is the simplest formula. Aquaphor is an option if you prefer an ointment that also moisturizes dry or cracked skin around the injury. Aquaphor is fragrance and preservative free, but it contains lanolin alcohol, so it is not the same formula as pure petroleum jelly.234

Keeping the wound moist matters because a wound that forms a scab takes longer to heal. Letting a cut dry out is not a shortcut, even if a scab looks impressively busy. Neither ointment replaces cleaning the wound or covering it with a bandage.1

How to use either on a minor cut

1. 1Wash your hands. Apply firm, steady pressure with clean gauze to stop bleeding. If blood soaks through, add gauze on top rather than removing the first layer.
2. 2Once bleeding stops, gently clean the cut with cool or lukewarm water and mild soap or cleanser to remove dirt and debris.
3. 3Apply petroleum jelly or Aquaphor Healing Ointment. A tube of petroleum jelly helps limit the spread of dirt and bacteria compared with a jar.
4. 4Cover the cut with a sterile bandage to protect it and prevent reopening.
5. 5Clean the wound and change the bandage daily. Keep applying petroleum jelly and covering the cut until it heals; Aquaphor's label directs application as needed.

Routine antibiotic creams are unnecessary for a minor wound that is cleaned daily, and they can irritate skin. If bandage adhesive bothers your skin, use a nonadhesive gauze pad with paper tape.15

How long should healing take?

Most minor cuts heal within a week, and cuts and grazes usually start healing within a few days. Moist wound care can help keep a scar from becoming too large, deep or itchy, but cannot eliminate every scar. Once the wound has healed, use broad spectrum SPF 30 or higher sunscreen to help reduce red or brown discoloration. Scar care begins after closure, not by adding another contestant to the ointment contest.157

When should you get medical help?

Seek immediate care for a deep, gaping or very painful wound, uncontrolled bleeding, loss of feeling or movement, or an object stuck in the cut. Do not remove an embedded object yourself. Get medical advice for pus, increasing redness, swelling or pain, fever, or a wound that remains dirty after cleaning. A dirty or rusty object also warrants checking your tetanus vaccination.567

Do not use Aquaphor on deep or puncture wounds, animal bites or serious burns. Stop using it and ask a doctor if the condition worsens, symptoms last more than seven days, or symptoms clear and return within a few days. Follow your doctor's wound care instructions after stitches. Targeted care of a cleaned minor cut is different from facial slugging; do not slug over infected skin or an open wound.123