Vaseline vs Neosporin: Which should you use?

What is the difference?

Choose plain petroleum jelly for routine care of a minor wound that is cleaned daily and has no infection signs. Neosporin's antibiotics stop bacterial growth, but most minor wounds do not need them. Unnecessary antibiotic use also contributes to antibiotic resistance, meaning bacteria become able to survive medicines intended to kill them.16

How to care for a minor cut

1. 1Wash your hands with soap and water before touching the wound.
2. 2Stop bleeding with pressure from clean gauze or a washcloth.
3. 3Gently clean the cut with cool or lukewarm water and mild soap, removing dirt or debris.
4. 4Apply plain petroleum jelly to keep the wound moist.
5. 5Cover the cut with a sterile bandage. Change the bandage daily and keep applying petroleum jelly until the cut heals.

Petroleum jelly comes in tubes as well as jars, so the jar does not have exclusive custody of the bathroom shelf. A tube helps avoid spreading dirt and bacteria into the product.1

Most minor cuts heal within one week. Keeping the wound moist supports faster healing; gently cleaning it with soap and water is enough without adding hydrogen peroxide.25

If you use Neosporin

Follow your clinician's instructions or the package directions. Neosporin Original directs you to clean the area, apply a small amount equal to the surface area of a fingertip 1 to 3 times daily, and optionally cover it with a sterile bandage. A thin layer is enough. Keep the tube tip from touching skin, hands or other surfaces.36

Neosporin Original prints its directions under "Drug Facts", where the useful part of the carton lives rather than the part competing for shelf attention.3

Do not use Neosporin if you are allergic to its ingredients. Before using the antibiotic combination, tell your doctor about pregnancy or breastfeeding, hearing problems, kidney disease, and medicines or supplements you take. Do not apply it to a child's diaper area unless a doctor directs you to. After surgery, follow the specific aftercare plan: some procedures allow either petroleum jelly or an antibiotic ointment.46

When neither is enough

• Get medical advice for pus, increasing pain, swelling, warmth, spreading discoloration, fever or feeling unwell. Do not just switch ointments.
• Get urgent help for deep or puncture wounds, animal bites, serious burns, uncontrolled bleeding, loss of feeling or an object stuck in the wound.
• Stop Neosporin and contact a doctor if a rash develops, the wound worsens or you need it longer than one week. Difficulty breathing or swallowing requires immediate help.
• Check that your tetanus vaccination is current after a cut from a dirty or rusty object.