The Real Reason why Vaseline is a powerful Anti-Aging Secret

Unpetroleum | Vaseline | Aquaphor

One morning, I stood in my yard, taking in the morning sun.  My neighbor of many years happens to step out at around the same time and we great each other as normal.  This time our conversations are bit more personable than usual.  Even though we've lived next to each for years, we barely spoke.  Part of the reason was due to my constant travel and her responsibilities of a day job and helping to care for a disabled husband.  Both of us are home during the day now.  So now we chat whenever we see other.

During this morning's conversation, she discusses having been laid off from her job of 30 years.  I was taken aback by how long she'd been employed there.  Instantly my mind started to do the math.  Exactly how old was this woman? Sure her husband is an older gentleman, but I thought she married an older man when she was younger.  Her face is absolutely flawless, with zero signs of wrinkles or aging.  Her deep chocolate skin has an undeniable glow.

As our conversation comes to a close she mentions celebrating her 55th birthday. Stunned and slightly in shock, I blurt out "what do you use on your skin?"  She smiles, touches her face, and says, in her country twang, "vaseline."  "I put it on every morning and before I go to bed." "Do you do anything else?" I ask.  "Nope."
I was much more shocked than I should have been.  I mean, I'm well aware of the benefits of going to bed greasy.

But now I'm thinking, "what is it about vaseline" that makes people swear by it?  What makes it such a powerful anti-aging product?"

Truth be told, there aren't any amazing ingredients in vaseline.  It's not at all like the main ingredient Korean Essence products that have the ability to slow down time.  It has no antioxidants nor does it dissolve the top layer of skin revealing more youthful skin cells.  Vaseline only does one thing and it does it really well.  It protects.

More accurately, vaseline provides an excellent barrier on the skin.  Think about it.  After cleansing at night we add moisturizers to our skin.  Then we sleep for 8 hours while the moisture from our skin evaporates.  Vaseline creates an amazing barrier of protection on the skin sealing in moisture like none other.  Moisture is trapped, keeping the skin in its hydrated condition for hours at a time.  Can you imagine the long term effects of that?  In the words of the wise P Diddy, "it moisturizes your skin's situation and preserves its sexy."  And let's not forget about the people who boast that petroleum jelly makes their lashes feel healthier.  Again, moisture retention at work.

Never forget the power of high moisture levels.  It's what keeps our hair flexible, preventing breakage.  High amounts of moisture plumps the skin, while dehydration causes wrinkling.  Moisturized skin glows.  Dry skin is dull and rough.  We apply oil on our hair to seal in moisture, why not use the same reasoning for our skin?

I know that some of your cringe at the thought of applying petroleum jelly to your face.  "It'll break me out" is the first thought that pops into your mind.  But according to the Vaseline website, it doesn't clog pores.  Probably because petroleum jelly doesn't actually sink into the skin but remains on the top layer.  But no worries, if you'd like to experience the wonders of Vaseline without actually using petroleum jelly, try a more natural alternative like Alba's Unpetroleum.  Or perhaps you'd rather use something lighter like coconut oil.  We've seen great examples here and here of women who use coconut oil at night and enjoy flawless skin.  One last option on the list is oil cleansing, which is where you use oil on the skin as a pre-cleanse to remove dirt and oil.

Before high end skin creams, there was vaseline. And it allowed many grandmothers to age in a beautiful and natural way.  Today we have access to much more intricate formulations and I'm grateful for that. But there's no denying the wonders of plain 'ole petroleum jelly.