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Vermont's Original Bag Balm Original Skin Moisturizer Versus Vaseline 100% Pure Petroleum Jelly

General Moisturizer
Other Bath & Body
American Brand United States
American Brand United States

Updated on August 25, 2023

Overview

What they are

These products are both reef safe . They have a total of 1 ingredients in common

Free From

They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, common allergens, fragrances, oils, parabens or silicones

We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that needs an update? Let us know.

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and see relevant ingredients

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

Notable Ingredients

Concerns

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

found in both products
Original Skin Moisturizer
Petrolatum Emollient
May worsen Oily Skin IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon
2 Concerns

Petrolatum is more commonly known as petroleum jelly. It is created by mixing waxes and mineral oils.

Disliked Full details ->
Lanolin Emollient, Emulsifying, Skin Conditioning
0-1 / 0 May worsen Oily Skin IconNot safe for Fungal Acne IconMay worsen Eczema Icon
3 Concerns

Lanolin is a wax secreted by animals with wool, such as sheep. It is a waterproof emollient.

0-1 Com. / 0 Irr.
Very Disliked Full details ->
Synthetic Wax Abrasive, Emulsion Stabilising, Masking
Exfoliant IconMay worsen Oily Skin IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon
ExfoliantExfoliant Icon 2 Concerns

Synthetic Wax is created from fossil fuels such as natural gas. It is used to enhance texture, adjust pH, and as an occlusive.

Very Disliked Full details ->
Water Skin Conditioning, Solvent

Water. It's the most common cosmetic ingredient of all. You'll usually see it at the top of ingredient lists, meaning that it makes up the largest part of the product.

Oxyquinoline Sulfate Antimicrobial, Emulsion Stabilising
Sulfate Icon
SulfateSulfate Icon

Oxyquinoline Sulfate is a type of sulfate.

Unknown Full details ->
100% Pure Petroleum Jelly
Petrolatum Emollient
May worsen Oily Skin IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon
2 Concerns

Petrolatum is more commonly known as petroleum jelly. It is created by mixing waxes and mineral oils.

Disliked Full details ->

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

Emollient
Disliked

Petrolatum is more commonly known as petroleum jelly. It is created by mixing waxes and mineral oils.

This ingredient is effective at reducing water loss by 99%. This is because it is an occlusive. Occlusives create a hydrophobic barrier on the skin to prevent evaporation. This property makes it great for hydrating dry skin.

Pro tip: Use occlusives, such as this ingredient, on damp skin for the best results.

The quality or origin of petrolatum is only known when disclosed by the brand. Most cosmetic petrolatum has gone through several purification stages.

Another benefit of occlusives is it protects your skin against infection or allergies.

Petrolatum may not be safe for fungal-acne. Studies show mineral oil / petroleum leads to the growth of M. Furfur, a type of yeast.

Learn more about Petrolatum

Ingredient Ratings

Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these products.

Original Skin Moisturizer
1
3
1
liked
mixed
disliked
not rated
100% Pure Petroleum Jelly
1
liked
mixed
disliked
not rated

When to use

3 Routines
33% use in am
67% use in pm
67% use every day
693 Routines
24% use in am
76% use in pm
84% use every day
When to use See routines that use it ->

Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

Vermont's Original Bag Balm Original Skin Moisturizer 5 ingredients

Original Skin Moisturizer hasn't been rated yet.
Rate it now

Vaseline 100% Pure Petroleum Jelly 1 ingredient

4.9 /5
from 14 ratings
Great Value (3) Works Well (3) Hydrating (2)
BrodyTosi's avatar

BrodyTosi

6 months ago · Sensitive Skin
Review

Petroleum Jelly is one product I believe is quite underrated in the general skincare community due to hasty generalizations about its safety....

Petroleum Jelly is one product I believe is quite underrated in the general skincare community due to hasty generalizations about its safety. Petroleum jelly is composed of mineral oils and waxes (i.e., paraffin wax) which can be generalized as mostly long-chain hydrocarbons that act as a hydrophobic (water repellent) occlusive to the skin. Occlusive ingredients such as petroleum jelly are very effective for preventing transepidermal water loss because they act as a physical layer to trap water along with natural moisturizing factors inside the skin while also temporarily protecting the skin against environmental aggressors. This mechanism can additionally be attributed to the overall efficacy of topical antibiotics like neomycin or polymyxin B as cut/burn treatments. When it comes to who should or shouldn't be using this product, my philosophy is that occlusive ingredients keep what is inside the skin, inside the skin. For skin types that are inherently at a hormonal imbalance or by other means overproducing sebum, this could indirectly lead to increased incidence of clogged sebaceous glands and subsequently acne. Another consideration is purity of the petroleum jelly used on the skin. I would personally stick to brands like Vaseline that have more stringent quality control measures, only because if petroleum jelly isn't fully refined this runs a minimal risk of carcinogenic contamination (the FDA monitors this as well, and honestly I would call this a minimal consideration with current carcinogenic research). As for who should use this product: dry skin, chapped skin, cracked skin, most skin types during the winter and/or in cold or arid climates. There is a vast amount of indications for using petroleum jelly that can likewise vastly benefit skin health. Aforementioned indications aside, my top two recommendations would be on skin in individuals taking oral isotretinoin (Accutane) and on skin that products running irritation and/or dryness risks are subsequently being applied to, specifically referencing topical retinoids (i.e., tazarotene, adapalene, tretinoin) and benzoyl peroxide. As always, do your own research (PubMed Central is a great start, or even Wikipedia!) and stay moisturized.

AngelinaAzar_599's avatar

AngelinaAzar_599

10 months ago · Combination Skin
Review

love 💯
idk why this product is disliked because i love this product n highly recommend it. i have really sensitive skin but i also have acne and...

love 💯
idk why this product is disliked because i love this product n highly recommend it. i have really sensitive skin but i also have acne and whenever my skin gets stressed out from acne treatments i always go back to this product to calm down the dryness n redness. it’s great for slugging n to put around dry areas. i use it also around my eyes and it doesn’t t irritate me at all.