Side Effects of Petroleum Jelly
Petroleum jelly is a semisolid mixture of hydrocarbons. Pure petroleum jelly is always colorless, whereas wrongly distilled petroleum jelly is pale yellow in color. It has many uses and benefits that make it one of the topmost ingredients for many skin care products. It also has numerous healing properties that work not only in the case of skin care but also for several other purposes, like shining leather shoes, damaged wood, preventing wind burn, etc.
Petroleum jelly is insoluble in water, and does not get oxidized when exposed to air. Due to many of these ‘friendly’ properties, petroleum jelly is widely recognized as ‘the best’ solution for many personal care applications like moisturizers, baby oils, lotions, and hair care products. Along with the healing properties, the biggest advantage is that is very low cost, and has almost unlimited shelf life. Hence, it is available for all sorts of budgets and almost all sorts of usages too.
Side Effects
Several long term side effects of petroleum jelly have been observed of late. No doubt it has plenty of healing and moisturizing properties and it also makes the skin feel smooth and soft. But the fact is that the smoothness and softness that we feel is actually the layer of petroleum jelly that we keep on adding over the skin. It protects the skin but also restricts the pores of the skin from letting out toxins and sweat.
This makes the secretion of all the toxins and unwanted substances to form a layer under the actual layer of petroleum jelly. The whole process results into several skin disorders, and leads to the development of dandruff, acne, dryness of the skin and hair, and skin irritation. It is, hence, strictly advised to use petroleum jelly for only external purposes, as on negligence there can be several side effects of petroleum jelly such as irritation of nose, skin, and eyes.
Another property observed is its ability to increase the absorption of substances into the skin. Due to this, petroleum jelly is often applied on topical medications, to allow faster uptake and healing. However, in case the jelly is contaminated, the skin absorbs those contaminants as well, leading to various health disorders.
These ingredients are also found in various other cosmetic products available in the market, including lipsticks and baby lotions. It is strictly advised to not consume the petroleum jelly. Due to its constant use, many consumers observe various side effects. To avoid the same, its use in cosmetics is banned in many nations, including the EU. It is important to remember the fact that it is the wrong method of preparation that exposes us to all these side effects. Just being aware about the dangers is not enough, as one also has to be more cautious before buying any brand of petroleum jelly. There are several easy things that we, as consumers can do. The most important of them all is examining and observing the product as well as its list of ingredients, before actually buying it.
Checking whether the beauty products, baby products, and hair care products that we are using are made using natural oils and substances is the first step that needs to be taken.
