I am addicted to Vaseline, aka petroleum jelly. I have been using it on my lips at night before bed since I was 14 years old. I have never used an alternative, despite my desire to eliminate all petroleum products from my household, because I don’t like flavor or scents in my nighttime lip balm. But then I read The Essential Green You! This is what Deirdre Imus has to say about Vaseline: “Petrochemicals are an inexpensive way to soften and protect skin… Unfortunately, ingredients derived from petroleum can also cause allergic reactions and contain impurities that cause cancer and liver toxicity. As a result they’ve been banned for use in cosmetics by the European Union.”
This motivated me to find an alternative. Today I purchased a product made by Alba called Un-Petroleum Multi-Purpose Jelly. It is made of castor seed oil, coconut oil, beeswax, hydrogenated castor oil, and vitamin E. Amazingly, it has a texture like petroleum jelly and no scent or flavor at all. I’ve finally found a healthier, more environmentally friendly alternative!
