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Aquaphor and Vaseline have similar uses and can help lock in moisture for dry skin, but they’re not identical.

Aquaphor and Vaseline are two brand names for petroleum jelly-based products. Both brands offer many products, from Aquaphor’s baby creams and ointments to Vaseline’s body lotions.

For the sake of this article, we’ll be talking about their signature products, Aquaphor Healing Ointment and Vaseline Jelly Original. Read on to learn about their similarities and differences.

also called petrolatum, creates a barrier on the skin to help prevent moisture loss. It can temporarily protect wounded, scratched, burned, or injured skin from outside germs and irritants.

Vaseline comprises 100% petroleum jelly. Aquaphor, on the other hand, contains about 41% petroleum jelly and other ingredients, including:

Aquaphor and Vaseline are occlusive moisturizers that create a barrier to block water loss from the skin. They can help lock moisture into the skin, heal wounds, and gently remove makeup.

However, Aquaphor also contains other ingredients like glycerin, which acts as a humectant moisturizer to keep skin moisturized from the outside in.

Both products have the following benefits, with some differences:

Lips

Both Aquaphor and Vaseline can be used on lips. Aquaphor can restore moisture to lips that are already dry.

Vaseline may be better used to prevent dry or chapped lips, especially because the brand has other products formulated specifically for lips, with additional moisturizing ingredients like aloe and cocoa butter.

Wound healing

Aquaphor and Vaseline create a thick barrier on the skin, preventing injured skin from becoming irritated. In a 2020 study examining dermatologists’ recommendations on wound care, 75% of surveyed doctors recommended using Vaseline after surgery to care for the wound, and 43% recommended Aquaphor.

That said, there’s no official consensus on which is better, and every doctor may make a different recommendation.

Can I put Vaseline or Aquaphor on an open wound?

While you can use Vaseline or Aquaphor directly on a wound, you can also apply it to the bandage before covering the wound.

Aquaphor and Vaseline are generally safe for use, including on the lips. But if you are allergic to lanolin, you should not use Aquaphor. Vaseline is still safe for use because it contains nothing but petroleum jelly.

Both Vaseline and Aquaphor can be used to treat burns, though you should exercise caution in the first 24 hours due to the risk of trapping excess heat.

In addition, while it can help to use petroleum-jelly products to moisturize dry skin on your genitals, these products shouldn’t be used inside the vagina or as a sexual lubricant.

Side effects

Aquaphor and Vaseline’s side effects are generally mild, with clogged pores being one of the most common.

Call your doctor immediately if you think you may be experiencing any of the following:

  • An allergy to petroleum jelly: This is rare, but may include redness, itchiness, or burning at the site of application.
  • An infection: This can occur if Aquaphor and Vaseline are applied over cuts that haven’t been cleaned properly, as the two products’ occlusive nature can trap dirt and germs.
  • Aspiration pneumonia: This can occur rarely if either product is applied to the nose area and inhaled into the lungs. For this reason, always help children by applying Aquaphor and Vaseline.

According to Dr. Hadley King, board certified dermatologist in New York City and clinical instructor of dermatology at the Weill Medical College of Cornell University, Aquaphor “tends to be a better moisturizer, probably because of the humectant properties of glycerin and additional occlusive properties of lanolin.” It also includes bisabolol, which has “antioxidant, soothing, and anti-irritant properties,” she adds.

However, some people may have a lanolin allergy. Lanolin is a wax secreted by the sebaceous glands of wool-bearing animals, most commonly sheep. A lanolin skin reaction can look like mild allergic contact dermatitis.

“This will show up as a scaly patch of skin or small, red itchy bumps. If the face is involved there can be swelling of the lips and face. In more severe cases, blisters may develop in addition to itching and burning. If you are allergic to lanolin, there are many other ingredients that prevent transepidermal water loss, including petrolatum, mineral oil, beeswax, coconut oil, shea butter, or cocoa butter,” King told Healthline.

For those not allergic, Lanolin has some benefits. King says it “has long been used in skin care because it’s an effective occlusive, commonly used in body creams and lotions to lock in much-needed moisture and prevent water loss.”

Aquaphor and Vaseline are both brand names synonymous with petroleum jelly products. Aquaphor Healing Ointment and Vaseline Jelly Original are two of their most widely known products.

Vaseline contains 100% petroleum jelly, while Aquaphor includes other ingredients like mineral oil, ceresin, lanolin alcohol, panthenol, glycerin, and bisabolol. Both can be used on lips and skin as wound healers, makeup removers, or cuticle softeners.

Aquaphor tends to be a better moisturizer because it contains humectant ingredients and is occlusive, while Vaseline is only occlusive. When used for wound healing after surgery, Vaseline has been shown to cause less redness at the wound site than Aquaphor. If you have a lanolin allergy, opt for Vaseline over Aquaphor.