Flies in the Vaseline, we are
Updated: Oct 9, 2022
I grew up on Vaseline. As someone with dry lips, I probably ate a pound of it a year. To my mother’s credit, I was always taught to use a skin cream on my lips first before applying a thick layer of that glossy, clingy Vaseline, because even as a child, I learned that Vaseline is just a barrier. It doesn’t add any moisture to the skin; it just sits on your lips and keeps them from getting any drier – very important in the cold Canadian climate – and let’s face it, it does add a lovely shine. Despite being a smoker for far too much of my life, into middle age I must say I have some pretty nice lips 😊
Petroleum Jelly
However, I did not realize what ‘petroleum jelly’ really meant, if I thought about it at all. Now, of course, it’s obvious: Petroleum is a by-product of the oil and gas industry, and it’s been around forever. In the 1850s, petroleum jelly used to build up on oil refinement machinery and had to be removed so it didn’t gum up the works. Instead of just discarding the gooey substance, workers smeared it on their (probably very numerous, without any actual workers' rights) cuts and injuries to help speed healing. Once strained and refined, the goo turned into a product that has sat in most of our bathroom medicine cabinets and shelves basically forever, occasionally smeared on dry elbows, sore baby bums and, in my case, my lips.
It’s actually probably better than some of the commercial lip glosses, which contain not only petroleum byproducts but all kinds of other chemicals and additives as well! Not to target one particular brand, they are basically all like that!
The thing is, I ate Vaseline off my lips for about 30 years with no serious repercussions (that I know of!) but there is a much better choice. Natural vegan butters not only provide barrier protection, especially in combination with beeswax, but they also penetrate skin to add moisture, so you don’t have to start with messy layers of lotion that will eventually sink in and plump up lips before applying the barrier gloss.
Our all natural lip glosses and balms contain uber-moisturizing ingredients like castor seed oil in addition to beeswax to keep cold, dry winds and scorching indoor heat at bay. The oils and butters penetrate the sensitive skin of your lips, filling in lines and softening, while the waxes add a nice clear shine that can be worn over lipstick or bare.
We are Petroleum Free
Of course, none of our vegan natural infused body care oils (baby oil, massage oil,) and creams (shea butter, mango butter, cocoa butter) contain any petroleum or mineral oil products because to us, it's just filler. Those substances are cheap, essentially safe, and will do in a pinch (ask anyone who's burned themselves!) but they don’t actually add any benefits in terms of moisturizing, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, UV protection, would healing, scar diminishment etc., whereas natural vegan creams and butters have been used for millennia across the world in order to soothe, calm and nourish dry or problem skin.
Given our current times, there’s so little we can do about external developments…but we can do a lot to take care of ourselves, especially with the extra time on our hands. If you have questions about any of our products or ingredients, please send a message to saltz@bell.net for a quick response.
Stay safe, stay healthy, and please try to make self-care a priority during these stressful days!
Xo Nicole