Vaseline:
Each morning when I walk out of my dorm, I make sure I have my three essentials for the day: my phone, my ID, and my mini Vaseline Lip Therapy. But those are just the essentials. Additionally, I always have a small tin of Vaseline in my backpack for my hands, and a jar at my house for when I’m home on breaks. I never go anywhere without it.
But what’s with this affinity to Vaseline, you might be asking? I believe there is no other product that can keep my skin smooth and moisturized — not even Aquaphor.
Now maybe you’ve done your research, and you’re saying, “that’s great Kathryn, but Aquaphor has mineral oil, ceresin, and lanolin alcohol, along with other ingredients, in addition to petroleum.” And that’s true, but so does Vaseline: they have a supply of lotions with Vitamin B and hyaluronic acid, along with more basic tubs of lotion with petroleum jelly in addition to cocoa butter, aloe vera, and lavender, not only healing your skin but also enriching it in a soothing scent. Aquaphor, on the other hand, only offers the same product, slightly modified for purpose, whether this is a hand lotion, lotion for babies, or lip balm. There is no variation.
Also, doctors typically recommend using Vaseline over Aquaphor for wounds, as Vaseline does not make the wound as red as Aquaphor does. I understand that Aquaphor coming in a tube can make it easier to apply, but really, when it comes down to the product, does the container really have that much impact? I don’t think so.
So the next time you have dry hands or chapped lips, and want to feel moisturized and refreshed, I’m confident you’ll make the right decision when standing in the lotion aisle at Target. In the meantime, if you’re in desperate need of a moisturizer, I’m stocked, and probably trying to motivate myself to do work for one of my three English classes on the fifth floor of the library.
Aquaphor: versatile and unpretentious
When dry, cracked, flakey, eczema-prone skin is inevitably irritated in the biting winter air, Aquaphor Healing Ointment is the do-it-all product that saves the day.
Aquaphor’s superiority lies in its versatility. Aquaphor can be used on lips, elbows, knees, and even on your face if you have extra dry skin — Aquaphor’s abilities have no bounds. You could maybe say the same for Vaseline, but Vaseline’s thick, pure-petroleum formula lacks the glide and slip that Aquaphor succeeds at every time — whether you’re using its balm, lip protectant, or jar form. Aquaphor’s formula is lightweight enough to allow your skin to breathe a little, while Vaseline often leaves you feeling greasy and slimy as if you dipped yourself in lard.
My favorite way to use Aquaphor is as a lip balm or as an overnight lip mask. In the depths of winter, I’ll slather my entire face in Aquaphor before I go to bed, and I will wake up with refreshed, dewy skin that is so soft that I feel like I shed an entire layer off my face.
Aquaphor’s range of products may not be as expansive as Vaseline — Vaseline has a lotion line and even tinted lip products — but Aquaphor knows how to do a few things very well. Aquaphor doesn’t need to make scented body butters and mini lip balm tins when it is the #1 dermatologist-recommended brand for dry, cracked skin — just look at their logo. Aquaphor is committed to minimal, non-aesthetic, no-BS products that just work.
In a world of Vaselines, be an Aquaphor: simple, to the point, and above all, effective.
