The Best Petroleum Jelly Alternatives Made of Natural, Organic, & Cruelty-Free Ingredients

Despite its wide use, petroleum jelly may not actually be the best thing for your skin, overall health, or the environment. In the article, I’m talking about why that is… and then giving you my favorite natural, organic, and non-toxic substitutes to use instead.

This guide contains product recommendations, and we may receive compensation through affiliate links or editorial fees. As always, we only make recommendations that are genuine!

The Best Petroleum Jelly Substitutes

If you want to learn more about why I don’t recommend conventional petroleum jelly, scroll down. But I know you’re probably here to shop, so I’ll give you my recommended brands first:

P.S. If you’re specifically looking for petroleum-free lip balms, check out this article.

Waxelene Multi-Purpose Ointment

Price: $54.99 for a 5 oz. tube

I love Waxelene as a Vaseline alternative. Their Multi-Purpose Ointment is good for so many things—from diaper rashes to eczema and burn relief and more.

It’s made with just four natural ingredients: 

• organic beeswax
• organic soy oil
• organic rosemary oil
• and natural vitamin E oil. 

It’s specifically formulated for people with eczema and psoriasis-prone skin, and you can see lots of photos on their website of people with real skin concerns experiencing vast improvement after using Waxelene.

This organic alternative to Vaseline is available in glass jars and tubes of various sizes, so you can purchase what works best for you, your family, your budget, and your travel needs.

The smaller tin pictured above is technically labeled as a ‘lip balm,’ but I honestly keep it in my purse and use it as an all-purpose balm.

Waxlene is also certified cruelty-free by Leaping Bunny and is USDA certified organic.

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Honest Healing Head-To-Toe Ointment

Price: $10.19 for 3.4 oz. tube (on sale)

This is another one of my favorites for a non-petroleum jelly. It used to be called “Organic All-Purpose Balm” (as you can see pictured above), but they’ve since changed it to be called “Healing Head-To-Toe Ointment.”

It comes with the National Eczema Association seal and is also Leaping Bunny certified cruelty-free.

If you really love that kind of thick and jelly texture of Vaseline and Aquaphor, the texture of this balm comes really close to it.

It’s suitable for babies, kids, and adults and can be used as a hand cream, lip balm, or all-over moisturizer for whatever part of your body is dry, scratchy, and in need of some TLC.

Honest is no longer available for purchase on their website, but you can usually find it at big retailers like Target, Walmart, or Amazon.

P.S. Here’s my full review on Honest.

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Earth Mama Organics’ Collection of Balms

Price: $3.99-$27.99

When it comes to a family household staple for things like scars and diaper rashes, Vaseline and Aquaphor can move over. Earth Mama Organics has a really awesome collection of affordable balms that serve different purposes for new moms, their babies, and well… everyone, really.

• I really like their Skin & Scar Balm to help reduce the appearance of scars and stretch marks. A little bit goes a long way with this one!
• Their Organic Baby Face Nose & Cheek Balm is great for “drooling chins and dripping noses.” 
• For new mothers they also have a Perineal Balm, Diaper Balm, and Nipple Butter (which comes in both vegan and non-vegan varieties).

These awesome healthy petroleum jelly substitutes come with a handful of third-party certifications, including:

• EWG Verified
• USDA Organic
• Non-GMO
• and Leaping Bunny

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Soothing Cream from Primally Pure

Price: $44 (1 oz) – $82 (2 oz)

Okay, this is an unconventional one, but it’s become the one I reach for the most when I need something that’s truly nourishing for extra dry or irritated skin.

I absolutely love the texture. It’s so smooth and lives up to its “soothing” name.

They recommend you use it on your face and neck, but I actually have used it all over. For example, I used it recently on my irritated armpits (I put it on before bed) and it definitely helped. My irritation was gone the next day.

I’ve also used it on my husband’s eczema on his back and arms.

The emu oil is the thing that really sets this one apart from the others. That in addition to the blue tansy can really help with things like irritation, redness, dermatitis and dryness.

And, and even though it’s blue, it rubs in clear! So you don’t have to worry about your skin turning blue or anything like that. 😆

It comes in a glass jar with a plastic lid. It’s not vegan (it uses tallow and emu oil).

Use code THEFILTERY at checkout.

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Urb Apothecary

Price: $10-25

I’m a big fan of Urb Apothecary’s Muscle Joint Salve. It really does help to ease my muscle and joint pain that I get from working out or sleeping in the wrong position. I’m not saying it magically gets rid of the pain 100%, but I do notice a difference.

But in addition to the Muscle Join Salve, they also have other options that are closer to an all-purpose petroleum jelly alternative: like their Repair Salve, Belly Balm, Baby Balm, and Desert Chaparral Balm. (That last one contains chaparral plant, which is a natural antibacterial/antimicrobial.)

Like a lot of the other options listed here, these are not vegan, as they do use beeswax, but they are cruelty-free. They’re also handcrafted in the USA low-plastic packaging.

Use code THEFILTERY at checkout.

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Ultra Hydrating Salve from Toups & Co

Price: $38

I don’t think there’s a skincare product from Toups & Co that I haven’t liked yet.

A little of this salve does the trick anywhere you need to repair dry and cracked skin. It’s made with a handful of nourishing and organic ingredients such as organic shea butter, beeswax, vitamin E, and organic jojoba seed oil.

This is another one that’s really great for travel, since it comes in a lightweight, TSA-friendly tin.

Our link will get you 15% off.

And here’s our full review on Toups & Co.

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Even More All-Natural Alternatives to Petroleum Jelly

• All Good: If you shop at Grove Collaborative, this “Goop” from All Good is a good option. It’s certified USDA organic and comes in a glass jar. Non-vegan because it uses beeswax. | Amazon

• Chagrin Valley: They have a buuunch of different salve and balm options. Their salves come in a lot of different varieties, whether you’re looking for something to help ease sore muscles, help with dry skin, open sinuses, or something else. Their salves are not vegan, but they do have a collection of balms that are! (The balms are closer to thick lotions rather than a petroleum jelly alternative.) Most of their products are certified USDA organic and made in Ohio.

• f.a.e. (for Thrive Market): If you’re a Thrive Market member, this is a good option for you! It’s an all-purpose balm that’s certified USDA organic and comes in a glass jar.

• Jao Goe Oil: This one is not cheap, but it’s a cult favorite. It’s got a lot of different types of nourishing oils in it. It comes out as a solid but then transforms into an oil as it warms on your skin. So it’s not as thick as conventional petroleum jelly (but it’s a lot more nourishing). You can grab it on Amazon or at Credo.

• Sky Organics: Their Petroleum-Free Jelly is another good option that’s available on Amazon, especially if you’d prefer it in a squeeze bottle rather than a jar or tin. It’s certified USDA organic and cruelty-free (but not vegan; it uses beeswax).

• withSimplicity: I have liked pretty much all of withSimplicity’s products I’ve tried so far! They have an all-purpose Skin Salve that is cruelty-free, fragrance-free, and made with all organic ingredients. Use code THEFILTERY for 15% off. | Order from the Truly Free Marketplace

• Zoe Organics: Another good option that uses 100% organic ingredients, they have a multi-purpose Skin Balm that comes in a travel-friendly tin.

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The Best Vegan & Cruelty-Free Petroleum Jelly Brands

It’s difficult to find vegan petroleum jelly because a lot of the natural Vaseline substitutes use beeswax.

But, there are some good options! Here are my favorite non-toxic, natural, and organic petroleum-free Vaseline alternatives that are ALSO free from beeswax or other animal-derived ingredients.

(P.S. Vaseline is not a cruelty-free brand.)

LUSH Ultrabalm

Price: $23

I actually don’t usually recommend LUSH’s products (their ingredient standards don’t usually meet mine), but I was given a gift card a while back, so I was determined to find something I’d feel good buying… and Ultrabalm fit the bill!

It literally only has 3 ingredients:

• rose wax
• jojoba oil
• candelilla wax

Like a lot of these other products, this one is multipurpose. I will use it as a general lotion, putting it on dry elbows, under my nose in the winter time, and things like that. (You could use it as a lip balm as well, but you’re not really supposed to ingest jojoba oil.)

The texture of this one is thinner than conventional vaseline. It’s lighter, which I personally like because it just doesn’t come with quite as much of a greasy feel.

I also like that it’s vegan and comes in a lightweight aluminum tin (less plastic and also good for travel!)

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Pipette

Price: $7.99 for 0.5 oz

Pipette is a pretty good option for a vegan petroleum jelly option that’s also affordable and relatively easy to find in stores like Target.

They no longer carry the exact Baby Balm that I’ve used in the past, but they now have a Calming Balm instead, which is meant to serve a similar purpose.

However, I actually recommend their Balm Stick over the Calming Balm. That’s mostly because the Calming Balm contains one slightly *iffy* ingredient (It’s called ydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer and it’s a questionable liquid plastic.)

The Balm Stick does not have that ingredient in it. It’s vegan, cruelty-free, and convenient or travel. Instead of using beeswax as the main ingredient, they use sugarcane-derived squalane.

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Doctor Rogers’ Restore Healing Balm

Price: $24 (0.5 oz) – $68 (4 oz)

This dermatologist-created multi-tasking balm is “designed to help soothe damaged, post-procedure skin.” It can be used for:

• chapped lips
• dry cuticles
• tattoos
• burns
• cuts
• scrapes
• and more

This vegan and cruelty-free balm only includes three simple ingredients: castor seed oil, glycerin, and hydrogenated castor oil.

(Be mindful of using too much of the castor oil though, as it can potentially stain sheets or clothing.)

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More Vegan Vaseline Alternatives:

• Meow Meow Tweet: They have a Skin Repair Balm that comes in a plastic-free cardboard stick and uses a variety of organic, fair trade, and vegan plant oils.

• Somebody: These are less like petroleum jelly and more like shea butter moisturizers, but I still think they’re worth including. Somebody has a collection of balms, some of which contain CBD and others that don’t. They all use shea butter as their primary moisturizing ingredient and can be used to soothe dry, cracked skin all over your body. They’re made of vegan ingredients and come in tins for lower plastic.

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What even IS petroleum jelly?

As the name indicates, this jelly-like balm is made out of… petroleum! Petroleum jelly is a semi-solid mixture of hydrocarbons. This fossil fuel is a byproduct of crude oil, the very same stuff that makes gasoline (which should be our first indication that it’s probably not great for human or environmental health).

According to Wikipedia, several different groups of people discovered various types of gel oils at different points in history—from Marco Polo in 1273, to the Native Americans in the early 1400s, to oil rig workers in the mid-1800s.

One of the main reasons why everyone started using it for skin care purposes is because of its ability to hold in moisture and create a sort of waterproof-like barrier on the skin.

Vaseline and petroleum jelly are essentially the same thing.

Vaseline is to petroleum jelly as Kleenex is to tissue. Vaseline is just a brand of petroleum jelly – the first to be commercially produced in 1870.

Same with other brands like Aquaphor, Carmex, Neosporin, Chapstick, Blistex, etc… These are all brands that make petroleum jelly products.

Petroleum vs. petrolatum (and other names for petroleum)

Petroleum jelly and petrolatum are actually the same thing. You’ll often see “petrolatum”  listed on the ingredient labels of moisturizers and lotions, lip balms and lipsticks, deodorants and cosmetics, and more.

Other names you might see instead of “petroleum jelly” include: 

• mineral oil
• soft paraffin
• liquid paraffin
• or paraffin oil. (We’ve talked about the problem with paraffin before, in our guide to non-toxic candles.)

(A side note: the term “mineral oil” is kind of confusing. Petroleum doesn’t technically meet the definition of a “mineral,” even though it is “mined.” While “mineral oil” sounds more natural than “petroleum,” it’s really the same thing.)

It’s also worth noting that all of these different ingredients can be hidden under the “fragrance” or “parfum” label. That means that your personal care products could contain petroleum products without them even being listed on the label. 

Why petroleum jelly alternatives are better for skin.

Vaseline is a sworn-by beauty secret that spans centuries and still today remains a popular recommendation in the beauty industry. While it does a wonderful job of sealing in moisture, its hydration qualities, environmental impact, and health impacts require that we take it out of our routine and find a better substitution. 

Fortunately, if you want an alternative to petroleum jelly, there are plenty available! But first, let’s look at why I recommend avoiding petroleum jelly.

1. It sits but doesn’t sink.

• Petroleum jelly doesn’t actually moisturize the skin either—it pretty much just sits there on the surface of the skin until it wears off, giving the appearance of moisturization in the meantime. (This is why you may have noticed that many popular lip balm brands don’t actually make your lips less chapped and why you have to keep re-applying!)

2. It blocks pores.

• The “sealing” properties mean it often blocks pores and traps bacteria, preventing the skin from healing properly and potentially even causing infections.

3. You need to be careful where you use it.

• Certain usage can cause exogenous lipoid pneumonia, which is basically where small amounts of jelly are inhaled and then enter the lungs (where they cannot be broken down by the body) and build up over time. This can lead to lung inflammation, coughing, and shortness of breath. This is why you should not use petroleum jelly on the inside of your nose, especially as a regular habit.

4. It starts as a non-renewable fossil fuel.

• As a non-renewable resource and byproduct of the oil refining process, petroleum jelly is not sustainable or eco-friendly.

5. Health concerns.

• But the main concern when it comes to human health has to do with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)

PAHs occur naturally in unrefined petroleum. They are linked to cancer development and have been listed as a possible or probable carcinogen by:

• The American Cancer Society
• The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services National Toxicology Program (NTP)
• The WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC)

You can check out this list from Breast Cancer Prevention Partners if you want to dig into some more of the research connecting PAHs to cancer.

But, it’s not just cancer.

• PAHs are also suspected to be endocrine disruptors, which means they may mess with one’s hormones and possibly lead to things like decreased fertility and other health issues.
• According to the CDC, certain PAHs can also affect other bodily systems such as the blood, immune system, liver, spleen, kidneys, developing fetus, lungs, and more.

If and when petroleum is properly refined and turned into petroleum jelly, PAHs actually shouldn’t pose that much of a threat to human health. The problem, however, is that it’s practically impossible to tell how refined a specific petroleum jelly product is refined. Petrolatum/petroleum jelly is often minimally refined and therefore may be contaminated with these PAHs. 

This is especially the case in the U.S., where there are no requirements on refinement in the petroleum used in personal care products. By contrast, the “EU mandates that for cosmetic use, the full refining history of the petrolatum must be known and proven to be non-carcinogenic.”

This is why it is not only PAHs themselves that have been put on various hazard lists, but also the ‘alternatives’ I’ve discussed, like petrolatum and mineral oils:

• The American Cancer Society has “untreated or mildly treated” mineral oils on their list of known and probable carcinogens.
• In Canada, petrolatum is classified as “a high human health priority” and as “expected to be toxic or harmful” on the Environment Canada Domestic Substance List.
• The Haz-Map list (a database that was developed by a group of doctors and researchers) also has “untreated and mildly treated” mineral oils listed as carcinogenic.
• You’ll also find “mineral oils” listed on the NTP and IARC lists mentioned above as well.

Are you going to get cancer from putting Vaseline on your lips every once in a while?

No.

But it’s a small thing you can do to decrease your overall exposure over the long run… And all of those small things DO add up!

Natural alternatives to Vaseline

The good news is that there are SO many great, natural alternatives to petroleum jelly. These include things like:

• Shea Butter
• Cocoa Butter
• Beeswax
• Avocado Oil
• Olive Oil
• Jojoba Oil
• Coconut Oil
• And more

Not only are these ingredients natural, renewable, and safer, but they can also be absorbed into your skin. With their vitamins, fatty acids, and other nutrients, they can actually moisturize your skin while also allowing your skin to breathe and heal itself.

So, will you be switching to a petroleum jelly alternative to heal & nourish your dry skin?

Petroleum jelly (along with petrolatum, mineral oils, and paraffin) can contain toxic PAHs. Not only that, but petroleum jelly doesn’t actually moisturize your skin; it just sits on top making you feel moisturized until it wears off.

So if you’re looking for an alternative to Vaseline, consider grabbing one of the natural and non-toxic alternatives listed above to give your skin the nourishment it deserves instead!