Petroleum jelly, the main ingredient in Vaseline can be found in many beauty products that moisturize your skin. It is clear and doesn’t smell, but it isn’t exactly great for your skin. Petroleum jelly can block your pores and keep toxins in it, and also prevents the skin from healing.
Problems with petroleum jelly
Besides blocking the pores, here’s are other ways in which the jelly can harm your skin:
Collagen breakdown
As it forms a barrier on the skin, petroleum jelly can also cause collagen breakdown. When it covers your skin, it prevents it from healing and using nutrients. It also impairs the process of cell renewal and can suck out the moisture and nutrients from the skin.
Harmful carbs
Our skin can’t metabolize petroleum jelly and stays as a protective layer until it’s removed on its own. The body can’t use it like shea butter or coconut oil, and scientists are also concerned that carbs from the jelly can transform to fat tissue in the body. According to a study, “There is strong evidence that mineral oil hydrocarbons are the greatest contaminant of the human body, amounting to approximately 1 g per person. Possible routes of contamination include air inhalation, food intake, and dermal absorption”.
Estrogen dominance
The high levels of estrogen in petroleum jelly can lead to estrogen dominance, which can cause infertility, menstrual problems, fast aging, allergies and autoimmune diseases and nutrient deficiencies. Petroleum jelly contains xenoestrogens that can cause estrogen problems in the body by acting on hormone receptors.
Other problems
Petroleum jelly products contain 1.4 dioxane which is a known carcinogen. Knowing this, petroleum jelly may be responsible for numerous types of cancers. It can also cause lipid pneumonia, a rare condition which occurs in cases of inhaling a small amount of petroleum jelly which accumulates in the lungs and may cause inflammation.
Source : healthyentirelife.com
