Is vaseline (petroleum jelly) good for dry skin?

I went on youtube to do some research and a well known doctor (Dr Anthony Youn) recommended not to apply petroleum jelly. But there are mixed results. Is vaseline good for dry skin?

well if a well known doctor is advising against it, then i reckon you should take his advice and leave the vaseline. there’s plenty of other products for dry skin

Petroleum jelly forms a barrier against moisture.

Thus, when applied to something dry that generates moisture/etc, it will trap said moisture.

Human skin generates moisture. That includes your lips and... other parts.

Consequently, one might be able to posit that applying vaseline, that is to say petroleum jelly, would perhaps form a barrier against the moisture of our skin.

This barrier would be between the skin and the air, with the moisture being trapped under it.

If the moisture can't escape to the air, it would simply stay put, resting under the barrier.

This would make the skin moist.

If the skin is moist, it isn't dry.

Thus, petroleum jelly can aid in keeping skin moist, and preventing it getting dry, provided your skin can indeed generate moisture, which it most certainly does unless you have some odd condition that prevents you from generating any moisture whatsoever, in which case it would not help form a barrier against moisture, instead forming other kinds of barriers (for example, against bacteria or other airborne particles/etc.)

This is all just my hypothesis, however. I'm not a dermatologist.

Also, in my own personal experience, do not trust anyone who has anything related to "Holism" in their description.

If you're seeking genuine medical advice about something, think to yourself about whether you would want whoever is giving you medical care to brand themselves the way your source of advice does.

**Disclaimer**
I am aware that in some cases, the use of certain products can cause allergic reactions and/or other reactions, for example said skin no longer producing moisture. However these are generally abnormal cases and indeed are rare. Generally using some sort of barrier to prevent moisture loss for your skin will work, unless you're an oddity and it doesn't, in which case alternatives may be required.

There’s quite a lot of doctors also recommending petroleum jelly though, so I’m not exactly sure whether or not to use it. I tried hyaluronic acid but that dried out my skin even though i was using it correctly and applying a moisturiser at the end.

Thanks 😊

Neutrogena do some good gels/etc with that Hyalur-whatever stuff you mentioned. Iirc the science behind it, it forms some form of matrix that traps moisture, same principle as always but apparently more "gentle" and less obstructive than petroleum jelly.

You could also just use a night cream. They're nasty as heck usually but it helps to avoid the need of using some sort of moisturizer during the day.

NO. Do not use vaseline for dry skin. Toner, moisturizer, and exfoliant is all you need.