What’s the most under-estimated medicine cabinet superstar? It’s your little old jar of petroleum jelly (often referred to by the brand name, Vaseline). A big jar of petroleum jelly will only cost you a dollar or so, but boy can you get a lot of beauty mileage out of this stuff.
I use petroleum jelly every day – for various reasons.
Here are a few tricks you might want to try:
1 – Long, separated, glistening lashes
Going to the beach or running to the store – there are days when we want to look presentable but don’t have the time or desire to wear mascara. This is the perfect time to utilize our old friend, petroleum jelly.
– Rub a teeny tiny dab of petroleum jelly between your fingers to warm up it up, then run your fingers horizontally across the tips of your lashes. There should only be enough jelly on your finger to make it look slightly wet. No globs!
-Your lashes will be separated and sparkly with no mess – no fuss. Yay!
*A little shine on your lashes makes your eyes sparkle.
2 – Set brows
While you’re pampering your lashes, you may as well run a bit over your brows too. A tiny bit of petroleum jelly keeps brows in order.
3 – Remove eye makeup
I swear, try this. It’s the cheapest and most effective eye makeup remover.
-Rub some petroleum jelly on your eyelids and under your eyes. You’ll see your makeup break apart. Then, just wipe away with a washcloth, cotton swab, or even some soft toilet paper. You might want to use a Q-tip to get into the lash line.
*After removing eye makeup, go ahead and cleanse the rest of your face.
4 – Dewy look
– Dab a little bit of petroleum jelly on your cheekbones for a dewy look. Make sure you don’t get any towards the center of your face – you don’t want to look sweaty or oily.
-Mix a little shimmery gold or silver eye shadow into a small amount of petroleum jelly. Voila! Instant cream highlighter.
5 – Gloss it up
Wish your favorite lipstick came in a gloss? It does.
– Blend lipstick with petroleum jelly.
-OR, blend a little loose eyeshadow (not blue or green of course!) with petroleum jelly.
*Want more sheer gloss? Add more jelly. Want more color? Add more lipstick. Simple.
**Want flavored lip gloss? Try adding a bit of Kool-Aid. I know, it’s weird, but try it!
6 – Make your perfume last
Perfume dissipates from skin rather quickly – but not from petroleum jelly.
-Rub some petroleum jelly where you apply perfume (skin, not clothes – duh). Then spritz your favorite scent.
7 – Lube up
Perhaps petroleum jelly’s most well-known use…moisture retention.
– After your bath or shower, rub petroleum jelly over wet skin. It’ll help seal the moisture in.
*Be careful. Petroleum jelly can be slippery. Only apply to your feet on a carpeted surface and then put some socks on. It’ll help prevent slips and the heat from the socks will further help soften your heals.
8 – Remove eyelash glue
Lashes come off, but bits of glue last for days – unless you rub a little petroleum jelly along your lash line. Use a Q-tip to really get in there.
9 – Split ends
Okay, petroleum jelly will not “heal” your split ends – nothing will, but it can help tame them.
-After styling hair, rub the teeeeeeniest tiniest bit of petroleum jelly between your hands and run your fingers through the very bottom tips of your hair. (It shouldn’t even be visible).
*Do not use too much jelly and definitely do not apply it anywhere but the tips. You’ll look greasy.
10 – Hair color protector
Smear some petroleum jelly just below your hairline, on your ears and along your neck before your diy hair color. Your skin will be protected from stains. When you’re done, just wipe it off!
11 – Eye Cream
After applying your nightly eye cream, warm some jelly in your hand and apply a thin layer under the eyes. The jelly will push your eye cream deeper into your skin and help retain moisture. I do this every night – it works!
12 – Longer lashes
Apply some petroleum jelly at your lash line every night. Rumor is, it helps grow lashes. I can’t guarantee it, but many women swear by it.
I hope this article has helped revive your interest in our humble old friend – petroleum jelly. Good luck and happy experimenting!
