When you choose a skincare cream, will you choose Aquaphor or Vaseline? These products are very popular – even among those who aren’t keen on skincare – and are often used to protect and soothe irritated, dry skin or lips. But while they both have moisturizing and protective benefits, there are some distinct differences between these products in terms of formula, feel, and more.
What Is Aquaphor?
Aquaphor is a skincare ointment that contains petroleum jelly as well as ingredients such as lanolin, glycerin, bisabolol, and panthenol. These ingredients make the product highly moisturizing and effective in soothing, protecting, and healing dry, chapped lips, as well as dry, inflamed, or cracked skin. It forms a protective barrier that helps lock in moisture from the skin.
Compared to Vaseline, Aquaphor has a lighter texture, is easy to apply, and is more easily absorbed by the skin, while Vaseline is thicker, more occlusive, and acts as a barrier.
Vaseline tends to be greasy, while Aquaphor is formulated to be more soluble in water (because it contains glycerin), so it will feel lighter on the skin.
What Is Vaseline?
It’s likely that you’ve always had a jar of Vaseline in your medicine cabinet – and there’s a reason for that. Vaseline is a trusted and loved skincare product made from 100% Vaseline. It is commonly used to treat dry, inflamed, and chapped skin. It helps to lock in moisture and also forms a protective barrier that protects the skin from water and other environmental factors as it heals. It is pure petroleum jelly and has a blocking effect, so it locks in moisture.
When to Use It?
Deciding whether to use Aquaphor or Vaseline often comes down to personal preference. You can use one of these on any irritated area: it really depends on the…… Do you prefer a greasy feeling or do you prefer something in between.
Both products do not contain active ingredients: both have the function of a protective ointment. Some people prefer the texture of Aquaphor because it is slightly less oily than Vaseline, but others prefer the oilier feel of Vaseline and its healing effect on dry skin. If you prefer the other ingredients in Aquaphor, then it’s a matter of personal preference.
That being said, there are several scenarios that may prompt you to choose one or the other. Here are more information:
Vaseline
Vaseline is useful for people with dry, sensitive skin, as well as chapped lips. It also protects the skin from moisture and forms a good barrier that helps prevent skin chafing. It is used more as an occlusive agent, to protect the skin, to prevent skin abrasions, and to act as a barrier to minor cuts.
Aquaphor
Aquaphor is effective in healing dry, cracked skin and soothing minor cuts and burns. It is also effective in moisturizing rough, dry skin and can soothe chapped lips.
At Last
Vaseline and Aquaphor are both protective ointments that come in handy when you want to treat dry, cracked skin and lips, prevent chafing, and soothe irritated skin. But the formula is slightly different: Vaseline is pure petroleum jelly, while Aquaphor contains petroleum jelly as well as some other ingredients like lanolin, glycerin, bisabolol, mineral oil, and panthenol. In terms of touch, Vaseline is a bit heavy and greasy, whereas Aquaphor is a bit light and easier to apply. Dermatologists say that deciding which one to use is usually a matter of personal preference.
One thing to keep in mind is that if you have breakout-prone skin, then you must be cautious when using these products. Both of these products are suitable for all skin types, but may also increase the likelihood of breakouts on acne-prone skin.