No Vaseline Vibes

November 23, 2023

"Vaseline Vibes: Navigating the Skincare Scene with Sass!"

Hey Beautiful!

It’s ya girl, Dr. Truth coming to you with the real deal as always.  Let’s get into it! 

As a young melanin princess, whenever I saw those Vaseline commercials with the off-white jar and the blue top featuring predominately white women, I thought, why are they putting something on their bodies that sound like should go in a car?  #Petroleum #Vaseline = #Gasoline  I know, it’s just the way my brain works!

Anyway, since they weren’t “talking to me”, I didn’t spend too much time thinking about it…even though that little jar has been holdin’ it down in millions of black and brown homes for years!

Then I noticed, a few years later, the same company, now “talking to me” about their new product, Cocoa Radiant.  These women looked more like me, so I paid closer attention, plus my Momma always told me, Cocoa Butta was great for our skin!  We used it.  Quite a bit of it actually.  Jar after jar after jar.  Several years of wearing it, I noticed my skin did not glow like the black women on TV and it left me feeling itchy, actually.  By this time, I was in already college.  I made my own choices and I just stopped buying it.  I can’t tell you what products I bought next, but I’m sure it wasn’t great either, considering my shopping was heavily budgeted for the Dollar Sto’!   

So anyway, fast-forwarding to recently, I noticed a LOT of commercials with the beautifully, talented #ReginaKing  My Spidey Senses went off, so I decided to do a little diggin’!  #typical  Do you know about www.ewg.org?  They're like skincare detectives at a higher ranking than me!  This site gives products ratings from 1 to 10 and guess where Vaseline is at?  Welp, depends on which product we’re talking as this company now has over 120 products today!  Here’s the low-down on the two product lines that I feel are the most popular! 

Great news for the traditional Vaseline!  It’s got a 1, which is the best possible score!  But hold up!  This is the “Vaseline ORIGINAL Healing Jelly” where the active ingredients is White Petrolatum, USP 100.0%.  That still just doesn’t sound the healthiest to me but ok.  The overall products rate a 4. Still not TOO bad…but KEEP READING!

Bad news, the Cocoa Radiant product line had around 10 different products and SEVEN of them rated between 7 to 9, which 7 thru 10 is of the WORST scores because the ingredients contain high hazardous chemicals.  These high hazardous chemicals could contribute the following:

Cancer: Ingredients linked to cancer in government, industry or academic studies or assessments.

Developmental and reproductive toxicity: Ingredients linked to developmental and reproductive toxicity, a broad class of health effects that range from infertility and reproductive organ cancers to birth defects and developmental delays in children.

Allergies and immunotoxicity: Ingredients linked to harm to the immune system, a class of health problems that manifest as allergic reactions or an impaired capacity to fight disease and repair damaged tissue in the body.

Endocrine disruption: Ingredients may affect the proper functioning of the body's hormone system.

Click here for a complete list.  https://www.ewg.org/skindeep/understanding_skin_deep_ratings/

Remember who I told you the Cocoa Radiant line was “talking too?”  Exactly.  Does anyone find this info interesting?

Here’s the link for the ratings for all of the Vaseline products: 
https://www.ewg.org/skindeep/search/?search=vaseline

So, should you be slathering on that Vaseline oil? Well, homie, that's your call.  I just want you to be informed. 

Speaking of, there’s other products you can use in-trade of.  I simply use 100% UNREFINED coconut oil, mixed with a bit of PURE Shea Butter and a splash of Batana Oil.  Batana Oil is amazing!  I get mine from RA Cosmetics on Etsy.com  Please note, I do not currently gain any monetary benefits with this company..though I hope that will change soon as it takes time and money to give you guys this #unbiased #peerreviewed #research.  I’ll never tell you to get something I don’t use myself!  You know why?  Cause the healthier you are, the easier it’ll be for me cause….I gotta live in this world wit’ you Micky Ficky’s! 

With want,

-Dr. Truth