Reddit is Wrong, Vaseline Will Not Cure Your Acne

From conspiracy theories to cryptic memes, there’s a lot of confusing and strange information on Reddit that lead people to believe the opposite of the truth. The latest fallacy from the social media giant is a thread promoting the use of Vaseline to cure skin problems, in particular, acne.

In a popular post, a user writes, “At night I did a thin layer [of Vaseline] over my chin and during day and night I put a little glob on active pimples. I slept on my back with a pillow under my knees and it was still globby and beautiful in the morning.”

Another user professes her love for Vaseline: “I have acne-prone, combo skin and use Vaseline every night over my glycolic acid and Cerave Night Cream, it makes my skin so so soft and not oily at all the next day. In fact, since I added the Vaseline step my skin has gotten less ‘oily’ I’d say, just stays hydrated and smooth.”

Vaseline is good for a lot of things: soothing dry skin, moisturizing lips, highlighting the face, removing makeup, among other uses. However, when it comes to relieving the skin of blemishes, Vaseline only adds a barrier, preventing the skin from healing naturally.

According to Vaseline’s official site, the petroleum jelly doesn’t, in fact, clog pores, and “its protective formula means it could help your skin recover faster from a breakout.” However, according to dermatologist Ted Lain, MD, Vaseline has some anti-inflammatory properties that can decrease redness, but there are “so many better ways” to get rid of acne, he told Health, like benzoyl peroxide.