Ingredient · INCI listed
Petrolatum
The most effective occlusive available — it cuts water loss through the skin by over 95% and remains the benchmark for sealing in moisture and protecting a compromised barrier. Cosmetically heavy, but unmatched at the one job it does.
Evidence — Well-established
Data summary
Products containing
48
Most common in
23 products
body cares
Typical pairing
Glycerin
Evidence level
Well-established. Used in medical and dermatological settings for over a century. Cosmetic-grade petrolatum is highly refined and non-comedogenic for most people, despite common misconceptions.
Verified reviewer
In the catalog
Petrolatum by the numbers.
Petrolatum appears in 83 products across the DermFND catalog, most often in body cares (35 products) but also across lip cares and moisturizers. Formulations carrying it score 72/100 on average (above the catalog norm); the strongest is CeraVe Moisturizing Cream at 92/100.
Of those, 22 products score 80 or higher in our analysis. It co-occurs most with Glycerin (37 shared formulas) and Vitamin E (17 shared formulas). The median price of a petrolatum product here is $13.
Where it shows up
