Petrolatum, petroleum jelly, Vaseline,

Recently I discovered that I am allergic to petrolatum, (petroleum jelly or Vaseline). It cause contact dermatitis.  After I had used aqueous cream for a long time my hands started peeling and the skin started breaking open, especially on my index fingers.

No matter how much I put on the skin got worse.

SO I stopped putting cream on and my hands slowly healed.  At night I would put my hands in water and then into polythene gloves.  This helped moisturise them.  Then I tried pure olive oil (the edible kind) which helped quite a lot but the result was oily marks all over everything for at least an hour. Fine if you are not in a hurry.

THEN I discovered why my skin reacts to this mix. When you read the recipe for AQUEOUS CREAM B.P. I understand why I react to it. The following is extracted from the British Pharmocopaeia 1968:


AQUEOUS CREAM
Hydrous Emulsifying Ointment
Emulsifying Ointment     300 g.
Chlorocresol 1 g.
Purified Water   699 g.

Dissolve the Chlorocresol in the Purified Water with the aid of
gentle heat. Melt the Emulsifying Ointment, add the solution of
Chlorocresol while still warm, and stir gently until cold.
Storage. Aqueous Cream should be kept in a well-closed container and
stored in a cool place.
Action and Use. Water-miscible cream basis.

Then I read what was in Emulsifying Ointment:


EMULSIFYING OINTMENT

Emulsif. Oint.
Ung. Emulsif.

Emulsifying Wax                       300 g.
White Soft Paraffin                    500 g.
Liquid Paraffin                   200 g.
Melt together and stir until cold.
Preparation. Aqueous Cream.

I hunted for products which did not contain mineral oil, petrolatum or liquid paraffin and found very few.  Most of these contained Shea Butter (to which I also react) or glycerin (which is OK if it is of vegetable origin but in South Africa it is mostly a by-product of Coal refinery and comes from Sasolburg).

I tried all sorts of raw materials in an effort to find something which would help with the healing process and stop my hands peeling. I even tried a product which supposedly promoted healing with Calendula.  It just made the condition worse and when I wrote to the manufacturer asking what the base cream was I received no reply.

I  have done a bit of research on Vaseline, petrolatum and have found on this site:
fablenaturals.com  the following:

The bad: Surprise, surprise, it’s made from petroleum! And why would that ever be good for our skin? Petrolatum forms a barrier on the skin, clogging pores and causing acne. Like SLS, it’s been found to be contaminated with other chemicals (like 1, 4 dioxane) linked to cancer.The alternative: Use a natural version of petroleum jelly – such as a salve or a body butter. They will contain oils and a natural wax like beeswax to moisturize and protect your skin.Some people will argue that there is nothing wrong with these chemicals. And there are so many studies and conflicting pieces of advice that it’s hard to know who to listen to. But with all the safer alternatives out there, why would you choose to use a product that could be bad for your health?

There are other sites which also pan petrolatum, for clogging pores, damaging lips. An alternative is coconut oil, beeswax, honey, lemon juice, mixed together make a cream.

Eventually I wanted to try pure lanolin and couldn't find any. I eventually remembered something my grandmother used to make and could not find the ingredients. I hunted and hunted and hunted, and then I remembered UDDER CREAM and started asking around.

It is marketed as MILKING CREAM and is available from farm supply stores.  I patch tested a tub at the price of R40 per tub and found that it works.  There may or may not be petrolatum in it but it seems to be easier on my hands than the commercial hand creams with all their fancy additives and seems to soak in relatively quickly and doesn't leave oily patches on my keyboard as I type.  

It also works on my cracked heels.  A nice alternative to Eulactol Heel balm which I find expensive and ultra greasy.