You’re heading out to work. It’s a cold and dry day and your skin looks like it needs moisture. What do you do? Simple, you just head to your closet, take out that ‘tub’ of the petroleum jelly, and apply the same on your hands and lips. Petroleum jelly comes handy and in most homes, it has its own place. It is also almost indispensible in winter. However, did you know that openhanded doses of petroleum jelly every day can actually result in more harm than good? Well, it does! However, this does not mean that petroleum jelly does not have advantages of its own. It can be used for shining leather, treating broken wood, pressing combs, etc. This is where petroleum jelly proves handy, but when used on the skin petroleum jelly is as bad as it can get. Petroleum jelly apart from increasing the chances of breast cancer can also result in numerous skin related complications. Read this article to gain familiarity with the lesser-known side effects of ‘petroleum jelly’.
Adverse Effects Of Petroleum Jelly
Adverse Effects Of Petroleum Jelly
- Petroleum jelly, without a question of doubt, can make the skin look and feel good. However, the smoothness and softness of the skin may not last for long. This is because the prolonged use of petroleum jelly can literally block off or choke the million pores on our skin. It results in a thick layer of jelly that covers the skin and also leads to the formation of another layer that mostly comprises of secreted toxins. It is this second layer that leads to a host of complications. It can cause acne, skin irritation, dryness and other such disorders.
- Petroleum jelly, as per all norms, is supposed to be used only for external purposes. However, due to negligence or ignorance, it can be consumed or used for purposes other than external. When not used for external purposes, petroleum jelly can cause diarrhea, shortness of breath, abdominal pains, coughing, and a general irritation in the nose, eyes, and skin.
- According to some researchers and studies, petroleum jelly is considered to be ridden with substances that can cause breast cancer. The perpetrators of the crime are the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons that are found in abundance in petroleum jellies. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are also known as PAHs. The cancerous properties of PAHs are unfortunately also supplemented by the 1, 3-butadienes and ethylene oxides found in petroleum jelly. This can cause mammary tumors otherwise known as breast cancer.
- Petroleum jelly is widely used as a lubricant, but using petroleum jelly on latex or condoms is not akin to using the same for external purposes. Apart from causing myriad other complications, the use of petroleum jelly to complement natural lubrication can destroy the very purpose of using a condom.