Is Vaseline Good For Your Hair?

Like saltwater and coconut oil, Vaseline® — a brand of petroleum jelly — is said to have many uses. Chances are you’ve heard about people using Vaseline for everything from chapped lips to dry skin. But what about hair care? Is Vaseline good for your hair? 

Vaseline has been used as a bit of a cure-all for many skin issues over the decades, but where it shines brightest is as a treatment to moisturize and soothe dry, cracked skin. 

This is because petroleum jelly can help to seal the barrier of your skin, locking in moisture and keeping out unwanted pollutants. 

So, what about dry, brittle hair? Can you put Vaseline in your hair, or is it only beneficial for your skin?

Currently, there’s only mixed evidence that Vaseline offers any benefits for your hair. However, due to its skin benefits, it’s possible that Vaseline may be a useful tool for caring for your scalp and treating many common skin issues that could affect hair growth. 

Below, we’ve explained what Vaseline is, as well as why it’s so commonly used as a magic bullet skin care ingredient. 

We’ve also looked at the scientific research to determine if Vaseline offers any benefits for your hair, and if so, whether or not it deserves a place in your hair care toolkit.

While it’s understandable to knock all the century-old salves and jars of medications inside your grandma’s medicine cabinet, petroleum jelly is not necessarily snake oil.

Vaseline contains petrolatum, a refined form of petroleum jelly that contains no impurities. The product also contains mineral oils, glycerine, and other ingredients. 

It’s an international product that’s made and marketed by the company Unilever, which owns a massive range of personal care, cleaning, and beauty products.

While most of us picture Vaseline in a small, blue-topped container, over the years, Unilever has launched countless products under the Vaseline brand name, including skin creams, soaps, and cleansers. 

Some of these products contain the original petroleum jelly solution, while others are lotions and other products that use petroleum jelly in combination with other ingredients. 

While we know Vaseline is a brand that encompasses many different types of products, we’ll exclusively focus on the original petrolatum formula in this article.

You might have happened upon Reddit comments and online forums that claim Vaseline is like Miracle-Gro for your hair, but this claim is purely anecdotal. While Vaseline could moisturize your hair and scalp, there’s currently no evidence to suggest that it stimulates hair growth. 

There’s also no evidence that Vaseline protects against hair loss conditions like male pattern baldness. 

Male pattern hair loss — characterized by a receding hairline or bald patch on your crown — occurs as the result of a combination of genetic factors and the effects of a male sex hormone, or androgen, called dihydrotestosterone (DHT).

Most treatments for male pattern hair loss work by either blocking DHT production or stimulating hair growth by increasing blood flow to your scalp. 

Currently, there are no peer-reviewed studies to suggest that Vaseline increases blood flow to your hair follicles or prevents your body from producing DHT. There’s also no reliable research to suggest that it improves hair growth in any other way. 

This leaves petroleum jelly mostly in the realm of wishful thinking. As far as cold hard evidence goes, there’s nothing we can point to to show that Vaseline is a hair loss treatment or hair growth elixir. 

But still, there may be a few benefits of Vaseline for hair health.

While Vaseline isn’t a fix for your receding hairline, there are a few ways petroleum jelly can benefit your hair health.

You can use Vaseline in your hair care routine to:

• Smooth split ends and tame frizz

• Lock in hydration after applying conditioner

• Style baby hairs or flyaway bits

• Moisturize a dry scalp

• Protect your hair from dry weather

• Use as a hair styling product instead of gel or wax

Petroleum jelly is an occlusive — a substance that physically blocks transepidermal water loss (the loss of water through your skin). Occlusives are great at protecting chapped, dry skin from getting worse.

And they just might do this for hair, too.  

When hair feels extra dry — something that happens when the natural hair oils coating the cuticle are washed away — it becomes more damaged. The natural oils reduce friction and lock in moisture. Without it, you may experience hair breakage, split ends, and frizz.  

Vaseline can act as a stand-in for these natural oils, combating dryness and acting as a protective barrier for your hair. 

So, it just might be worth using Vaseline on your hair and scalp.

As far as DIY hair treatments go, Vaseline isn’t too bad. There are no known side effects of using Vaseline for your hair. 

But it’s a greasy substance, so it may cause your hair to feel heavier and oiler. If you use Vaseline on your scalp, it can cause build-up. 

To avoid this, use a light hand — a small amount of Vaseline goes a long way.

In between Vaseline applications, it’s important to wash your hair and scalp thoroughly. Use warm water to help melt away the Vaseline.  

Vaseline isn’t a hair growth elixir, but it’s still worth keeping in your bathroom cabinet. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, petroleum jelly has a lengthy list of potential uses.

You can use Vaseline for:

• Relieving dry, cracked skin

• Preventing chafing

• Moisturizing dry heels

• Using as a lip balm

• Wound healing

• Hydrating nails and cuticles

• Treating diaper rash

Vaseline is often used for “slugging,” a trending skin care treatment where people cover their faces with petroleum jelly overnight. According to proponents of slugging, it helps keep skin hydrated and plump.

One thing Vaseline is decidedly not good for? Acne. If you’re prone to acne breakouts, Vaseline can clog your pores and contribute to breakouts. So say no to slugging if you fall in this camp.

Skin care isn’t a one-size-fits all type of treatment. As with all products, Vaseline works wonders for some people but does nothing for others. It’s important to keep an eye on your skin to see how it reacts to a new product.  

Although Vaseline may offer benefits for your hair and scalp, it’s not the only option available for keeping your hair looking and feeling its best. 

In fact, there are many other hair products that can provide better results than Vaseline when it comes to improving your hair’s overall health and stimulating hair growth.

These include:

• A good quality shampoo. Good shampoos keep your hair and scalp clean without drying out your hair. Try our volumizing shampoo, our dandruff detox shampoo, or our hair thickening shampoo, which is infused with saw palmetto to promote hair growth.

• The right conditioner. Conditioner restores your hair's thickness and fullness, making it essential if you have brittle or dry hair. Try our volumizing conditioner. A leave-in conditioner might also be great for extra dry hair.

• Hair oils. Like Vaseline, hair oil can be used as a sealant to lock in moisture. Try using a dab of coconut oil or jojoba oil to tame your split ends, or use it to give yourself a scalp massage. 

• Hair loss medications. If you’re beginning to lose hair, Vaseline can’t help here. Instead, use evidence-based hair loss medications such as minoxidil and finasteride. Used daily, these medications can stop hair loss and stimulate growth.

In addition to using the right products, taking care of your hair is all about practicing healthy hair care habits. Our list of men’s hair care tips shares simple techniques that you can use to reduce damage and get healthier, thicker hair. 

Although some people claim Vaseline speeds up their hair growth, there’s no research to prove that it can be used as a hair loss treatment. 

But it still deserves a place in your medicine cabinet — and maybe even in your hair care routine.

• Vaseline can have other benefits for hair. You can use it to treat dry hair and prevent further damage, tame flyaway bits, lock in moisture, or soothe split ends.  

• You can also use it for purposes beyond hair. Dab Vaseline on chapped lips, dry heels, chafed thighs and broken skin. It can also be used on diaper rash.

• When it comes to hair care, there are other treatments worth using. Good-quality hair care products are a must. If you’re concerned about hair loss, you can also try medications — like minoxidil and finasteride — to promote hair growth.

Check out our blogs about how to make hair grow faster and explore science-backed tips for hair growth.

We offer a range of hair loss treatments for men. If you’ve noticed the early signs of balding, we can help you set up an online consultation with a healthcare professional who can explain your treatment options and, if appropriate, prescribe a hair loss treatment.