Petrolatum

Petrolatum is a cosmetic ingredient used as an antistatic, skin conditioning - emollient agent. It appears in about 2% of cosmetic products in our 90,000+ product dataset. It is regulated in the EU (listed in a Cosmetics Regulation annex). PubMed carries 1,731 studies of its skin or topical use.

INCI namePETROLATUM
FunctionANTISTATIC, SKIN CONDITIONING - EMOLLIENT
CAS number8009-03-8
EC number232-373-2
Prevalence1,696 products (1.83% of dataset)
Most used inSkincare
EU statusRestricted (annex )
Scientific studies1,731 on PubMed (skin/cosmetic/topical)
Monthly searches12,100

Used in

Body Lotions 16.6%General Moisturizers 16.1%Lip Moisturizers 15.8%Body Treatments 5.2%Lip Masks 3.5%Gel, Pomade & Wax 2.7%

Frequently asked

What does Petrolatum do in skincare?
Petrolatum functions as an antistatic, skin conditioning - emollient agent in cosmetic formulas.
Is Petrolatum allowed in cosmetics?
Yes, but it is regulated in the EU — it appears in a Cosmetics Regulation annex with usage conditions.
What products contain Petrolatum?
It is most commonly found in Skincare products, especially body lotions (16.6% of its uses).

Manufacturers with experience using Petrolatum

Match with vetted US contract manufacturers that have hands-on experience formulating with this ingredient.