4 Reasons Why Vaseline Is—and Has Always Been—a Staple in My Black Household

I have yet to meet a Black person who isn’t loyal to Vaseline. In our homes, the OG Healing Jelly is used as a cure-all remedy for everything from softening dry elbows and knuckles to soothing scrapes. It’s been in my personal routine since birth—my parents would apply it to my body after changing my diapers. As I got older, my Jamaican mother would always remind me to “put on likkle Vaseline pon yuh lips before you gone a-bed” [sic]. When I experienced my first eczema flare-up in high school, the jelly was the only product I could put around my delicate eye area for relief—everything else felt like it was setting my skin ablaze.

So after over 30 years of regular, consistent use, I can honestly say Vaseline is the one beauty brand I’ve been using for my entire life, and I have no intention of ever stopping. Here are some of the reasons why.

It Gives Me a Sense of Comfort

When I’m going through challenging times, feeling burnt out and exhausted, nurturing my inner child soothes me, so taking care of myself the way my mother did when I was young is comforting. Applying Vaseline is a big part of this ritual. Whether I’m applying it to the stubborn dry patch around my nose or slathering it over my stress-induced eczema breakouts, the jelly not only gives my skin immediate relief, it also provides a sense of ease that only a product I associate with so many good memories can.

It’s Multi-Use

Vaseline is a staple not only in my bathroom cabinet, but in my purse, too—I never go anywhere without a small jar of Original Healing Jelly. I’ve used it to soothe a paper cut, to minimize irritation from a hangnail, to quickly moisturize dry skin, and even for an on-the-go glow (pro tip: apply it on the high points of your cheeks like a highlighter).

It’s Accessible and Affordable

Story time: This past summer I was meeting one of my girlfriends in the park. I had just come from a lunch meeting where whatever product I had on my lips had been wiped off on a napkin. My lips were parched, and I had forgotten to pack my Vaseline in my new purse. Thankfully, there was a drugstore on my way to the park, where I quickly found a stack of mini Vaseline Lip Therapy Cocoa Butter jars. The product cost less than two dollars and gave my lips instant relief. And months later, I’m still carrying it in my bag.

The Brand Continues to Evolve

The Healing Jelly was first introduced in 1870, and while this tried-and-true formula remains perfect, in my opinion, I also love to see the brand expanding and innovating. Its latest example of this is the new Radiant X line, a body-care range developed with dermatologists of color specifically for melanated skin. The formulas feature ingredients like niacinamide, vitamin C, and peptides to address our community’s top skin concerns, including moisture imbalance, dark spots, and uneven skin tone. And so the four-piece collection—the Even Tone Body Lotion, Replenishing Body Oil, Deep Nourishment Body Cream, and Deep Nourishment Hand Butter—has officially become part of my permanent Vaseline rotation.