Breaking Up With Petroleum

What Is Petroleum Jelly — And Why Is It So Common in Skincare?

Petroleum jelly, also known as petrolatum, is an ingredient found in countless skincare products. On labels, you might see it listed as:

Petroleum
Mineral Oil
Petrolatum
Liquid Paraffin
Paraffin Oil
Petroleum Jelly

These ingredients are derived from petroleum, a fossil fuel that forms deep within the earth and is extracted through oil drilling.

After petroleum is refined, certain components can be purified and used in cosmetics. In skincare, petrolatum is valued for one primary reason: it creates an occlusive barrier that helps seal moisture into the skin.

This is why it appears in so many lotions, ointments, and balms.

But how did something connected to the oil industry become one of the most common ingredients in modern skincare?

A Surprising Beginning

The story goes back to 1859 in Titusville, Pennsylvania.

Chemist Robert Chesebrough visited an oil field where workers were scraping a waxy residue off their drilling equipment. They called the substance “rod wax.”

Intrigued, Chesebrough began experimenting with the material and eventually developed a refined version that would become petroleum jelly. His discovery would go on to become a household staple used around the world.

What began as an industrial byproduct eventually became one of the most widely used ingredients in personal care.

Why It Became So Popular

Petroleum-derived ingredients gained popularity because they are:

• Stable
• Inexpensive
• Widely available
• Effective at forming a barrier that helps reduce moisture loss

For decades, they became a default base ingredient in many conventional skincare formulas.

But as more people began reading ingredient labels and thinking more intentionally about what they put on their skin, some started asking a simple question:

Is this the only way skincare can be made?

A Return to Traditional Ingredients

Long before modern skincare labs existed, people cared for their skin using whole, natural ingredients.

One of the most traditional was tallow — rendered fat from grass-fed cattle.

For generations, tallow was used to make soaps, balms, and skin salves because its fatty acid profile closely resembles the oils naturally found in healthy human skin.

Many people today are rediscovering these traditional ingredients and choosing skincare made from simpler, more recognizable sources.

The SMEAR Philosophy

At SMEAR, we believe skincare can be both effective and simple.

Our products are crafted around grass-fed tallow and thoughtfully selected ingredients that have a long history of use in traditional skincare.

Instead of building formulas around petroleum-derived bases, we focus on whole ingredients that nourish the skin in a way that feels intuitive and time-honored.

It’s a return to a slower, simpler way of caring for the skin.

Flip Your Products Over

Next time you pick up a skincare product, turn it over and look at the ingredient list.

You might see ingredients like:

Petroleum
Mineral oil
Petrolatum
Liquid paraffin
Paraffin oil

These ingredients are common in conventional skincare, but many people today are choosing to explore alternatives rooted in traditional skincare practices.

At SMEAR, we’re honored to be part of that movement back to simple ingredients.

Curious What Traditional Skincare Feels Like?

If you're exploring simpler ingredients and want to experience traditional skincare for yourself, our tallow-based formulations are a beautiful place to start.

Each jar is crafted with grass-fed tallow and thoughtfully chosen ingredients designed to support soft, nourished skin using time-honored methods.

Many families begin with our Whipped Tallow, which melts easily into the skin and can be used on the face and body as a daily moisturizer.

If you're new to tallow skincare, this is often the easiest place to begin.

Explore the collection and find the blend that feels right for your skin.