a vintage ad of Vaseline's Petroleum Jelly

Our History

Born in Brooklyn in 1870, Vaseline® is now present in over 70 countries and celebrated as one of the top hand and body brands globally.

Helping to Heal Skin Through The Centuries

The Vaseline® brand was built on the healing efficacy of Vaseline® Jelly. Formulated in 1870, this “Wonder Jelly” has been healing dry skin for over 150 years.

 

Today, what started with a jar of Vaseline® Healing Jelly has grown into an expansive product portfolio that includes Vaseline® Intensive Care™ Lotions and Vaseline® Lip Therapy™ tins. However, The Healing Power of Vaseline® Jelly can still be found inside the products that Vaseline® makes. We invite you to go back in time and learn the origins of the Vaseline® brand, and how after a century of healing it became one of the most celebrated skin care brands around the world.

1859

the original patent drawing for Petroleum Jelly purification

1870

Vintage bottles of Vaseline

1880

A vintage ad from 1880s of Vaseline's Petroleum Jelly

Trusted by All 

People started to discover the safe and diverse uses of pure Vaseline® petroleum jelly, and soon nearly every household in North America had a jar in their medicine cabinet. New mothers used it on their babies for diaper rash, while workers exposed to extreme cold weather used it to relieve their dry, chapped skin.

1916

A box of Vaseline products from 1900s

A Wartime Staple

Vaseline® became a staple for the American soldiers fighting in Europe. Ideal for soothing sore feet in the trenches, it was in such high demand that many young men would write home, asking their families to send more.

1920s

A vintage ad from 1920s of Vaseline's Petroleum Jelly

“Handiest Thing In The House”

Used both for first aid and cosmetically, it became a ubiquitous household brand.

1937

an example of Vaseline's sterile antiseptic dressing fabricated in 1930s

Supporting The Frontline

During WWII, soldiers sustained serious injuries from burns, so Chesebrough Manufacturing Company was commissioned by the Surgeon General to produce a sterile antiseptic dressing containing petroleum jelly.

1950s

A vintage ad from 1950s of Vaseline's Petroleum Jelly

"The Wonder Jelly"

Reader's Digest called Vaseline® "The Wonder Jelly".

1970s

A vintage ad from 1970s of Vaseline's Lotions

1980/90s

A vintage ad from 1980s of Vaseline's hand cream and lip balm

Vaseline for Lips and Hands

After the great success with body lotions, Vaseline® began to expand its offering by introducing Vaseline® Lip Therapy® and Vaseline® Hand & Nail Formula.

2011

A vintage ad from 1880s of Vaseline's Petroleum Jelly

2015

a woman applying Vaseline Jelly on a kid

Bringing Skin Healing Where It’s Needed The Most  

Aiming to provide skin healthcare to every body, everywhere, the Vaseline® brand partnered with Direct Relief to create the Vaseline® Healing Project. Since the program was launched, we’ve been providing people around the world access to critical skin health care in areas with acute needs or in the wake of natural disasters.

2018

a woman applying Vaseline Jelly on a kid

Less Plastic per Lotion Bottle  

Lotion packs were reengineered to use less plastic, avoiding the equivalent of 2.3M of Vaseline® 20.3oz bottles (the redesigned format) (130 metric tons of plastic) in the US from 2018 to 2022. 

2019

two kids smiling

Skin Health For All

Vaseline® reached its first goal of helping to heal the skin of over five million people worldwide through The Vaseline® Healing Project (VHP).

2022

a woman applying Vaseline Jelly on a kid

Increasing the Usage of Recycled Plastic  

Vaseline®'s Intensive Care Lotions were relaunched with new packaging, improved formulas and bottles made of 50% recycled plastic. More details on our approach to plastic here.

Learn More About Vaseline®


Ingredients