In Beautyville, it’s all about the here and now. With so many new brands and products hitting the shelves every week, it’s hard — and extremely rare — for a product to make it to the iconic list. One product that needs no introduction though has to be Vaseline. Petroleum jelly, that familiar chunky tub, has been every household’s mainstay for a good 150 years. However, you’re not doing justice to this multitasking formula if you only use it on chapped lips.
Here are some tried and tested petroleum jelly hacks you probably never knew about:
Vaseline Original Pure Skin Jelly (Rs 96)
My sister’s ear piercings become very painful if she goes without wearing earrings for very long. Ans if you’re like her, you know what I mean. So the next time you’re struggling with a similar issue, rub your ear lobes with a little Vaseline before wearing your earrings to help them ease into your skin painlessly. Also sometimes, earrings don’t glide into the rubber back smoothly. Coat the part that glides into the rubber back with Vaseline to be able to wear it with ease. Sometimes the lash glue used to stick false eyelashes can have very strong hold. If your falsies don’t come off easily, rub a little Vaseline along your lash line and wait a few minutes to let the Vaseline break the glue down. Then peel the falsies away. Do not tug at the delicate skin around your eyes. Want to look like you have naturally luminous skin? Dab a tiny bit of petroleum jelly on top of the apples of your cheeks to get glowing skin. Use it judiciously though; you don’t want to look like an oil slick. Some days you just don’t have time for an elaborate beauty ritual. Need to look presentable in a pinch? Dab your finger in a tub of Vaseline and smooth some over your brows. This will hold them in place, making you look groomed and polished.1. Wear earrings
2. Remove falsies
3. Highlight cheekbones
4. Tame unruly brows
Bourjois Loose Bronzing Powder (Rs 950) So you’re wearing this gorgeous dress that shows off your legs in the best possible way. Why not add a sun-kissed glow all over? Mix some bronzer with Vaseline and rub this mixture all over your limbs to fake a Victoria’s Secret model glow!5. Fake a glow
Not everyone is born with a lush set of lashes, and if you’re a low maintenance girl who can’t be bothered to use mascara on a daily basis, gently apply Vaseline and then comb through with a spoolie brush to make your lashes look shiny and voluminous. Unless you’re a hair professional, it’s hard not to get hair colour on your skin when you’re dyeing your hair at home. To prevent the colour from staining your skin, rub some Vaseline on the skin around your hairline. The jelly will prevent the dye from seeping into skin and discolouring it.6. Define lashes
7. Protect your skin
La Roche-Posay Active C Eyes (Rs 1,600) Want to improve the efficacy of your favourite serums and creams ten-fold? Once you’ve rubbed your under eye cream and/or face serum, apply Vaseline over it. Vaseline seals in the moisture making your skincare products work that much better. I would recommend you do this at night though, otherwise your skin may look oily. This is the oldest trick in the book and it always works. Nothing works better on cracked, flaky heels better than a thorough scrub with a pumice stone coupled with a coat of Vaseline. Do this each night, put on some socks and wake up to softer, smoother feet. Why not work some of that petroleum jelly on your cuticles while you’re slathering it on your feet? Nothing softens them up like Vaseline.8. Boost your skincare
9. Heal cracked heels
10. Soften cuticles
… or a lip scrub, if you please. Mix sugar granules with some Vaseline to exfoliate chapped, flaky lips. The sugar will slough away flaky skin while the Vaseline will help it glide over the lips smoothly preventing it from being too abrasive.11. Make a body scrub
L’Oreal Paris Color Riche Vernis in Scarlet Vamp (Rs 250)
You know that annoying feeling when the nail polish hardens around the mouth of the bottle, clamping it shut? Prevent this from happening ever again by scooping some Vaseline on a cotton ball and rubbing it around the mouth of the polish bottle. What’s more, you can even apply vaseline to your cuticles before painting your nails to prevent the colour from getting onto your skin and ruining your at-home manicure! We’ve said this before: moisturised skin tends to hold fragrances better and keep it long-lasting. So the next time you want your perfume to last longer, apply some vaseline to the area first to let the scent stick around. Have you run out of your favourite anti-frizz serum? Rub a small amount of vaseline between your palms and smooth down the frizz as an emergency method. Do you have scuff marks on your leather shoes? Try this genius hack.12. Open a stuck nail polish bottle
13. Make fragrance last
14. Tame frizz
15. Polish your shoes