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Petrolatum

  • Dietary supplement
  • Prescription only
  • Identity checked
  • Sources last checked 2026-09-04

This page shows what was measured, who it was measured in, and what that does not settle.

What Petrolatum does in the body

temporarily protects minor cuts scrapes burns temporarily protects and helps relieve chapped or cracked skin and lips helps protect from the drying effects of wind and cold weather

4) ] . The mechanism of action of white petrolatum and zinc oxide for the adjunctive treatment of diaper dermatitis is unknown.

Why people take it. temporarily protects minor cuts scrapes burns temporarily protects and helps relieve chapped or cracked skin and lips helps protect from the drying effects of wind and cold weather

What happened in people

RNAWiki has not yet published a reviewed conclusion for this use.

A fixed RNAWiki sentence

Where this came from

Wording RNAWiki always uses, not a finding about this substance.

No reviewed claim names a result for any goal on this record.

No source is stored against this line.

The limit that matters most

Not recorded.

Where it acts
Not recorded.
Kind of result
No result is published, so no kind of result applies yet
Supervision
Not usually supervised: sold as a supplement or food ingredient where recorded. That is a legal category, not a safety judgement.

What the registries record it as

  • The substance registry classes this as structurallydiverse.

    FDA substance registry · 4T6H12BN9U · read 2026-08-29

  • The material is recorded as coming from petroleum.

    FDA substance registry · 4T6H12BN9U · read 2026-08-29

Where each sentence above came from

The use the label states, quoted from it. No plain-language version of this sentence has been written.

The use the label states, quoted from it. It is written for a clinician, not for a reader without medical training.

No statement of the main limit is recorded.

The four opening statements run to 87 words.

Words this page uses

Four words worth knowing first

Chosen from what this page shows, with each one explained before the word it depends on.

Protein

A protein is a folded chain your body builds to do a specific job.

A picture of it, and where the picture fails

A protein is like a tool bent into one shape for one task.

Where that stops being true. A tool keeps its shape. A protein can change shape and stop working.

What people get wrong. Protein in food and a protein in the body are related but not the same thing.

A polymer of amino acids folded into a defined structure that determines its function.

Enzyme

An enzyme is a protein that speeds up one chemical change.

A picture of it, and where the picture fails

An enzyme is like a machine on a production line doing one cut.

Where that stops being true. A machine is switched on and off by a person. Enzymes are controlled by the cell.

What people get wrong. Enzymes are thought to be used up. They are not; they work again and again.

A catalytic protein that lowers the activation energy of a specific reaction.

Receptor

A receptor is a part of a cell that a signal fits into.

A picture of it, and where the picture fails

A receptor is like a lock waiting for one key.

Where that stops being true. A lock either opens or does not. A receptor can be half-triggered, or worn out.

What people get wrong. Fitting a receptor is read as causing a benefit. It causes a step, and nothing more.

A protein that binds a specific ligand and converts that binding into a cellular response.

Pathway

A pathway is a chain of steps inside a cell, each one setting off the next.

A picture of it, and where the picture fails

A pathway is like a row of dominoes.

Where that stops being true. Dominoes fall one way. Pathways loop back and can switch themselves off.

What people get wrong. Changing one step is read as changing the outcome. Other steps often absorb it.

An ordered series of molecular interactions producing a defined cellular change.

What happened in peopleRead from sources, not yet reviewed

What happened in people

Each card is one study: the exact question it asked, who was in it, and whether it showed what it set out to show.

100% healing time of the wound surface

The study did not show it

Who was studied
NCT01785784
How many people
2510
Study design
Phase 4
Compared against
Not recorded for this study
Kind of result
A number that stands in for health
What was found
Result not recorded on this page
Repeated elsewhere
Unreplicated

What this does not prove. A study that did not show an effect does not show that no effect exists anywhere.

The limits of this study, and where it came from

Main limit. No limitation is recorded for this study.

How far it carries. This study is recorded from the curated record, not from the registry match.

Form and route. Topical

Interval reported. Not recorded in this summary

Written into the record, not signed off as a reviewed claim.

  • openFDA NDC Directory · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • openFDA SPL label · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • FDA label (openFDA SPL) · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot

Change in Sexual Risk Behavior

The study did not show it

Who was studied
NCT02386878
How many people
2302
Study design
Not applicable
Compared against
Not recorded for this study
Kind of result
A number that stands in for health
What was found
Result not recorded on this page
Repeated elsewhere
Unreplicated

What this does not prove. A study that did not show an effect does not show that no effect exists anywhere.

The limits of this study, and where it came from

Main limit. No limitation is recorded for this study.

How far it carries. This study is recorded from the curated record, not from the registry match.

Form and route. Topical

Interval reported. Not recorded in this summary

Written into the record, not signed off as a reviewed claim.

  • openFDA NDC Directory · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • openFDA SPL label · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • FDA label (openFDA SPL) · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot

Cumulative incidence of atopic dermatitis at 1 year of age

The study did not show it

Who was studied
NCT07333378
How many people
1383
Study design
Not applicable
Compared against
Not recorded for this study
Kind of result
A number that stands in for health
What was found
Result not recorded on this page
Repeated elsewhere
Unreplicated

What this does not prove. A study that did not show an effect does not show that no effect exists anywhere.

The limits of this study, and where it came from

Main limit. No limitation is recorded for this study.

How far it carries. This study is recorded from the curated record, not from the registry match.

Form and route. Topical

Interval reported. Not recorded in this summary

Written into the record, not signed off as a reviewed claim.

  • openFDA NDC Directory · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • openFDA SPL label · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • FDA label (openFDA SPL) · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot

Provider-diagnosed Atopic Dermatitis

The study did not show it

Who was studied
NCT03409367
How many people
1260
Study design
Not applicable
Compared against
Not recorded for this study
Kind of result
A number that stands in for health
What was found
Result not recorded on this page
Repeated elsewhere
Unreplicated

What this does not prove. A study that did not show an effect does not show that no effect exists anywhere.

The limits of this study, and where it came from

Main limit. No limitation is recorded for this study.

How far it carries. This study is recorded from the curated record, not from the registry match.

Form and route. Topical

Interval reported. Not recorded in this summary

Written into the record, not signed off as a reviewed claim.

  • openFDA NDC Directory · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • openFDA SPL label · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • FDA label (openFDA SPL) · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot

The development of a photocontact allergic skin response to sunscreen filters and topical NSAIDs, as graded by the ICDRG scale.

The study did not show it

Who was studied
NCT00530387
How many people
1000
Study design
Not applicable
Compared against
Not recorded for this study
Kind of result
A number that stands in for health
What was found
Result not recorded on this page
Repeated elsewhere
Unreplicated

What this does not prove. A study that did not show an effect does not show that no effect exists anywhere.

The limits of this study, and where it came from

Main limit. No limitation is recorded for this study.

How far it carries. This study is recorded from the curated record, not from the registry match.

Form and route. Topical

Interval reported. Not recorded in this summary

Written into the record, not signed off as a reviewed claim.

  • openFDA NDC Directory · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • openFDA SPL label · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • FDA label (openFDA SPL) · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot

The incidence of all-grade HFSR

The study did not show it

Who was studied
NCT01934829
How many people
871
Study design
Phase 2
Compared against
Not recorded for this study
Kind of result
A number that stands in for health
What was found
Result not recorded on this page
Repeated elsewhere
Unreplicated

What this does not prove. A study that did not show an effect does not show that no effect exists anywhere.

The limits of this study, and where it came from

Main limit. No limitation is recorded for this study.

How far it carries. This study is recorded from the curated record, not from the registry match.

Form and route. Topical

Interval reported. Not recorded in this summary

Written into the record, not signed off as a reviewed claim.

  • openFDA NDC Directory · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • openFDA SPL label · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • FDA label (openFDA SPL) · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
What we know
RNAWiki holds 6 written-up human studies for this substance, each with the question it asked.
How we know it
Each card names the study, the number of people and what the study set out to measure.
What this does not prove
These summaries were written by a person and have not been signed off as reviewed claims.
Why it matters
A study that failed is as informative as one that worked, and both are here.
What we still do not know
No reviewed claim exists, so no exact population, effect size or interval is published yet.

What happened in peopleRead from sources, not yet reviewed

How close this is to real life

The top step is something a person would feel or care about. The bottom is a guess from software. Filled steps are where evidence exists for this substance.

  1. Living longer, or avoiding a major event No evidence recorded. Death, a heart attack, a stroke, a hospital stay.No registered study measures this.
  2. What a body can do day to day No evidence recorded. Walking, dressing, breathing, recovering.No registered study measures this.
  3. Measured performance No evidence recorded. How much was lifted, how far was run, how fast.No registered study measures this.
  4. Symptoms and quality of life No evidence recorded. Pain, tiredness, mood, sleep, as the person rated it.No registered study measures this.
  5. A number that stands in for health No evidence recorded. Cholesterol, blood sugar, bone density. A stand-in, not the thing itself.No registered study measures this.
  6. A step measured inside a person Evidence recorded. Something measured in human tissue or human cells.A human record sits on the stored organism ladder.
  7. Animals Evidence recorded. Mice, rats, dogs. Useful for ideas, not proof about people.Stored records in C. elegans (roundworm), Mouse, Rat, Dog, Non-human primate. A result in animals says what to test next. It does not say what happens in people.
  8. Cells in a dish Evidence recorded. Cells or chemistry on a bench, far from a whole body.Stored mechanism abstracts describe steps measured in cells or tissue.
  9. A guess from software No evidence recorded. Nobody measured it. RNAWiki never publishes one as a finding.RNAWiki stores no prediction for this record. Software can suggest a link. RNAWiki does not publish one as a finding.

Higher on these steps means closer to something a person would feel. It does not mean better done.

What is missing or unclearRead from sources, not yet reviewed

Were people like you studied?

RNAWiki cannot tell whether a study fits you. It can show who was in it, and where the result stops carrying.

Who was studied

People similar to this profile were included.

  • XtraCare® Creamy Petroleum Jelly Cocoa Butter enriched Skin Protector Dry Skin Relief Rich Creamy Moisturiser *Compare to the active ingredient in Vaseline® Petroleum Jelly Cream Net Wt 4.5oz (127g) Xtracare® XtraCare Creamy Petroleum Jelly is specially formulated to moisturize, soften and soothe dry skin. Blended with Coco butter oil to product a rich creamy moisturizer.

Who is missing from the studies

  • Which groups were under-represented in the studies has not been recorded for this substance. Pregnancy, breastfeeding, children, older adults, and people with liver or kidney conditions are commonly excluded from trials; nothing here says whether they were.

Where the result stopped carrying

  • This is a scope explorer, not a diagnosis engine.
  • It shows who was studied so you can see whether people similar to you were included.

RNAWiki cannot tell whether a study fits you. It can show who was in it.

What it would be like to takeRead from sources, not yet reviewed

Why it might seem to do nothing

A real effect and a noticed effect are different things. These are the recorded reasons the two come apart.

It was studied for a different goal

The studies measured something else entirely.

On this record: Some registered studies measured things that match no goal on this page.

It was studied in different people

The people in the studies were not much like the reader.

On this record: Which groups were under-represented in the studies has not been recorded for this substance. Pregnancy, breastfeeding, children, older adults, and people with liver or kidney conditions are commonly excluded from trials; nothing here says whether they were.

The evidence may simply be wrong

Small early studies often do not hold up.

On this record: RNAWiki has not yet published a reviewed conclusion for this use.

Other reasons RNAWiki checked and found nothing for (10)
A different form was studied
The studied form is not the form on the shelf. Nothing in this record points to this reason.
There was nothing to correct
Where a level is already normal, topping it up may change nothing. Nothing in this record points to this reason.
Something else had to happen too
In the studies it was paired with training, a diet or another treatment. Nothing in this record points to this reason.
The change is too small to feel
A real change can still sit below what a person notices. Nothing in this record points to this reason.
Day-to-day swing hides it
Sleep, food, stress and time of day move most numbers more than this would. Nothing in this record points to this reason.
Not enough time yet
The studies ran longer than the person has waited. Nothing in this record points to this reason.
It was not taken as studied
Missed days change the result, and studies count them. Nothing in this record points to this reason.
Something else changed at the same time
Two changes at once cannot be told apart afterwards. Nothing in this record points to this reason.
The product may not be what it says
Contents of a sold product are not always what the label states. Nothing in this record points to this reason.
No recorded reason
RNAWiki has nothing stored that would explain it. Nothing in this record points to this reason.

None of these is a reason to take more. Taking more is not a step this page ever suggests.

What it would be like to takeRead from sources, not yet reviewed

What taking it involves

The recorded facts about getting hold of it and using it. Nothing here is a suggestion about what you should do.

How it is supplied

Prescription only

Quoted from a source

Where this came from

Copied from a source RNAWiki stored, with the source named.

Read from the recorded approval status.

No source is stored against this line.

Form and route

Topical

Source-linked record

Where this came from

A person wrote this into the record with the study named beside it. No reviewer has signed it off.

The form and route recorded on this substance.

No source is stored against this line.

Who oversees it

Not usually supervised: sold as a supplement or food ingredient where recorded. That is a legal category, not a safety judgement.

Quoted from a source

Where this came from

Copied from a source RNAWiki stored, with the source named.

The identity record classes it as a supplement ingredient; no medicines register records an approval.

No source is stored against this line.

What is in the pack

Sold as ointment, cream, stick, jelly, given by the topical, rectal, ophthalmic route.

Source-linked record

Where this came from

A person wrote this into the record with the study named beside it. No reviewer has signed it off.

Recorded notes on how this is sold and what that means for what is in the pack.

No source is stored against this line.

Where it is registered

Regulatory records are listed in the technical disclosure at the foot of this page.

Counted from records

Where this came from

A count of rows RNAWiki holds. It describes our records, not your body.

Register entries are stored per jurisdiction and shown with their dates.

No source is stored against this line.

Why people stop

Not recorded.

Nothing recorded

Where this came from

RNAWiki holds nothing here and says so rather than guessing.

No record of why people stopped taking it is stored for this substance.

No source is stored against this line.

What it would be like to takeNothing found in the sources checked

What can go wrong

Sorted by where each line came from. A regulator's label and a report somebody sent in are not the same kind of fact.

Nothing found in the sources checked

No harm is recorded against this substance in the sources RNAWiki checked. Finding nothing is not the same as showing there is nothing.

The sources listed were searched and held nothing. That is not the same as nothing existing.

Reports sent to a regulator

  • These are reports people sent to a regulator. They do not show the medicine caused the reaction.
  • Nobody counted how many people took the medicine and reported nothing.
  • The same event can be reported more than once, and many reports are incomplete.
  • News coverage, lawsuits and new warnings change how often people report.
  • A count is not a rate and not a risk.

Petrolatum appears in spontaneous reports to regulators. Across the 10 most-reported reaction terms, 1808 reaction mentions were counted. One report can name several reactions.

The recorded terms (10)
  • hypotension — 309 reaction mentions
  • toxicity to various agents — 257 reaction mentions
  • anaphylactic reaction — 230 reaction mentions
  • methaemoglobinaemia — 179 reaction mentions
  • cardiac arrest — 170 reaction mentions
  • bradycardia — 161 reaction mentions
  • anaphylactic shock — 158 reaction mentions
  • tachycardia — 129 reaction mentions
  • loss of consciousness — 120 reaction mentions
  • seizure — 95 reaction mentions
  • open-targets-adr · recorded 2026-06-24 · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot

Over a long time. No completed tested study window is recorded, so long-term effects are not established by the registry record.

Groups the studies covered thinly. Which groups were under-represented in the studies has not been recorded for this substance. Pregnancy, breastfeeding, children, older adults, and people with liver or kidney conditions are commonly excluded from trials; nothing here says whether they were.

What is missing or unclearRead from sources, not yet reviewed

Does the exact form matter?

Evidence belongs to the exact thing that was tested. A different salt, a different mixture or a different preparation is a different question.

The form that was studied

Topical

Source-linked record

Where this came from

A person wrote this into the record with the study named beside it. No reviewer has signed it off.

The form used in the studies cited on this page.

No source is stored against this line.

What is sold

Not recorded.

Nothing recorded

Where this came from

RNAWiki holds nothing here and says so rather than guessing.

Nothing further is recorded about which forms are sold.

No source is stored against this line.

What is recorded as being sold

  • 533 products list this as an active ingredient in the United States drug directory. 283 of them contain it and nothing else.

    FDA National Drug Code directory · 72036-069 · read 2026-08-29

  • They are sold as cream, emulsion, gel, jelly, lipstick and liquid, taken ophthalmic, oral, rectal and topical.

    FDA National Drug Code directory · 72036-069 · read 2026-08-29

  • 531 published labels name it as an active ingredient. 282 of them describe this substance alone, which is where its own label text on this page comes from.

    US prescribing information · bd4418b7-c6aa-5e71-e053-2995a90a4cc4 · read 2026-08-29

  • Those labels are classed as human otc drug and human prescription drug.

    US prescribing information · bd4418b7-c6aa-5e71-e053-2995a90a4cc4 · read 2026-08-29

  • Recorded price in US: 0.02653–0.04974 USD per one gram, across 2 priced products whose strengths and pack forms differ, as of 2026-08-26, paid by retail pharmacies buying the product, as surveyed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. It is not a list price, an insurance price, or what anyone pays at a counter..

    Recorded source · 2026-08-26 · read 2026-08-28

Evidence carries across two names for one substance. It does not carry across a salt, a mirror form or a mixture.

What it would be like to takeRead from sources, not yet reviewed

What you could measure

This one is decided with a clinician, so this section holds questions to ask rather than a plan to run.

A single-person plan is offered only as a structure for observing yourself. It never calculates an amount to take, and it cannot prove cause.

Questions worth asking

  • Which of the trials of Petrolatum studied people like me?
  • What was measured, and for how long?
  • Was the result a laboratory value or a health outcome?
  • What would we watch for, and when would we stop?

Tracking can show whether something changed for you. It cannot show what caused it.

RNAWiki records evidence. It does not say whether this substance is right for you.

What is missing or unclearRead from sources, not yet reviewed

What nobody knows yet

Open questions, each with why it is open and what would close it.

How much did people take in the studies?

The sources RNAWiki checked hold nothing for this field.

Why it matters. A result belongs to an amount. Without the amount the result floats free.

What would answer it

A stored source that records it, and a reviewer to sign it off.

Last checked 2026-09-04. Searched: The sources listed in the receipts at the foot of this page.

How fast does the body clear it?

The sources RNAWiki checked hold nothing for this field.

Why it matters. Without this, nothing on this page can say how long anything lasts.

What would answer it

A stored source that records it, and a reviewer to sign it off.

Last checked 2026-09-04. Searched: The sources listed in the receipts at the foot of this page.

Missing populations

Which groups were under-represented in the studies has not been recorded.

Why it matters. Recorded by the evidence model as a gap on this record.

What would answer it

A study that measures it, and a reviewer to sign it off.

Last checked 2026-09-04. Searched: The sources listed in the receipts at the foot of this page.

Missing long-term data

No completed tested study window is recorded.

Why it matters. Recorded by the evidence model as a gap on this record.

What would answer it

A study that measures it, and a reviewer to sign it off.

Last checked 2026-09-04. Searched: The sources listed in the receipts at the foot of this page.

No reviewed conclusion

RNAWiki has not yet published a reviewed conclusion for this use.

Why it matters. Recorded by the evidence model as a gap on this record.

What would answer it

A study that measures it, and a reviewer to sign it off.

Last checked 2026-09-04. Searched: The sources listed in the receipts at the foot of this page.

Missing interaction studies

No interaction was found in the registers checked. Not finding one is not the same as showing there is none.

Why it matters. Recorded by the evidence model as a gap on this record.

What would answer it

A study that measures it, and a reviewer to sign it off.

Last checked 2026-09-04. Searched: The sources listed in the receipts at the foot of this page.

Formulation uncertainty

Several salts, forms or products of Petrolatum are recorded. Results from one form may not transfer to another.

Why it matters. Recorded by the evidence model as a gap on this record.

What would answer it

A study that measures it, and a reviewer to sign it off.

Last checked 2026-09-04. Searched: The sources listed in the receipts at the foot of this page.

Mechanism not reviewed

No reviewed mechanism story exists for this substance.

Why it matters. Recorded by the evidence model as a gap on this record.

What would answer it

A study that measures it, and a reviewer to sign it off.

Last checked 2026-09-04. Searched: The sources listed in the receipts at the foot of this page.

What happened in peopleRead from sources, not yet reviewed

Check any of this yourself

Every line above traced back to the study it came from. This is the technical layer, and the vocabulary changes here.

Where else this substance is registered

FDA substance identifier (UNII)
4T6H12BN9U
CAS registry number
8009-03-8
ChEMBL
CHEMBL2108555
RxNorm concept
8091
EMA substance identifier
100000089664
European Chemicals Agency number
232-373-2
DrugBank
DB11058

Checks this page had to pass

  • Passed

    Identity resolved

    no open identity hold

  • Passed

    No unresolved merge across substance families

    no quarantine open

  • Passed

    Every public sentence names a source

    The opening statement carries the origin: Quoted from a stored source.

  • Not passed

    Trial roles classified for highlighted evidence

    No registered study is classified as testing this substance.

  • Passed

    No internal keys in reader text

    enforced by the copy-contract test over the rendered page

  • Passed

    Safety mode resolved

    The identity record classes it as a supplement ingredient; no medicines register records an approval.

  • Passed

    Canonical metadata present

    slug and display name present

What is missing or unclearRead from sources, not yet reviewed

How this medicine reached us

Kept near the foot of the page. A historical event moves up only when it changes something about this substance today.

What the approval register records

  • The earliest marketing start date recorded for a listed product is 19380801.

    FDA National Drug Code directory · 72036-069 · read 2026-08-29

What is missing or unclearRead from sources, not yet reviewed

What to learn next

Ordered by what would most change how you read this page, starting with what is easiest to misunderstand.

This order is fixed in code and does not count clicks or time on the page.

What is not here

8 questions this page could not answer

These sections were prepared and left out because there was nothing to put in them. They are listed rather than hidden, so the gaps in this record are visible.

  • What was measured, goal by goal — found nothing in the sources checked.
  • The path through the body — found nothing in the sources checked.
  • Felt, measured, or meaningful — found nothing in the sources checked.
  • How long anything takes — found nothing in the sources checked.
  • What it may clash with — found nothing in the sources checked.
  • Other ways to the same goal — found nothing in the sources checked.
  • Claims that go past the evidence — found nothing in the sources checked.
  • What changed on this page — found nothing in the sources checked.

The record as stored

The full record, for auditing

Everything above is built from what is below. This layer keeps the technical vocabulary, record identifiers and every stored row, so a reader who wants to check the page can.

Recorded evidence blocks (12)

What did Petrolatum's largest trial (3507 people) and its longest (15 years) measure?


3507 people in Petrolatum's largest registered study, 15 years in its longest registered window, measuring Change in sex steroid hormone concentrations in a time frame of 12 weeks. ClinicalTrials.gov · 2026-09-01

14 na, 11 phase2, 11 phase4, 8 phase1, 5 phase3, 3 early phase1, 2 na or unstated; NCT02577120; 2034-02. Last human test completed 2026, NCT05562518.

Interpretation These counts include studies where Petrolatum was a comparison treatment, a background treatment or an exposure in an observational study, and the longest window may be a planned end date. Trial roles have not yet been classified for this record.

Show the evidence
  • na
    14
  • phase2
    11
  • phase4
    11
  • phase1
    8
  • phase3
    5
  • early phase1
    3
2 more recorded rows
  • na or unstated
    2
  • Last recorded human test NCT05562518
    2026-03-02

recorded 2026-09-01 · last checked 2026-09-04

From C. elegans to human: where has Petrolatum shown lifespan?


C. elegans: lifespan, NHP: mechanism-only, mouse: mechanism-only, rat: mechanism-only, dog: mechanism-only and human: biomarker (50): the rungs where Petrolatum has a recorded finding. Europe PMC and ClinicalTrials.gov · organism ladder · 2026-09-01

Change in sex steroid hormone concentrations in a time frame of 12 weeks. — the recorded outcome words.

Yeast C. elegans lifespanDrosophila Mouse mechanism-onlyRat mechanism-onlyDog mechanism-onlyNon-human primate mechanism-onlyHuman biomarker
Show the evidence
  • C. elegans
    lifespan
  • NHP
    mechanism-only
  • mouse
    mechanism-only
  • rat
    mechanism-only
  • dog
    mechanism-only
  • human NCT05562518
    biomarker; Change in sex steroid hormone concentrations in a time frame of 12 weeks.; 50

recorded 2026-09-01 · last checked 2026-09-04

5 of Petrolatum's trials stopped: accrual/recruitment, funding/business, other?


accrual/recruitment (2), funding/business (2) and other (1): Petrolatum's stop wording, clustered. ClinicalTrials.gov · 2026-09-01

"Insufficient dermatitis was seen in the controls to allow any determination of protection by Difinsa53"; 5 of 50 registered studies

Show the evidence

Trial

  • NCT02534129
    terminated; "Insufficient dermatitis was seen in the controls to allow any determination of protection by Difinsa53"
  • NCT04329221
    withdrawn; "The study was withdrawn due to lack of financial support."
  • NCT04642287
    withdrawn; "The study was withdrawn due to lack of financial support."
  • NCT04851522
    withdrawn; "Lack of patient accrual in the past year."
  • NCT05337423
    terminated; "Recruitment over one year resulted in only six patients treated. With the conclusion of the principal investigator's doctoral program and limited resources to continue, the study was terminated due to time and availability constraints."

recorded 2026-09-01 · last checked 2026-09-04

Did Petrolatum move Horvath, and by how much?


Horvath: "PubMed/MEDLINE and Scopus were searched from inception to 7 April 2026 for English-language observational and interventional studies reporting quantitative associations between modifiable determinants and EAA measured using validated clocks (Horvath, PhenoAge, GrimAge, DunedinPACE)." Europe PMC · epigenetic clock search · 2026-06-02

3 recorded sentences; 2026, 2025; biomarker

Show the evidence
  • Horvath PMID 42278556
    2026; "PubMed/MEDLINE and Scopus were searched from inception to 7 April 2026 for English-language observational and interventional studies reporting quantitative associations between modifiable determinants and EAA measured using validated clocks (Horvath, PhenoAge, GrimAge, DunedinPACE)."
  • epigenetic clock PMID 41756167
    2026; "A systematic literature search of PubMed/MEDLINE and Embase was conducted from inception through August 2025 for observational studies in adults assessing validated BA measures (phenotypic age, Klemera-Doubal method, Homeostatic Dysregulation, epigenetic clocks, telomere length) and MASLD outcomes."
  • epigenetic age PMID 40479594
    2025; "A self-healing capacity and a remarkable reduction of epigenetic age upon morphogenesis are uncovered."

recorded 2026-06-02 · last checked 2026-09-04

More Petrolatum was worse in human: at what point?


Hormetic in human: "This paper provides the first integrative assessment of <i>Aloe vera</i>-induced hormetic dose responses. <i>Aloe vera</i> extract-induced hormetic responses acted as an immunostimulant in multiple fish species, enhancing development/growth and reducing adverse effects from environmental stressors. <i>Aloe vera</i>…" Europe PMC · dose-response search · 2026-07-17

5 recorded sentences naming Petrolatum; hormetic, U-shaped, biphasic

Show the evidence
  • hormetic PMID 42117091
    "This paper provides the first integrative assessment of <i>Aloe vera</i>-induced hormetic dose responses. <i>Aloe vera</i> extract-induced hormetic responses acted as an immunostimulant in multiple fish species, enhancing development/growth and reducing adverse effects from environmental stressors. <i>Aloe vera</i> extract-induced hormetic effects are prominent in dermatological studies,…"
  • U-shaped PMID 42430449
    "In contrast, wound healing followed an inverted U-shaped trajectory."

hormetic

  • PMID 40864786
    "A hormetic perspective, focusing on a dynamic VP-OT system, offers new insights into emotional and physical disorders, especially those associated with the management of chronic stress, and helps us to understand the healing power of social behavior and perceived safety."
  • PMID 37709054
    "These features of the hormetic dose response determine the capacity to which systems can adapt/be protected, the extent to which biological performance (e.g., memory, resistance to injury/disease, wound healing, hair growth or lifespan) can be enhanced/extended and the extent to which synergistic interactions may occur."
  • biphasic PMID 42469339
    "Furthermore, RA demonstrated wound-healing activity, and a biphasic dose-response was observed regarding its anti-melanogenic effects."

recorded 2026-07-17 · last checked 2026-09-04

Could one person measure Petrolatum's effect on eczema area and severity index scores according to location?


Eczema area and severity index scores according to location: measured in Petrolatum's trials.

Interpretation eczema area and severity index scores according to location is the recorded endpoint.

Show the evidence

biomarkers

  • eczema area and severity index scores according to location; 2026-09-01
  • efficacy in facial global photodamage; 2026-09-01
  • das28; 2026-09-01
  • wound area; 2026-09-01
  • repigmentation of pa lesions measured by colorimetry; 2026-09-01
  • incidence of rash; 2026-09-01
14 more recorded rows
  • biomarkers
    preterm infant skin microbiome; 2026-09-01
  • biomarkers
    skin thickness from baseline to end of treatment; 2026-09-01
  • biomarkers
    scar thickness measured by digital calliper; 2026-09-01
  • biomarkers
    tewl; 2026-09-01
  • biomarkers
    appearance of xerosis; 2026-09-01
  • biomarkers
    underglove failure rate compared between all competitors; 2026-09-01
  • biomarkers
    eyebrow excursion; 2026-09-01
  • biomarkers
    keloid surface area; 2026-09-01
  • biomarkers
    psoriasis area severity index; 2026-09-01
  • biomarkers
    change on pathology level; 2026-09-01
  • biomarkers
    nf b expression; 2026-09-01
  • biomarkers
    psoriasis severity; 2026-09-01
  • biomarkers
    epigenetic markers; 2026-09-01
  • biomarkers
    reduction of 60 in viral load from baseline; 2026-09-01
  • human trials at or under30
    23
  • Not recorded for this substance
    a recorded half-life
  • smallest human trial
    0; NCT01942577; NA; the smallest recorded human enrolment at or below 30; the registry states no direction of its result; WITHDRAWN

Which of 5 d pruritus scale, adverse events and appearance of xerosis did Petrolatum's trials measure?


5 d pruritus scale, adverse events and appearance of xerosis lead 35 outcome terms across Petrolatum's trials. ClinicalTrials.gov · 2026-09-01

Interpretation wound area, repigmentation of pa lesions measured by colorimetry, incidence of rash, preterm infant skin microbiome, skin thickness from baseline to end of treatment and scar thickness measured by digital calliper follow.

Show the evidence
  • eczema area and severity index scores according to location
    1
  • efficacy in facial global photodamage
    1
  • das28
    1
  • wound area
    1
  • repigmentation of pa lesions measured by colorimetry
    1
  • incidence of rash
    1
14 more recorded rows
  • preterm infant skin microbiome
    1
  • skin thickness from baseline to end of treatment
    1
  • scar thickness measured by digital calliper
    1
  • tewl
    1
  • appearance of xerosis
    1
  • underglove failure rate compared between all competitors
    1
  • eyebrow excursion
    1
  • keloid surface area
    1
  • psoriasis area severity index
    1
  • change on pathology level
    1
  • nf b expression
    1
  • psoriasis severity
    1
  • epigenetic markers
    1
  • reduction of 60 in viral load from baseline
    1

recorded 2026-09-01 · last checked 2026-09-04

Which of Petrolatum's 4 ongoing trials reports first?


4 registered trials of Petrolatum are open; earliest completion 2025-10. ClinicalTrials.gov · 2026-09-01

TEWL; Transepidermal water loss; latest 2034-02

Show the evidence

Trial

  • NCT02577120
    "Wound Healing Endpoint and Recurrence"; n 100; "TEWL"; 2034-02
  • NCT07183423
    "Novel Skin Barrier Product Versus Petrolatum for Skin Barrier Dysfunction"; n 26; "Transepidermal water loss"; 2025-10
  • NCT07207096
    "Observational Case Series of Patients With Parkinson's Disease (PD) Attending a Complementary Medicine Neuro-degenerative Disease (NDD) Clinic."; n 100; "The MDS-sponsored Revision of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS)"; 2027-08-31
  • NCT07408960
    "CO2Lift and T-Junction Breakdown Rates Evaluation After Breast Reduction Surgery Pilot Trial"; n 10; "Recruitment Rate"; 2027-12-31

recorded 2026-09-01 · last checked 2026-09-04

Which 19 trials of Petrolatum posted no result?


Posted no result
19 of 19 completed trials
Registrations
NCT00629317, NCT00967395, NCT01388517, NCT01935869, NCT02512159 and NCT02355639, and 13 more
Completion dates
oldest 2009-03; newest 2024-03-27
Show the evidence

Trial

  • NCT00629317
    2009-03
  • NCT00967395
    2009-09
  • NCT01388517
    2011-01
  • NCT01935869
    2013-12
  • NCT02512159
    2015-01
  • NCT02355639
    2015-04
13 further recorded trials
  • NCT02487212
    2015-05
  • NCT01742247
    2015-12
  • NCT03502434
    2017-11-17
  • NCT03093597
    2017-12-12
  • NCT01874860
    2018-07
  • NCT03916250
    2019-05-12
  • NCT04336891
    2020-03-31
  • NCT04872946
    2020-05-07
  • NCT04951349
    2021-05-30
  • NCT05353374
    2021-05-31
  • NCT03344354
    2022-10-26
  • NCT05861622
    2023-01-30
  • NCT06475482
    2024-03-27

At the median, Petrolatum's trials enrolled 32.5 people — anything larger?


Median enrolment
32.5
Largest enrolment
3507
Registered trials counted
50

What do 1808 spontaneous reports say about Petrolatum — and not say?


These are reports people sent to a regulator. They do not show the medicine caused the reaction. Nobody counted how many people took the medicine and reported nothing. The same event can be reported more than once, and many reports are incomplete. News coverage, lawsuits and new warnings change how often people report. A count is not a rate and not a risk.

Petrolatum appears in spontaneous reports to regulators. Across the 10 most-reported reaction terms, 1808 reaction mentions were counted: hypotension 309; toxicity to various agents 257; anaphylactic reaction 230; methaemoglobinaemia 179. open-targets-adr · CHEMBL2108555 · 2026-06-24

Show the evidence
  • hypotension
    309
  • toxicity to various agents
    257
  • anaphylactic reaction
    230
  • methaemoglobinaemia
    179
  • cardiac arrest
    170
  • bradycardia
    161
4 more recorded rows
  • anaphylactic shock
    158
  • tachycardia
    129
  • loss of consciousness
    120
  • seizure
    95

recorded 2026-06-24 · last checked 2026-09-04

What is recorded about Petrolatum and sirtuin?


"Visceral adipose tissue (VAT) operates as an autonomous neuro-immune-endocrine organ whose dysfunctional expansion drives insulin resistance, atherogenesis, and accelerated cellular ageing through mechanisms converging on chronic low-grade sterile inflammation, referred to as inflammaging. <b>Objectives:</b> This narrative review…" — where Petrolatum and sirtuin appear together. Europe PMC · pathway abstract search · 2026-08-13

sirtuin, NAD+, AMPK, mTOR, autophagy, IGF-1; PMID 42646271, 41783343, 42555531, 42551612

Show the evidence
  • sirtuin PMID 42646271
    "Visceral adipose tissue (VAT) operates as an autonomous neuro-immune-endocrine organ whose dysfunctional expansion drives insulin resistance, atherogenesis, and accelerated cellular ageing through mechanisms converging on chronic low-grade sterile inflammation, referred to as inflammaging. <b>Objectives:</b> This narrative review integrates evidence across four domains: (1) the multi-system…"
  • NAD+ PMID 42646271
    "Visceral adipose tissue (VAT) operates as an autonomous neuro-immune-endocrine organ whose dysfunctional expansion drives insulin resistance, atherogenesis, and accelerated cellular ageing through mechanisms converging on chronic low-grade sterile inflammation, referred to as inflammaging. <b>Objectives:</b> This narrative review integrates evidence across four domains: (1) the multi-system…"
  • AMPK PMID 41783343
    "Wound healing, histopathology, oxidative stress indices, inflammatory cytokines, and SIRT1-AMPK activation were assessed."
  • sirtuin PMID 41783343
    "Wound healing, histopathology, oxidative stress indices, inflammatory cytokines, and SIRT1-AMPK activation were assessed."
  • AMPK PMID 41783343
    "Rb1 functions as an SIRT1-AMPK activator that inhibits ferroptosis and inflammation to promote PI wound healing."
  • sirtuin PMID 41783343
    "Rb1 functions as an SIRT1-AMPK activator that inhibits ferroptosis and inflammation to promote PI wound healing."
1 more recorded row
  • AMPK PMID 42555531
    "Here, we found that O1602, a GPR55 agonist, accelerated wound healing in keratinocyte-like HaCaT cells, and this effect was suppressed by pretreatment with inhibitors of protein kinase A (PKA), AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), sirtuin-1 (SIRT-1), and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)."

mTOR

  • PMID 42551612
    "FGF21-modified ADSC-derived exosomes promote wound healing by inducing fibroblast glycolytic metabolic reprogramming via the AMPK/mTOR/PFKFB3 signaling axis."
  • "The PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway and autophagy are critical regulators of osteoblast function, but the relationship between their transcriptional and post-translational regulation during human osteoblast differentiation has not been characterized. <italic>Eupolyphaga sinensis</italic> Walker (ES) is a medicinal arthropod traditionally used in East Asian medicine for promoting fracture healing;…"

autophagy

  • "The PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway and autophagy are critical regulators of osteoblast function, but the relationship between their transcriptional and post-translational regulation during human osteoblast differentiation has not been characterized. <italic>Eupolyphaga sinensis</italic> Walker (ES) is a medicinal arthropod traditionally used in East Asian medicine for promoting fracture healing;…"
  • PMID 40671012
    "These findings suggest that metformin, through the activation of AMPK and subsequent enhancement of autophagy, promotes the osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs and accelerates the healing of osteoporotic fractures."
  • mTOR PMID 40969299
    "These results suggest that tFNA promotes HaCaT cell autophagy activation through mTOR pathway inhibition, promoting wound healing and reducing scarring."
  • autophagy PMID 40969299
    "These results suggest that tFNA promotes HaCaT cell autophagy activation through mTOR pathway inhibition, promoting wound healing and reducing scarring."

NAD+

  • PMID 42045904
    "Chronic oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, impaired Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD⁺) biosynthesis, and angiogenesis inhibition are key factors contributing to delayed diabetic wound healing."
  • PMID 42045904
    "Restoring mitochondrial homeostasis through NAD⁺ replenishment and reactive oxygen species (ROS) elimination shows therapeutic potential, yet its effective translation requires multifunctional dressings that combine NAD⁺ supplementation, ROS-responsive antibacterial activity, and localized therapeutic agent delivery to advance diabetic wound healing."
  • IGF-1 PMID 41490200
    "Wound-healing peptides such as BPC-157, TB-500, and GHK-Cu promote angiogenesis, integrin-mediated extracellular matrix remodeling, and fibroblast activation, whereas growth hormone secretagogues like ipamorelin, CJC-1295, tesamorelin, sermorelin, and AOD-9604 activate IGF-1 signaling and satellite cell repair."

recorded 2026-08-13 · last checked 2026-09-04

Where it is registered
Identifiers, relations and other names

The exact record

ChEMBL id
CHEMBL2108555
CAS number
8009-03-8
RxCUI
8091
Also called
petroleum jelly, vaseline
Trade name
Petroleum, Advanced Healing, Petroleum Skin Protectant, Pure Petroleum, AquaSoothe, CUREFINI, CVS, D-Cerin, Healing, Hydrating, HYDROPHOR, Medline
Salt form
HOMWIS Cream
Sources (9)

Sources

  • ClinicalTrials.gov ClinicalTrials.gov API v2 snapshot 2026-09-01T09:00:05 ·
  • this record's own fields 2,3,5 ·
  • Europe PMC dose-response search ·
  • Europe PMC epigenetic clock search ·
  • Europe PMC pathway abstract search ·
  • Europe PMC search ·
3 more sources

ClinicalTrials.gov — US Government work · Europe PMC — metadata only, under the recorded legal gate · Open Targets 26.06 — CC0 · derived from this page's own recorded fields; no external licence · mixed register set; per-register licences in docs/specs/corpus-20k-sources.md

How these records are assembled · Which registers were checked

Index-quality checks
  • identity passed: no open identity hold
  • required summary fields resolved: 5 required field(s) not terminal: Why people use it, Best-supported result, Most important common problem, Biggest unanswered question, Human evidence
  • public claims reviewed: 0 reviewed claim(s); drafts are never rendered
  • source coverage passed: 9 source rows
  • no critical contamination: no quarantine open
  • canonical metadata passed: slug and display name present
  • no raw internal fields: enforced by the copy-contract test over the rendered page

This is a record of evidence. It is not medical advice, and it does not say this substance suits you. Nothing here says any substance on RNAWiki is appropriate for a child.