So, I’m a week and two days into using just Vaseline and Boots Glycerin & Rosewater and stopping the test now because I have other products that need my attention. I don’t think I have anything unexpected to report because, as I thought might be the case, my skin has not suffered in the slightest from using Vaseline or Glycerin & Rosewater.
At first, the Vaseline felt too heavy and greasy on the skin – by day four, I barely noticed the feeling and had managed to get the application amount correct because the first couple of nights could have taken me on a cross Channel swim. By the time I wake up, the greasy feeling is gone other than just a little excess around my nose which is easily sorted by a blot with a tissue. There’s no dryness to my skin whatsoever – it looks in good order, hydration and suppleness wise, and I’m pretty pleased that my expectations have been so very well met. What I wasn’t expecting is that the redness from the Dora-stress spot on my chin has gone down a lot and while Vaseline itself can’t ‘heal’ as such, it can form a protective film over the area and keep it moist so perhaps that’s been helpful.
As far as the Glycerin & Rosewater is concerned, initially I was surprised at how perfumed it is – it’s very rosy – but as time went on I noticed it less and less. I’ve been using it essence style by patting a cotton wool pad soaked with rosewater to press against my skin letting it form a film over my skin that feels, well, like glycerin. It’s a little bit tacky until it settles onto the face but other than that it’s fairly unobtrusive. I’d give this one up before I’d give up the Vaseline purely on ingredient grounds (surely methylparaben could be swapped out with an alternative, such as pheoxyethanol). It’s done no harm at all and has been pleasant to use – skin softening even, so other than the methylparaben (providing you can take fragrance in your products) it’s a pleasant, rosy way to start the day. If you have very dry skin, then it’s not going to give you enough moisture – you’d need to use it under a moisturizer – but if your skin is balanced and normal it would be okay.
The upshot is that I think we are very driven by assuming price means quality and efficacy when we buy our products. If you are happy with a no-frills approach then it’s probably a perfectly decent way to maintain skin moisture but you would be missing out on ingredients that have actively positive effects for your complexion. If your SPF is a skincare/protection hybrid you may pick up enough benefits from that and be okay to just use Vaseline at night – temporarily at least – but I’d be a bit reluctant to swap over permanently because there’s nothing here to help you glow or maintain your collagen or elastin. What this mini-experiment has taught me is that a simple routine can work well, nobody needs eight layers, you don’t need to over-feed your skin but target it correctly and that if you need a product vacay on financial grounds, nothing bad will happen in the interim.
Transparency Disclosure
All products are sent to me as samples from brands and agencies unless otherwise stated. Affiliate links may be used. Posts are not affiliate driven.