The Gross Truth Behind How Vaseline Was Invented

The story behind Vaseline’s invention is leaving people stunned. It all started with oil—just not the kind you’d expect.

Vaseline, known today as a go-to product for healing dry skin and cuts, was created over 150 years ago by English chemist Robert Chesebrough. But its origin is much messier than most people realize.

On a recent episode of QI, host Sandi Toksvig explained that Chesebrough originally worked in the sperm whale oil business—a product once used for lamps and lubrication. When whale oil lost popularity, Chesebrough looked for a new opportunity.

He found it in the U.S. oil boom of the 1800s. During a trip to Pennsylvania, he saw oil workers using a thick, waxy substance that collected around drilling equipment to heal cuts and burns.

Chesebrough took that idea and spent ten years perfecting the process to turn the goo into a purified product. He eventually trademarked it as Vaseline in 1872.

To promote it, he traveled with a horse and cart, selling jars and burning his own skin to prove its healing power. His bold method worked—soon, he was selling a jar every minute.

Today, Vaseline is used for:

• Protecting minor cuts and burns
• Soothing dry skin
• Preventing nappy rash
• Hydrating lips and skin
• Making DIY lip scrubs and dewy makeup looks

Despite its clean image now, Vaseline’s roots come straight from oil rigs, not beauty counters.