Can bacteria grow in petroleum jelly?

Petroleum jelly, commonly known by the most popular brandname Vaseline, is a derivative of oil refining. Originally found coating the bottom of oil rigs in the mid-1800s, it's a byproduct of the oil industry and therefore an unsustainable resource (read: not eco-friendly). read more

The vast majority of bacteria cannot *grow* in clean petroleum jelly. There are not enough nutrients. However, the details of your question points to a different answer. Yes, many bacteria and fungi can survive in petroleum jelly. read more

While it has not been definitively proven that petroleum-based products are carcinogenic in humans, those who want to err on the side of caution and wish to avoid petrolatum in their skin care products can look for ingredients listed as petroleum jelly, petrolatum, white petrolatum, mineral oil (which is a petroleum-derived oil), and soft paraffin. read more