Viral Hack Checked: Petroleum Jelly on Eyelashes for Growth?
Verdict: Partly true. Petroleum jelly can make eyelashes look glossier and break less, but it cannot grow a single new lash. Used sparingly, at the lash base and out of the eye, it’s a cheap conditioner, and that’s all.
In brief
- Rating: Partly. It conditions; it doesn’t grow
- What it can do: coat lashes so they feel softer, look darker and snap less when you rub your eyes or remove mascara
- What it can’t do: make the hair root produce more lashes or longer ones
- Skip it if: you have a stye, red swollen lid edges, an eye infection, or you wear contact lenses at night
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Does Vaseline on eyelashes make them grow? It’s one of the oldest beauty tips going, passed from older sisters long before it hit TikTok, and the before-and-after photos look convincing. The truth is gentler and a little duller. This check, part of our Viral Hacks Checked series, explains what the jelly really does to a lash, why the photos fool us, and how to use it without ending up with a sticky, blurry eye or a blocked gland.
How eyelashes grow, in plain words
Each lash grows from a tiny pocket in the eyelid skin called a follicle. The follicle works in a cycle: a growing phase that lasts only about one to two months for lashes, a short resting phase, and then the old lash falls out and a new one starts. That’s why lashes stay short compared with scalp hair, which grows for years at a stretch.
Anything that truly changes lash length has to reach that follicle and change the cycle. Petroleum jelly sits on the outside of the hair. It’s a seal, like cling film. Nothing more. It can’t get into the root, and it carries no ingredient that tells the root to grow.
Myth: petroleum jelly makes eyelashes grow longer and thicker
The myth: a nightly coat of jelly makes lashes grow in a few weeks.
The truth: it makes existing lashes look better, which is not the same thing. A coated lash is slightly thicker, darker and shinier, because a clear film bends light. It also stays in place longer, because it’s less brittle and snaps less when you rub your eyes or pull off mascara. After a month, you may simply be keeping lashes you’d otherwise have lost to breakage.
Why people believe it: the photos are usually taken with glossy lashes, better light and, often, a lash cycle that happened to be in its growing phase. Lashes also regrow on their own after a patch falls out, whether or not anything is applied. Time does the work. The jar gets the credit.
A seal keeps a lash; it can’t make one.
The part that’s true: less breakage, softer lashes
Lashes lose a lot to daily wear. Waterproof mascara, eyelash curlers, rubbing tired eyes at the end of a long day, sleeping face-down on a rough pillowcase and scrubbing off last night’s kajal with a dry tissue all snap lashes partway along, so that a lash which should have lived out its full two months breaks off short and makes the whole line look thinner than it really is. A thin coat of an occlusive (a product that seals moisture in), such as petroleum jelly, reduces that friction. That’s a genuine, modest benefit, and it’s why dermatologists sometimes suggest plain petroleum jelly for dry lid skin too.
It won’t help if lashes are thinning for a medical reason. Thyroid problems, low iron, alopecia areata, blepharitis (inflamed lid edges), and trichotillomania (pulling out hairs, often without noticing) all need proper attention. Our guide to eyelash fall and thinning walks through these causes and what to check.
How to use petroleum jelly on lashes safely
- Start clean: remove all eye makeup with a gentle cleanser and warm water, then pat dry. Jelly over mascara just traps grime.
- Use a clean tool: a fresh cotton bud, or a clean spoolie washed with soap and dried. Never double-dip a used bud into the tub.
- Use very little: a rice-grain amount is enough for both upper lash lines. Too much melts into the eye at night and blurs vision in the morning.
- Stroke from the middle out: brush lightly from mid-lash to the tips, then touch the lash base, keeping it on the outside of the lid edge, not inside the rim.
- Timing: bedtime, a few nights a week or nightly. Wash it off in the morning with warm water.
- Judge after 4 to 6 weeks: look for less breakage and softer lashes. Don’t expect length.
- Keep the tub clean: use a small, separate pot just for eyes, with the lid closed, and replace it if it looks cloudy or smells odd.
Stop and leave the eye alone if you get a stye, a lump on the lid, red or crusty lid edges, or eyes that sting, water or itch after use. Take out contact lenses before applying and don’t put them back in until the jelly is washed off. See a doctor the same day for a painful red eye, sudden blurred or lost vision, or swelling around the eye with fever. Lashes falling out in patches, along with eyebrows or scalp hair, also needs a doctor’s check rather than a home product.
Petroleum jelly vs castor oil vs lash serums
People usually ask this next. Castor oil is thicker and stickier; it also conditions but, like jelly, has no solid proof of growing lashes, and it’s more likely to run into the eye and irritate. Prescription lash serums contain a medicine that genuinely lengthens lashes, but they can darken the iris permanently, darken lid skin and cause irritation, so they’re a doctor’s decision. Our comparison of castor oil and prescription lash serums covers those risks in detail.
| Option | Grows lashes? | Main catch |
|---|---|---|
| Petroleum jelly | No; reduces breakage | Blurry vision if too much |
| Castor oil | No proof | Runs into eye, stings |
| Prescription serum | Yes, in many people | Iris and lid colour changes |
Questions people ask about petroleum jelly on lashes
Does petroleum jelly make eyelashes grow?
No. It coats the lash so it looks glossier and breaks less, but it doesn’t reach the root, so it cannot grow new or longer lashes.
Is it safe to put petroleum jelly on eyelashes overnight?
For most people, yes, in a very small amount on the outside of the lid edge. Too much can melt into the eye and blur your vision, and a dirty tub can carry germs.
How long before I see a difference?
Give it 4 to 6 weeks. You’re looking for softer lashes and fewer broken ones, not extra length.
Can petroleum jelly cause a stye?
It can contribute if a thick layer blocks the oil glands at the lash line or the jar is contaminated. Use a thin layer, a clean tool, and stop if a lump appears.
Can I use it on my eyebrows too?
Yes, a thin layer conditions brow hairs the same way. It won’t fill bald patches; patchy brow loss is worth showing a doctor.
What if petroleum jelly gets in my eye?
Your vision may go greasy and blurred for a while. Blink, rinse gently with clean water and wait. If the eye stays red, painful or blurred, get it checked the same day.
Can I use it with contact lenses?
Only with lenses out. Grease on a lens smears vision and is hard to clean off. Wash your hands well before touching lenses again.
Is it safe for children’s eyelashes?
There’s no reason to use it on children’s lashes, and little ones rub their eyes, spreading it in. Leave children’s lashes alone unless a doctor suggests something.
Is petroleum jelly or castor oil better for lashes?
Neither grows lashes. Jelly is less likely to run into the eye and is cheaper; castor oil is stickier and stings more often. Both simply condition.
Why are my eyelashes falling out suddenly?
Common reasons include rubbing, waterproof mascara, lid inflammation, thyroid or iron problems, and hair-pulling. Sudden patchy loss, or loss with brow and scalp hair, needs a doctor’s check.