Plenty of runners still swear by Vaseline. It's cheap, it's already in the bathroom cabinet, and it does stop chafing, at least at first. No point pretending otherwise. But if you've ever tried to wash it out of a pair of shorts, or worn it under a wetsuit, you'll know there's a catch. A few, actually, and the biggest one you can't even see. Here's the honest version: where Vaseline genuinely works, where it lets you down, and how it stacks up against the That's It Anti-Chafe Gel.
The short version
- Yes, Vaseline reduces chafing. It's cheap and it works, especially over shorter efforts.
- But it's almost completely occlusive. On a sweaty run it seals sweat against your skin, and waterlogged skin chafes and blisters more, not less.
- It's petroleum-based, it degrades wetsuit neoprene, and it's a nightmare to wash out of your kit.
- Our Anti-Chafe Gel is 100% natural, built on beeswax, lanolin and 2% mānuka oil. It protects without sealing skin airtight, conditions skin rather than just coating it, stays put when it heats up, and washes clean out of clothes.
- Rule of thumb: dry-land runs on a budget, Vaseline is fine. Water, wetsuits, long sweaty days, or you'd rather skip petroleum, reach for the gel.
Give Vaseline its due
Petrolatum is the benchmark occlusive in dermatology. A widely cited review found that petrolatum, at as little as 5 percent, reduces water loss from the skin by more than 98 percent, compared with 20 to 30 percent for lanolin, mineral oil and silicones (Purnamawati et al, 2017). That is why it turns up in everything from lip balm to wound care. As a layer that sits on skin and stops it drying out, it is very good. And for friction specifically, a 2025 review of athlete friction injuries found petrolatum-based lubricants cut blister incidence by 30 to 40 percent when reapplied every four hours (Islam and Islam, 2025). So this is not a case of pretending Vaseline does nothing. It works. The question is whether it is the right tool for what you are doing.
The catch you can't see
Here is the bit nobody mentions. The very thing that makes petrolatum a great moisture seal is what turns on you when you sweat. It is almost completely occlusive, cutting water loss from the skin by more than 98 percent. On dry winter hands, brilliant. On a hot run or ride, that same seal traps sweat against your skin. Skin that stays wet goes soft and waterlogged, and waterlogged skin grips harder and gives way faster, which is exactly what drives chafe and blisters. That wet-skin friction effect is well documented: hydrated skin generates markedly more friction than dry skin against the same fabric (Gerhardt et al, 2008). It is also why lubricants need topping up every few hours to keep helping. Leave a heavy occlusive layer on over a long, sweaty effort and it starts working against you.
Where the gel wins
The That's It Anti-Chafe Gel is built to solve the friction problem without those trade-offs. It is 100% natural, on a beeswax and lanolin base with 2% mānuka oil, and each of those does something petroleum can't.
It breathes. Lanolin cuts water loss by only 20 to 30 percent, versus petrolatum's 98 percent plus. That is the point, not a shortcoming. The gel still puts a barrier between the surfaces that rub, but it is nowhere near as airtight, so skin can shed sweat rather than stew in it.
It conditions skin, it doesn't just coat it. Lanolin and beeswax are emollients. They soften and support the skin they sit on, which is why lanolin is the classic fix for dry, cracked, hard skin. Petrolatum is inert: it seals moisture in and adds nothing back. That matters over time, because hard, cracked skin is a weak spot. It splits, and rigid skin doesn't move with you the way supple skin does. Keeping skin conditioned and pliable is part of staying chafe and blister-free, and an inert coat can't do that for you.
It stays where you put it. Petroleum jelly softens and moves at close to body temperature, which is part of why it migrates onto your gear. A beeswax base holds its structure until far hotter, so the gel stays on the spot you actually meant to protect, sweat and heat included.
It washes out. This is the one we get asked about most, so here's the straight answer. Vaseline is petroleum, so it clings to fabric, leaves greasy marks and is a nightmare to wash out, which is how it ends up ruining shorts and race kit. Our gel rinses out in a normal wash, no greasy residue, no stained waistbands. If you've ever binned a pair of shorts over a Vaseline stain, that's the difference.
It's natural, not petroleum. Chafe is broken skin, and what you put on broken skin matters. Vaseline is a petroleum by-product that does one job: seal. Our gel is 100% natural and built on active botanicals, including 2% mānuka oil, an ingredient with well-documented antimicrobial and skin-supporting properties.
So which should you use?
If your chafing is on dry-land runs and rides, you are on a budget, and you don't mind a bit of grease, Vaseline is a reasonable, cheap option and the research backs that it reduces friction.
If you swim, surf, paddle or wear a wetsuit, or you'd rather not smear petroleum on your skin, or you are tired of it ending up all over your gear, our Anti-Chafe Gel is the better tool. Same job, none of the trade-offs that matter most in those situations.
One thing if you ride: on the bike, saddle chafe is a job for chamois cream rather than this gel. Same principle, built for hours in the saddle.
Either way, the point from our guide to stopping chafing stands: put it on before you start, on the spots you know rub, not after it already hurts.
This article is general information, not medical advice.
Sources
- Purnamawati S et al. The Role of Moisturizers in Addressing Various Kinds of Dermatitis: A Review. Clinical Medicine & Research, 2017;15(3-4):75-87.
- Islam R, Islam KN. Cutaneous Friction Injuries and Blister Prevention in Athletes: From Stratum Corneum Mechanics to Smart-Textile Solutions: A Systematic Review. Premier Journal of Sports Science, 2025.