Colgate Toothpaste + Vaseline on Your Face? What You Should Know

The viral toothpaste-and-Vaseline facial hack is often promoted as a way to smooth wrinkles, brighten skin, or reduce spots. However, toothpaste is formulated for teeth—not facial skin—and applying it to your face can cause irritation, dryness, redness, or even a chemical-type burn.

Vaseline (petrolatum), on the other hand, is a well-established occlusive moisturizer that can help reduce moisture loss from the skin.

A Safer Alternative: Vaseline Night Moisture Treatment

Ingredients

A gentle, fragrance-free facial moisturizer
A very small amount of plain Vaseline

Directions

Wash your face with a gentle cleanser and lukewarm water.
Pat your skin dry, leaving it slightly hydrated.
Apply your regular facial moisturizer.
Take a pea-sized amount or less of Vaseline.
Gently spread a very thin layer over dry areas.
Leave it on overnight.
Wash gently the following morning.

Why Use Vaseline?

Petrolatum forms an occlusive layer over the skin, helping reduce water loss and supporting the skin’s moisture barrier. It doesn’t erase wrinkles or dark spots, but well-moisturized skin can temporarily appear smoother and more supple.

What About Toothpaste?

It’s best to leave toothpaste on your toothbrush rather than your face. Toothpaste may contain ingredients such as detergents, flavoring agents, abrasives, and other compounds that can irritate facial skin.

Don’t mix toothpaste with:

Vaseline
Lemon juice
Baking soda
Hydrogen peroxide
Other household ingredients

If You Already Applied It

Wash your face gently with lukewarm water and don’t scrub. Apply a bland moisturizer afterward.

If you develop significant burning, swelling, blistering, or persistent redness, stop using the mixture and seek medical advice.

For Wrinkles and Dark Spots

For long-term skin care, a simple routine of gentle cleansing, moisturizer, and daily broad-spectrum SPF 30+ sunscreen is much safer and more effective than viral DIY toothpaste treatments.

Vaseline can be useful for dry skin—but mixing it with toothpaste isn’t a good facial treatment, and there is no reliable evidence that the combination removes wrinkles or dark spots.