Why petroleum jelly may not be the best thing to heal cuts

THE label says petroleum jelly can help protect minor cuts, scrapes and burns.

But new research suggests immediately slathering an open wound with this ointment might be a bad idea.

Scientists have studied how the skin creates its own "natural plaster" to help heal these injuries.

Oil-based substances, such as petroleum jelly, appear to disrupt this important process, and might increase the risk of wound infection, they say in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

The American Academy of Dermatology recommends petroleum jelly for keeping a wound moist and to help prevent it from drying out and forming a scab, because they take longer to heal. This will also help prevent a scar from getting too large, deep or itchy.

As long as the wound is cleaned daily, it is not necessary to use anti-bacterial ointments, says the AAD.

Some NHS hospitals recommend it to patients with surgical wounds that have already started to heal, and it forms part of the first aid kit in some contact sports, including rugby union where it is used by the England team.

However, Professor Robert Ariens and colleagues at the University of Leeds say their observations with human and animal tissue suggest this may not be the best immediate approach to wound management.

They found that a microscopic protein film forms rapidly over a wound as part of the natural clotting process.