• iconNews
  • videos
  • entertainment
  • Home
  • News
    • UK News
    • US News
    • Australia
    • Ireland
    • World News
    • Weird News
    • Viral News
    • Sport
    • Technology
    • Science
    • True Crime
    • Travel
  • Entertainment
    • Celebrity
    • TV & Film
    • Netflix
    • Music
    • Gaming
    • TikTok
  • LAD Originals
    • Say Maaate to a Mate
    • Daily Ladness
    • Lad Files
    • UOKM8?
    • FreeToBe
    • Extinct
    • Citizen Reef
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • UNILAD
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube

LAD Entertainment

YouTube

LAD Stories

Submit Your Content
People mind blown after discovering where Vaseline actually comes from

Home> News

Published 20:53 30 May 2025 GMT+1

People mind blown after discovering where Vaseline actually comes from

Vaseline's inventor went to some pretty extreme measures to show off just how good his product was

Anish Vij

Anish Vij

The creation of Vaseline is a slippery success story which dates back over 150 years.

A man once known as Robert Chesebrough was the inventor of the miracle goo in 1872. However, the actual inspiration behind Vaseline is far from what it's primarily supposed to be used for today, as a skin protectant and moisturiser.

Rather than myself telling you what went down, I think QI host and comedian Sandi Toksvig does a better job.

In a clip shared on social media by the BBC, Toksvig tells the panel how the English-born chemist came up with the idea.

Advert

During a funny facts segment, the Danish-British broadcaster, 67, told the likes of Alan Davies, Zoe Lyons, Ignacio Lopez, and Rhod Gilbert, that it all started with the inventor's sperm whale oil company, which went out of business.

Yep, it's a niche, that's for sure.

"It became less popular," she said. "So there was a great oil rush in the United States, particularly in Pennsylvania in 1859, and that became the new thing.

"So he thought, 'What am I going to do? My sperm whale oil thing is not going well. People are taking the p**s out of my name. There's lots of things that I've got to deal with'."

He spent a decade perfecting the process (Kinga Krzeminska/Getty stock photo)
He spent a decade perfecting the process (Kinga Krzeminska/Getty stock photo)

Advert

But it was a trip to Pennsylvania that really changed the game for him, after he 'noticed that the oil workers used the gunk that accumulated around the drill rods to heal cuts and burns'.

"And he spent 10 years perfecting a process to distill it into petroleum jelly, and he named it 'Vaseline' as a trademark in 1872 but he couldn't get anybody to be interested."

Toksvig explained that in an attempt to ramp up sales of his product, 'he went on the road with a horse and cart selling these little one ounce jars of his wonder jelly'.

And to take things further, he even 'burnt patches of his own skin' to show how well the jelly worked.

"Before long, he was selling a jar a minute," she added.

Advert

Jars of vaseline advertised as 'designed to prevent nappy rash' in 1964 (Chaloner Woods/Getty Images)
Jars of vaseline advertised as 'designed to prevent nappy rash' in 1964 (Chaloner Woods/Getty Images)

Over in the TikTok, people in the comments were pretty amazed by the story.

One person wrote: "Wow never knew that," while others referred to it as 'extraordinary'.

Well, according to the Vaseline website, the main uses of its petroleum jelly are:

· Protect minor cuts and burns

Advert

· Tackle dry skin patches

· Protect against external causes of dry skin

· Rejuvenate dull skin

· Hydrate your skin

· Soothe nappy rash

Advert

· Make your own lip scrub

· Create a dewy glow

Featured Image Credit: Getty Stock Images

Topics: BBC, TV, Health

Anish Vij
Anish Vij

Anish is a Journalist at LADbible Group and is a GG2 Young Journalist of the Year 2025. He has a Master's degree in Multimedia Journalism and a Bachelor's degree in International Business Management. Apart from that, his life revolves around the ‘Four F’s’ - family, friends, football and food. Email: [email protected]

X

@Anish_Vij

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

5 mins ago
an hour ago
2 hours ago
13 hours ago
  • 5 mins ago

    Joe Rogan points out major contradiction as he slams Donald Trump's handling of Epstein files in scathing rant

    Joe Rogan was pulling no punches as he criticised the president again

    News
  • an hour ago

    Russian economist issues nuclear 'last president' threat to Donald Trump in concerning response to ending war

    A prominent Russian figure has issued a chilling threat to the US president following his latest comments

    News
  • 2 hours ago

    Death row killer had chilling final words before he was executed for double murder

    Michael Bernard Bell, 54, faced the ultimate punishment after three decades on death row

    News
  • 13 hours ago

    Brit, 69, detained after ‘smuggling £350k-worth of drugs in secret compartment of his car’ into Spain

    He was said to be boarding the car ferry in Ceuta, Spain

    News
  • Cinema-goer shocked after discovering where Odeon popcorn actually comes from
  • People mindblown after finding out where iconic 'I Love NY' sign comes from
  • Netflix viewers blown away after spotting unique detail in mind-blowing new Stephen Graham series
  • Book that was written entirely without the letter 'e' is leaving people mind-blown