Over-the-counter medicine
Petrolatum
Petrolatum is an over-the-counter medicine. No generic is listed; pharmacies paid $0.0091 per gram (Gnp petroleum jelly) in the October 7, 2026 NADAC survey.
- No generic listed
- Over the counter
Check it at the source: the petrolatum FDA label on DailyMed (effective September 11, 2024); every petrolatum label on DailyMed.
Highlights of the record
FDA label of September 11, 2024; NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA and Orange Book, October 8, 2026; NADAC October 7, 2026
Used for
From the label: indications and usagetemporarily protects and helps relieve chapped or cracked skin helps protect from the drying effects of wind and cold weather Use temporarily protects and helps relieve chapped or cracked skin helps protect from the drying effects of wind and cold weathe
Forms and strengths
- 0.93 g/g
- 1 g/g
- 30 g/100g
- 30 mg/g
- 30 g/100ml
- 33 g/100g
- 38 g/127g
- 41 g/100g
- 42 g/100g
- 45 g/100g
- 50 g/100g
- 56.8 mg/g
Jelly; ointment; cream; stick; gel.
On the market
- Generic approvals
- No generic approved
- Labelers listed (NDC)
- 130 of which 0 under generic applications, 0 under brand applications, repackagers included
Supply and safety
- Pharmacy cost (NADAC)
- $0.0091 per gram Gnp petroleum jelly
- Shortage (FDA)
- No current entry
- Recalls by its makers (FDA)
- 0 since 2024 0 Class I among all firms' recalls; 1 more by firms not listed as its makers
- FAERS reports
- 4,204 through July 30, 2026
What is petrolatum used for?
From the label: indications and usagetemporarily protects and helps relieve chapped or cracked skin helps protect from the drying effects of wind and cold weather Use temporarily protects and helps relieve chapped or cracked skin helps protect from the drying effects of wind and cold weathe
Source: FDA drug label (Healing Cream 3oz), China Ningbo Shangge Cosmetics Technology Corp., effective September 11, 2024 (SPL set 21bdbb13-cc64-b5d7-e063-6294a90ae3fd), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
Is there a generic for petrolatum?
No generic petrolatum is approved (Drugs@FDA, October 8, 2026).
Source: Drugs@FDA, FDA NDC Directory and the Orange Book (openFDA bulk files, October 8, 2026)
What do pharmacies pay for petrolatum?
In CMS's NADAC survey of October 7, 2026, pharmacies paid $0.0091 per gram (Gnp petroleum jelly), up 3% from $0.0089 on October 8, 2025. The chart's scale runs from the lowest to the highest price shown, not from zero. NADAC is what retail pharmacies paid their wholesalers, per unit, in CMS's monthly survey; what a patient pays depends on insurance and the pharmacy.
- Gnp petroleum jelly (generic)
| Strength and form | Brand or generic | Pharmacy cost | 30 tablets, or one pen or vial | 12-month change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baby skin protectant 41% ointment | Generic | $0.0542 per gram | n/a | +40% |
| Ft petroleum jelly | Generic | $0.0107 per gram | n/a | +4% |
| Gnp petroleum jelly | Generic | $0.0091 per gram | n/a | +3% |
| Petrolatum 42% ointment | Generic | $0.038 per gram | n/a | -0.8% |
| Petroleum jelly | Generic | $0.0102 per gram | n/a | +8% |
Source: CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC) survey, October 7, 2026: what retail pharmacies paid per unit; not a counter price
Has petrolatum been recalled?
The FDA's Enforcement Report lists 1 recall naming petrolatum since 2024: 0 Class I (the most serious), 1 Class II, 0 Class III; 0 still ongoing. 1 of them is by a firm that FDA's NDC Directory does not list as a maker of petrolatum and that holds no application for it in Drugs@FDA, such as compounding pharmacies or bulk-ingredient suppliers; the recall notice names the product recalled. A recall names products and lots, not every product of the medicine.
| Started | Class | Company | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 28, 2024 | Class II | Consumer Product Partners, LLC not a listed maker | Labeling: Label Mix up; product labeled as pure white petroleum jelly actually contains petroleum jelly with Lavendar and Chamomile |
Source: FDA Enforcement Report (drug recalls) via openFDA, through October 8, 2026
What do FAERS reports show for petrolatum?
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System holds 4,204 reports that list petrolatum among the medicines taken, through July 30, 2026, each a report of something that happened, not proof the medicine caused it; 564 are coded as a death and 2,181 as a hospital stay. Counts follow how widely a medicine is used and watched, and they are not a measure of how risky it is.
Reports received each year
The most reported reactions
Source: FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) via openFDA, reports through July 30, 2026
What next?
- Petrolatum side effects
- the label's list beside FAERS reports
- Check an interaction
- what two or more labels say about each other