Vaseline and burns

Editor—We were extremely concerned to read this letter describing the burns that a 3 year old boy received to his back and perineum. Our number one priority is always the safety and wellbeing of people who use our products and, as such, we ensure that all claims that we make are accurate and directly supportable.

The burns described seem not to be minor and therefore outside the scope of intended use for the Vaseline petroleum jelly product referred to. The Vaseline label clearly states that this product is intended for minor burns and, indeed, our research has proved that the product supports the healthy healing of minor burns as it protects the damaged area from bacteria while not interfering with the healing process (see bmj.com for evidence).

Coincidentally, and for reasons wholly unconnected to your letter or the issue raised in it, the artwork on our Vaseline petroleum jelly has been changed. Although the product formulation remains the exactly the same, the new labelling does not make any reference to the use of Vaseline petroleum jelly in the treatment of burns.

Although we continue to stand by the previous labelling and the technical rationale behind claims contained in it, we hope our new packaging will prevent a situation of misuse from occurring again.