Not to Judge.....But...

I was at a birth all day today and at one point the mom-to-be asked for her make-up bag to get her lipbalm.  I expected lip balm and then she pulled out a small tub of vaseline!  In my head I am thinking, YUCK! (and I am really trying not to judge!) but that is petroleum! let me dissect the ingredients.

Mineral Oil: it is produced as a by-product of the distillation of gasoline from crude oil.  It is the left-over liquid and it is inexpensive. It is actually more expensive to dispose of it than to purchase it!  It is often found in baby products (what do some apply to newborn bottoms?  vaseline!) Mineral oil acts as a thin layer on the skin.  It is difficult to absorb and clogs the pores.
Paraffin: is also derived from petroleum and can be found in creams and skin care products (like vaseline) to act as an emolliant but it can also be found in crayons and the coating on fruits and vegetables, keeping them shiny and stopping them from spoiling quicker. 
Microcrystalline Wax:  is produced by de-oiling petroleum, as part of the refining process.  It has tiny particles that make it more flexible (and thus smoother) then parrafin wax and it is used as a binder.

To summarize by-products of crude oil!

Some wonderful alternatives are cocoa butter, shea butter, natural lip balms found at your local health food store (there will be so many to choose from), even straight up olive oil on your lips (or overall skin, even a baby's bottom!) is way way better then vaseline.  You could also, look for healthy alternatives for your baby's bottom, face, and skin in general. 
Here are some examples:

raw cocoa butter (smells like chocolate!)

my all time favorite; Evan Healy's Fair Trade Whipped Shea Butter

 if you must have a vaseline than pick up the un-petroleum jelly made by Alba Botanica