Gold Bond vs Aquaphor 2024 (The Definitive Guide)

We all know and love Gold Bond and Aquaphor; they have been consistently delivering quality skin care products—especially treatments for dry, sensitive skin—for decades now.

Which is better, you ask? Let’s discuss the difference between these two tried-and-true veterans. Gold Bond vs Aquaphor - let’s get into it.

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Gold Bond Healing Hydrating Lotion vs Aquaphor Healing Ointment

Skin that is so dry that it cracks or flakes needs immediate healing. If you’re trying to restore your skin back to a healthy and smooth texture, you may want to pick up an ointment or lotion that can help.

Ointments tend to have a more balm-like texture while lotions are more creamy and lightweight, but both certainly have their pros and cons which we will now be discussing as we compare the Gold Bond Healing Hydrating Lotion vs Aquaphor Healing Ointment.

2024 update: The Skin Therapy Lotion is now known as the Gold Bond Healing Hydrating Lotion (packaging may vary).

The Aquaphor Healing Ointment distinguishes itself with a minimal ingredients list, formulated primarily of 41% Petrolatum (aka Petroleum Jelly) which is a skin protectant that lets oxygen flow in to help heal skin. It also features panthenol and glycerin, two ingredients that are well-known for providing intensive moisturization and skin nourishment. The rest of the list includes mineral oil, lanolin alcohol, bisabolol (an anti-irritant), and ceresin. The result is a thick, protective and soothing ointment.

While sight of lanolin alcohol may put you on alert, we can assure you that it’s not a nasty drying type of alcohol. It is a fatty alcohol which actually has beneficial qualities for dry skin. However, it is still among mineral oil as a potential allergen, and is definitely a reason to patch test before use. That aside, Aquaphor is preservative and fragrance-free.

The Gold Bond Healing Hydrating Lotion has a much longer list of ingredients, again featuring Petrolatum but this time overshadowed by water (since it is a lotion, after all). This makes it lighter than the Aquaphor Healing Ointment, but it is still certainly on the thicker side of things. It also contains Vitamin C (protects against environmental stressors), Vitamin E (prevents moisture loss), and Aloe (soothes, comforts, and moisturizes).

Both make excellent choices for dry to extra dry skin, but the primary difference between the two is the amount of protection vs nourishment your skin receives. The Aquaphor Healing Ointment is skewed towards protection with its more occlusive formula, whereas the Gold Bond Healing Hydrating Lotion provides more nourishment and moisturization with a more emollient formula.

We prefer the Gold Bond Healing Hydrating Lotion as an "all-over" treatment for dry skin, whereas the Aquaphor Healing Ointment better suits being applied to specific areas or patches of dryness. Hopefully that helps you to decide which to pick up for yourself!

Gold Bond Best-Sellers

For psoriasis:
Try Psoriasis Relief

For eczema:
Try Eczema Relief

For diabetics:
Try Diabetics' Skin Relief

For rough & dry skin:
Try Softening Lotion

For rough & bumpy skin:
Try Rough & Bumpy Skin Lotion

Aquaphor Best-Sellers

For brightening:
Try Positively Radiant

For eczema relief:
Try Eczema Therapy

For sensitive skin:
Try Calm+Restore

This article was originally published on May 19th 2022, but it has been reviewed and updated with the latest available information on February 6th 2024 by Sara Mckay, MA.