Last week, I found myself at Rossoblu in downtown Los Angeles for what I thought was going to be a standard influencer-meets-brand dinner. Cute vibes, a nice meal, a product or two, you know the drill. But nope. Vaseline said, “Actually, let’s talk impact.” And baby… I left that dinner learning about a whole world I did not know existed: the Vaseline Healing Project.
And let me tell you, for a brand that has lived in nearly every Black household since the beginning of time (my grandmother kept that blue jar like it was currency), hearing how they’ve shown up for communities in crisis? I was impressed. Like, goosebumps and clutch-my-pearls impressed.
Wait… what exactly IS the Vaseline Healing Project?
Glad you asked. Picture this: mobile medical teams pulling up to communities affected by natural disasters or systemic health barriers, think wildfires, uninsured populations, and folks simply forgotten by traditional healthcare systems.
Through a long-standing partnership with Direct Relief, Vaseline funds and supports mobile skin-health clinics that provide free dermatological care and essential products to people who otherwise wouldn’t have access.
“Vaseline has cared for every body’s skin for more than 150 years, and the mobile medical units are the next chapter in that commitment. Through the Vaseline Healing Project, our partnership with Direct Relief to expand skin health care, we’ve learned that access is everything, you can’t have healthy skin if you can’t reach care,” said Liz John, Senior Brand Manager, Vaseline Purpose and Sustainability, Unilever. “By supporting these mobile medical units in Los Angeles and New Orleans, we’re helping bring dermatology and essential health services directly into communities that face barriers to care and are still recovering from the long-term impacts of natural disasters.”
And yes, these are the same mobile units that showed up during the California fires, providing skin relief and emergency care to families who lost everything. They weren’t just handing out lotions, they were delivering dignity, relief, and care.
Dinner + A Mission
The dinner gathering at Rossoblu brought together a room full of beauty editors, publishers (hi!), dermatology experts, health access advocates, and creators. Think of it as a chic collision of community, conversation, and purpose.
We were greeted with cocktails, a dreamy Italian dinner, and the kind of energy that makes you say, “Oh yes, these are my people.” But then things got even more meaningful when the program began.
A Panel Rooted in Real Impact
The evening featured a short but powerful panel moderated by Shirley Raines, the founder of Beauty2theStreetz. If you don’t know Shirley, she’s an icon, a literal boots-on-the-ground angel serving homeless and unhoused communities from Skid Row to Las Vegas.
Hearing her guide a conversation on equitable skincare access felt like a masterclass in community care.
Panelists included representatives from Vaseline, Direct Relief, and the Venice Family Clinic street medicine team, each sharing how mobile health units are changing lives in Los Angeles.
Some takeaways that hit home:
- Skin care is healthcare. Period.
- Access shouldn’t depend on your ZIP code or your insurance status.
- Mobile units are often the only medical touchpoint for unhoused or uninsured people.
- Disaster doesn’t end when the flames stop; recovery is long, and skin trauma is real.
It was one of those rare nights where beauty, wellness, and advocacy came together in a way that felt deeply human.
Oh, and yes… we got to see the vans!
Before and after dinner, guests had the choice to step outside to tour the actual Vaseline Healing Project mobile sprinter vans and the California partner vans used by Venice Family Clinic.
These vehicles aren’t just transportation. They’re fully stocked mini-clinics on wheels delivering:
- wound care
- dermatology support
- hygiene essentials
- Vaseline staples (of course)
- and trained care teams
Standing there, looking at these vans under the glow of downtown lights, I felt a lump in my throat. Because this is what it looks like when a brand actually shows up.
This Is the Kind of Work That Deserves Spotlight
In a world where many brands lead with performative allyship and barely-there charity gestures, the Vaseline Healing Project is doing the opposite, backing its efforts with infrastructure, funding, and long-term partnerships.
Vaseline Healing Project and Direct Relief even recently donated $100,000 to expand these mobile medical units in Los Angeles and New Orleans, ensuring that more communities receive the care they deserve.
This isn’t fluff. This is impact.
Why TCF Cares
Because as plus size people, especially Black and Brown folks, we know what it means to fall through the cracks of a healthcare system that often ignores us. Seeing a brand intentionally bridge that gap, especially during times of disaster and instability, is not just refreshing… it’s necessary.
And as someone who grew up with that blue-topped jar in every bathroom, I didn’t expect this level of commitment, but I’m glad I know now.
Healing really does start here. And I’m rooting for every chapter that comes next.
