Vaseline in Tarkov: What Does It Mean?

Vaseline balm is a medical item in Escape from Tarkov that works as a painkiller. Using it removes the Pain status and applies On Painkillers for a few minutes, so your aim stops shaking and you can keep fighting while injured. It does not stop bleeding, fix fractures or restore health, so it is a companion to a medkit and splints rather than a replacement for them.

How It Works

The item is a small 1x1 jar weighing 0.016 kg, modeled on a real Russian cosmetic petroleum jelly. In game it takes about 6 seconds to apply. Its effect:

• Removes Pain and grants the On Painkillers status for several minutes. Community databases list the duration at roughly 300 to 350 seconds, depending on the source and game version.
• Drains energy and hydration slightly on each use, so you will need to eat and drink a little sooner.
• Has more than one use per jar (current item data lists three), so one jar can cover several injuries in a raid.

Pain in Tarkov comes from injuries such as fractures and blacked limbs. It adds shaking and visual effects that make aiming harder. A painkiller hides those symptoms, but the injury itself stays until you treat it, and the symptoms return when the effect wears off.

When To Use It

Vaseline shines in the middle of a raid, after a fight has left you with a fracture or a blacked limb and you still need to loot, rotate or reach an extract. Applying it behind cover keeps your aim steady for the next encounter. It is less useful as an emergency fix during an active firefight, where Analgin painkillers (about 3 seconds to use) or simply breaking line of sight are better options.

Where You'll See It

• Loot: medbags, medcases, sport bags, small weapon boxes, ground caches, buried barrel caches, medical supply crates and jackets.
• Hideout crafting: the Medstation turns three soap, two Schaman shampoo and one pile of meds into two Vaseline balms in about 55 minutes. The community wiki lists the craft at Medstation level 2, while an older report placed it at level 3, so check your hideout.
• Barters: Therapist at loyalty level 3 uses two Vaseline balms, together with Augmentin pills, Surv12 kits and piles of meds, in a barter for the LBT-2670 Slim Field Med Pack.

No trader sells Vaseline for cash in current item data, so most players loot or craft it.

Tips

• Use Vaseline before a fight, not during it. Six seconds of animation is a long time when someone is pushing you.
• Pair it with a splint and a medkit. Painkillers make a broken leg playable for a while, but healing the fracture is the real fix.
• Watch your energy and hydration on long raids; repeated doses add up.
• Compare painkillers: Golden Star balm also removes contusion and has more uses, while cheaper pills are lighter on your budget. Choose based on your kit and the raid length.
• Keep a jar in your pockets rather than your backpack so it stays available if you drop the bag.
• If you have the Medstation, the soap and shampoo craft is a steady way to stock up instead of relying on loot.

FAQ

Does Vaseline stop bleeding in Tarkov?

No. It only treats Pain. Use bandages, tourniquets or a medkit with bleed treatment for bleeds.

How long does Vaseline last?

A few minutes. Databases list around 300 to 350 seconds of painkiller effect; check the item tooltip in your game version for the exact value.

Is Vaseline better than painkiller pills?

Compared with Analgin painkillers, it lasts much longer per use (Analgin is listed at about 95 seconds), but it takes twice as long to apply and drains a little energy and hydration. Analgin is quicker in an emergency; Vaseline covers longer stretches of a raid.

Can I craft Vaseline?

Yes, at the hideout Medstation from soap, shampoo and a pile of meds. One craft gives two jars.