An emollient gel useful as an ingredient in inks, paint, lubricants, grease and cosmetics, and particularly as a replacement for petrolatum in such applications. The emollient gel is composed of 40-98% of an oil, or blend of oils, and 2-60% of a thickening wax, or blend of thickening waxes. The oil is preferably a vegetable seed oil such as soybean oil, and the thickening wax is preferably a polyolefin wax such as polyethylene or polypropylene, an ethylene vinyl acetate co-polymer (EVA), or natural waxes or wax esters such as bees wax or candililla wax.