1. The history of Vaseline
Vaseline, or petroleum jelly was first discovered by a British chemist Robert Augustus Chesebrough in 1859. Chesebrough was a chemist, and his job consisted of clarifying kerosene from the oil of sperm whales. But his job came to an end when oil was discovered in Titusville, Pennsylvania. He didn’t let his new-found unemployment get him down, however, and he decided to travel to Titusville to figure out what new products could be made from the black stuff coming out of the ground.
While in the oil fields of Titusville, Chesebrough discovered something interesting: The rod wax which was removed from oil rig pumps can heal the worker’s cuts and burns. Chesebrough saw an opportunity and began to collect the black, waxy substance. He returned to Brooklyn, New York, and began the tedious process of refining the substance over a five year period. He discovered that by distilling the thinner, lighter oils from the rod wax, he could produce a light-colored gel, and he patented the process in 1865.
By 1870, Chesebrough had opened his first factory, and in 1872, he named his product Vaseline. The name was a mix of the German word for water, wasser, and the Greek word for oil, oleon, with the change to a scientific-sounding ending of -ine. Two years later, it was selling across the United States. In 1880’s, people started using it for many skin conditions: minor wounds, dry skin during winter, diaper rash. It witnessed a global expansion during the period of 1900s. In 1955, the Chesebrough Manufacturing Company merged with Pond’s Extract Company to become Chesebrough-Ponds, Inc., and in 1987, this company was purchased by Unilever.
Nowadays, there are many controversial opinions when using Vaseline, some people think that it has a good effect, others think that the composition of this product is mainly kerosene. So, what is Vaseline? How to use it so as not to affect the skin? Honestly, it is not as serious as you might think. If you are wondering about using Vaseline, how to use it effectively, read my detailed sharing on this post!
2. The composition of Vaseline
Petroleum Jelly is a petrochemical product formed during the production of crude oil. It is then subjected to several purifications to remove impurities. The amount of Petroleum Jelly used to make Vaseline is of very high purity.
When used on the skin, this substance creates a very moist film, which is resistant to water evaporation, helping to keep skin moisturized and limiting the penetration of bacteria.
There are many opinions that the Petroleum Jelly ingredient is actually kerosene, which is not good skin. It even clogs pores. Actually, it is not! Although Petroleum Jelly is not extracted from plants, but experts have confirmed, it is completely worth using. Importantly, do not harm our skin. What we need to keep in mind is how to use and combine these products to get the best results.
3. What makes Vaseline so popular?
Besides being an inexpensive product, Vaseline has a remarkable ability to absorb active ingredients. Therefore, the production of Cannabis Vaseline does not require complex equipment but is still effective in extracting cannabidiols from cannabis.
4. Magical uses of Cannabis Vaseline
With ingredients capable of moisturizing, Vaseline is known for its noticeable effect when you use it on your lips and hair. On dry days, a thin layer of Vaseline cream will prevent dry lips. If your lips are often chapped due to the weather, use Vaseline regularly to keep your lips moisturized! Don't wait until your lips are "dry" before using it.
Not only can it be used on lips, but Vaseline can also be used in hair styling. If you have a dry scalp and need a lot of moisture, you can use a little Vaseline to gently massage your scalp before washing your hair.
If your skin (excluding facial skin!) is often dry, scaly, and even flaky in the winter, Vaseline can fix this problem. You can use Vaseline wax or Vaseline body lotion to moisturize the whole body. Just apply a thin layer of cream in the morning and at night before going to sleep.
In addition, the moisturizing ingredients of Vaseline also help to soothe the skin very well. You can apply in many other cases, when the skin is thin and damaged, you can use Vaseline!
Vaseline is an inexpensive product that has many good uses for the eyelashes. Before going to bed, you can gently swipe some Vaseline wax on your eyelashes to make them look thicker and longer. Vaseline’s moisture-locking properties do provide some benefits for eyelashes, which may make them look healthier and lusher.
Rubbing a thin layer of Vaseline on the nail, your nails will look shiny and much softer. Before going to the nail salon, you can apply this method to make it easier to style. After the nail has been coated with nail polish, you should still apply Vaseline regularly to keep the nail polish as shiny as new!
To make it easier to apply wax to your nails, you can use a small cotton swab, lightly dab Vaseline and spread it evenly.
With its smooth, waxy properties, you can use Vaseline for many different purposes.
Examples:
- Lubricating the ring
- Giving shine to leather shoes and bags
- Lubricating moving parts to prevent jamming or squeaking.
- Limiting rust on some metal materials
- Smoothing zippers
- Applying to the soles of pets' feet to limit chapping and dryness in winter
There are billions of uses of Vaseline that you can apply. The price for a bottle of Vaseline is not expensive at all, so you should not miss this product in your makeup cabinet! Especially if your skin is often dry, flakey in the winter.
How to use Vaseline to not harm the skin?
Here are a few last little things that I want you to remember carefully. As I mentioned initially about the main ingredient of Vaseline, Petroleum Jelly is a humectant, not a moisturizer. That is, it does not hydrate the skin, but only creates a barrier on the skin to limit water loss. When the skin is well protected, it will limit the factors that cause acne, especially acne.
Moisturize before using Vaseline
This shows that you cannot use Vaseline as a moisturizer. The correct way to use it is to combine Vaseline with another humectant.
The trick here is, you can use Vaseline to lock in moisture after moisturizing to retain the nutrients in the moisturizer or serum. This tip is very effective in hot summer conditions, when you stay in an air-conditioned room. The skin is not dehydrated, but already has a protective layer made of Vaseline.