7/26/2023 0 Comments Paraffin wax safe![]() Today, it’s produced by “dewaxing” oil stocks - that is, chilling to separate the wax from oil. It was discovered about 10 years after humans first began extracting petroleum, in 1867, when engineers noticed that chilled petroleum easily separated into a waxy, white substance. “It’s technically a mix of what we call hydrocarbons, fats and oils.” “It isn’t one specific chemical, it’s a mix of chemicals,” she said. Technically, Trelstad said, paraffin wax is a cocktail of different chemicals that are byproducts of the petroleum production process. “It’s essentially tallowy wax,” said Lizzy Trelstad, an innovation chemist with expertise in cosmetics and personal care. You might have also seen paraffin wax treatments at your local salon, in a pretty common treatment wherein customers dip their hands into a thick, white liquid, only to have the hardened shell peeled off. The bottle of mineral oil you get from the pharmacy is a slightly different paraffin-wax-related product. The tub of vaseline your aunt has been carrying around for years as an alleged cure for everything from chapped lips to sore joints is a kind of soft paraffin wax. It’s a white, waxy or jelly-like substance that comes in many forms. You might have seen paraffin wax as an ingredient in your lipstick or body lotion. They are most commonly found in petroleum, and that is commonly found in your beauty and skincare products in the form of paraffin wax. In a chemical sense, they’re simple enough: compounds formed by hydrogen and carbon that can combine into extremely long chains (well - long on a chemical level, anyhow). Specifically, I’m talking about hydrocarbons. Which is well and good - until one glance at the ingredients of our favorite lipstick, lotion or self-care candle has us wishing we had paid better attention in high school chemistry class. Most of us want to do our homework, compare ingredients and buy products that are friendly to the earth and our bank accounts. There are few rabbit holes as deep as the ingredients lists on your favorite household supplies.
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