The History of Paraffin Oil

Paraffin wax is a light lubricating oil raw material obtained from petroleum through dewaxing. It was originally made by Carl Reichenbach of Germany in 1830 to commemorate a key advancement in candle manufacturing technology, as it burns cleaner, is more stable than grease candles, and has lower production costs.

Initially, paraffin had a low melting point, but the addition of stearic acid later solved this problem. At the beginning of the 20th century, with the rise of the Meat-packing industry industry and the petroleum industry, the production of paraffin wax flourished, and paraffin wax and stearic acid were produced as by-products.

How is paraffin made?
The raw material of paraffin is loose wax, a mixture of oil and wax, and is a by-product of lubricating oil refining. Firstly, remove the oil from the slack wax (deoiling or dewaxing) and separate it through crystallization. Usually, the slack wax is heated, mixed with solvents such as ketones, and then cooled. Then the wax crystallizes out of the solution, the oil is retained, and the mixture is filtered into two strands:

Solid - wax with some solvent
Liquids - paraffin oil and Solvents

Once the solvent is recovered through distillation, the subsequent products are "product wax" (or "pressure wax") and "foot oil". The lower the oil content in wax, the more refined it is (semi refined and fully refined).

The product wax may undergo more processing to remove any color and odor. The wax can then be mixed to achieve specific product requirements, such as penetration and melting point. Paraffin wax is then supplied in liquid or solid form.

What are the benefits of using paraffin in beauty products?

When used in cosmetics, paraffin is usually applied to hands and feet. The melting point of paraffin is very low, which allows it to melt into a liquid at a relatively low temperature and can be safely touched. It has a natural ointment that helps to soften the skin. You may have seen women immersing their hands or feet in opaque white or pink substances at a beauty salon.

Many beauty products use paraffin because it is very cheap. It can increase water content and continue to increase water levels after treatment is completed. It also helps to open pores, remove dead skin cells, and make the skin look fresher and smoother. Paraffin also has a long history in treating many physical diseases such as arthritis and increasing blood flow.

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