Paraffin is a mixture of hydrocarbons, a waxy substance with a low melting point. It is obtained from oil and is widely used in industry, cosmetology and other industries. When melted, paraffin turns into a transparent liquid. Candles are made from it, used as a lubricant in the manufacture of wooden furniture. Vaseline is made from paraffin, which is part of anti-corrosion coatings. It is also used in cosmetology for paraffin therapy procedures, they even lubricate skis and bicycle chains. The scope of this substance is very wide and, most likely, there are paraffin products in every home.
Types of paraffin
Depending on the melting point, paraffins are divided into liquid, solid and microcrystalline. According to the degree of purification, they are divided into purified and unrefined. The former contain a large percentage of oil in their composition (up to 30% by weight), while the unrefined ones contain only 6%. Paraffin colorindicates the degree of its purification. White is refined, while yellow or brown is unrefined.
There are many ways to use paraffin at home: treatment and heating with it, cosmetic procedures, making candles and various other creative items. To carry out cosmetic procedures at home, you need to know how to melt paraffin at home.
Several ways to melt paraffin
It should be understood that paraffin left over from burnt candles is not suitable for cosmetic procedures. For this, a special cosmetic paraffin is used. It can be purchased at pharmacies or specialized stores. Do you know how to melt paraffin? The easiest way is a water bath. To do this, you will need two metal containers of different diameters, water for heating and a thermometer. Stages:
- Pour about a third of the water into a larger container and boil it on the stove.
- Chop the paraffin into small pieces. It is most convenient to do this on a newspaper or large format paper. When cutting, the paraffin will crumble. To do everything neatly and not lose a valuable substance, the bedding will come in handy.
- Place the finely chopped paraffin into a smaller container and shake off the crumbs from the newspaper there.
- After boiling water, measure its temperature with a thermometer, it should show no more than 55 - 80 ° C. At higher temperatures, the paraffin will begin to evaporate.
- Reduce the gas and place a smaller container on top of the boiling water soso that its bottom touches the water.
- Stir the paraffin with a metal spoon until it melts completely.
- When melting, the volume of the substance in the container will decrease. If it is not enough, you can add a few more pieces to the already melted paraffin.
Before you melt the paraffin, make sure that the container is completely dry. The ingress of water into liquid paraffin is strictly not allowed. When in contact with water, the hot mass will shoot and splash, and if it comes into contact with the skin, it can cause a burn.
Can paraffin wax be melted in the microwave or oven?
Now let's find out other nuances of this process. So, many in search of an answer to the question of how to melt paraffin at home, think about the possibility of doing it in the microwave or oven. Indeed, it can be done.
In the first case, you should set the defrosting mode and melt the paraffin for 2-3 minutes, after grinding it. Be sure to cover the paraffin jar with a lid and use microwave-safe utensils.
In the oven, paraffin wax can be melted at a temperature of 70-80 °C. Be extremely careful when removing a container of molten material. Allow the mixture to cool slightly to avoid burns if the hot liquid comes into contact with the skin.
Paraffin therapy is a great way to take care of the skin of hands and face in winter
The use of hot paraffin is widely used in cosmetology. These procedures make the skin velvety and smooth and are a good way to restore itselasticity. You already know how to melt paraffin in a water bath, and beauty salons use special melting baths for this. For carrying out one procedure, it is necessary to melt a pound of paraffin. This process looks like this:
- Before you melt the paraffin and start creating a mask for your hands, wash them well and lubricate with a moisturizer. The principle of the paraffin mask is that it warms the skin of the hands, opens pores and improves blood circulation, allowing the upper layers of the epidermis to absorb the beneficial components of creams better than usual.
- Dip your hands in liquid paraffin that has cooled to a tolerable temperature, spreading your fingers completely so that the liquid covers the skin of your hands entirely. Repeat the procedure several times, allowing the paraffin to harden a little after each dipping your hands into the container. Thus, a layer of paraffin will appear on the brushes, completely enveloping them.
- After that, hands with warm paraffin should be wrapped with cling film, polyethylene or put on plastic gloves. Wrap your hands in a washcloth over gloves and hold for about 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes, you can remove the paraffin from your hands and apply a nourishing cream.
As mentioned above, for this procedure it is necessary to use a special cosmetic paraffin. It is categorically contraindicated to make these baths from unrefined yellow paraffin. It contains substances that are harmful to the skin. Using the same cosmetic substance, you can be sure that you do not harm your hands. Moreover, it oftenmade with the addition of various essential oils and nutrients.
Effect of paraffin therapy
The described hand baths and face masks have a complex therapeutic effect on the skin and joints. Paraffin therapy is recommended in the presence of peeling and microcracks on the skin, pigmentation, frostbite, arthritis and arthrosis. This procedure also has a directed restorative effect on the nail plate, if the nails exfoliate or often break, paraffin therapy is perfect for restoring their structure.
Contraindications
Hot paraffin treatments are not recommended in the following cases:
- for open wounds on the skin of the hands and face;
- purulent inflammation;
- fungal diseases and eczema;
- diabetes;
- vascular diseases;
- asthma.
The beneficial qualities of paraffin do not end there. It is often used for home heating for bronchitis and the common cold. Here it is also important to use a special cosmetic substance, which can be purchased at pharmacies or specialized stores.
