Liquid Gold

“How do I love thee? Let me count the ways” – Shakespeare, “Sonnet 43”

Oh petroleum jelly, cheers to making lives simpler since 1872! Its developer, Robert Chesebrough, should have been celebrated among other inventors and scientists in his day for creating the miraculous product we know as Vaseline whose name literally means “water olive oil” (derived from German and Greek words combined). I have been a firm believer in this multi-purpose product since youth when I was researching aesthetics, thinking I wanted to be an aesthetician, and found that you could use Vaseline on your lips and eyelashes at night to protect and moisturize them while you sleep. At 14, I thought I was a genius, well ahead of my time in discovering its simple but effective uses. Since that time, never has a night passed where I don’t have a healthy layer of Vaseline coating my lips!

I wanted to share a few of my favorite uses for petroleum jelly which is incredibly cheap to purchase and easy to use!

• Weather protectant – water-resistant and moisturizing, Vaseline is ideal for guarding your skin from the chilly elements, namely wind-burn!

• Cheek highlighter – just a dab where the sun naturally hits (temples, tops of cheekbones, chin, and nose) will give you that fully hydrated, healthy glow without all the shimmer!

• Makeup remover – the oil-base in Vaseline removes stubborn water-proof makeup similar to the effectiveness of Pond’s Cold Cream, a throwback to the 40s and 50s when heavily moisturizing makeup removal was a staple in every woman’s home!

• Lip balm – my favorite usage, Vaseline comforts your lips with long-lasting, deeply penetrating moisture and velvety softness!

• Mixing medium – as a makeup artist, it breaks down waxy substances and blends multiple lip shades seamlessly and can convert nearly anything to a cream or liquid product!

• Eyelash enhancer – just a light dab run across your eyelashes will seal moisture into the follicles for an overnight pampering session for those delicate hairs who have had it rough wearing mascara all day!

• Skin softener – heels, knees, elbows, sides of the nose, anywhere that is dry, cracked, or damaged needs only a touch of Vaseline to make it soft and whole again!

• Fragrance booster – this sounds wild but place a thin layer on your pulse points (wrist, inside of elbow, behind ear, base of throat) prior to perfume application. Aromas cling to moisturized areas better and the occlusive nature of the ointment binds the scent to the skin!

• Mani helper – rub petroleum jelly around the nail bed and begin painting away. The nail polish will not settle on the skin due to the slick barrier the product forms, and plus, you’ll wind up with soft cuticles as a bonus!

Any other uses you’ve found beneficial through your own experimentation? Do share!