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Discover the Benefits of Petroleum Jelly for Your Skin

For those of you who are conditioned on dry skin and seem to experience discomfort and interfere with appearance, the use of petroleum jelly as a cosmetic that moisturizes and treats skin health can be the solution.

Petroleum jelly or petrolatum is a half-solid mixture of hydrocarbons. Petrolatum itself is divided into natural, artificial, derivative and synthetic. Natural petrolatum is obtained from refining kerosene (petroleum) to remove odors and change color. The purification process is done by removing the yellow color on the kerosene so that it turns white.

Benefits of Petroleum Jelly for Moisturizing Dry Skin

In general, petrolatum has a white-clear form of paraffin and is oily. White petrolatum is used to moisturize the skin. The use of skin moisturizers can help overcome dry skin conditions, especially those with eczema or dermatitis. Most dry skin conditions can be caused by environmental factors, such as:

  • Live in areas with low humidity
  • Being in very hot or cold weather
  • The effect of long bathing in hot water.

The benefits of petroleum jelly are to treat and maintain skin health, including:




  • Function to moisturize the skin by forming a layer of oil that inhibits the occurrence of the process of evaporation of water on the surface of the skin as the main factor causing dry skin.
  • Ointment to reduce skin friction that can make the skin blister. Generally, it is often found in people who are overweight.
  • To deal with and reduce the severity of skin diseases, such as eczema or atopic eczema, namely skin problems characterized by itchy, scaly, itchy and reddish skin.

Petroleum jelly is considered safe if applied to the outside body, but you need to be careful about using it around the nose because it can cause inhalation of gels or some lipid substances into the respiratory system. If left for a long time, this condition can be dangerous because of the risk of causing serious disorders of the lungs, namely lipid pneumonia or diseases caused by fat deposits in the alveoli which can result in chest pain, coughing and shortness of breath.

Read Also : Pneumonia: symptoms and treatment

How to take advantage of Petroleum Jelly safely?

The benefits of petroleum jelly to deal with dry skin more effectively can be obtained if used regularly, especially before or after washing clothes. Bathing with hot water and washing soap tends to remove the skin's natural moisturizing oil. Follow the instructions for using petroleum jelly to restore the smoothness, softness, and moisture of your skin.

Also, note that the content of paraffin in petrolatum is flammable. So, stay away from using petroleum jelly from fire, cigarettes, or other sources of fire.

Use petroleum jelly moisturizer after bathing. Limit the maximum shower time between 5-10 minutes with warm water to prevent loss of skin moisture. Dry it by gently tapping the body with a towel made from natural ingredients, such as cotton, and use your moisturizer. To get the best results, use cotton or silk clothing to give oxygen to the skin. Avoid using clothes or wool type pants to prevent skin irritation.

Keep in mind, petroleum jelly is only used in the outer body area. Be careful not to swallow petroleum jelly because the effects can endanger health. At a severe level, ingested petroleum can cause symptoms, such as coughing, diarrhea, shortness of breath, abdominal pain, or irritation of the esophagus.

Excessive use of petroleum jelly can also cause skin irritation. Avoid using petroleum jelly in sensitive areas, such as the eyes, the inside of the nose or mouth, and genitals. If the gel accidentally enters the eye, rinse immediately with clean water for about 15 minutes. Consult a dermatologist to get proper treatment before using so you can get the benefits of petroleum jelly for your skin.





References

References

1. Heller, J. NIH US National Library of Medicine MedlinePlus (2017). Petroleum jelly overdose. 

2. WebMD (2018). 7 Tips to Soothe Your Dry, Itchy Skin.


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