Vaseline, a product generically called petroleum jelly, is a byproduct of oil drilling. It is the dirty sludge, called rod wax, that gunks up the oil rigging. Robert Chesebrough was out touring the oil fields in Pennsylvania when he noticed one of the workers gathering up some of this gunk and applying it to his arm. Chesebrough learned that the men believed this stuff could heal wounds, so he gathered some of it up. As a chemist, he began to work on a way to clean and purify the rod wax. It took him ten years to get petroleum oil as clean as it is today. The first petroleum factory opened in 1870 and, as the saying goes, the rest is history.
Shoe Polish
If your leather shoes are looking a bit scuffed and you are out of shoe polish, reach for the petroleum jelly. Dab a touch of the jelly onto a soft, clean flannel cloth and buff those scuffs away.
Razor Blade Protection
Want to extend the life of your razor blades, especially if you plan on being away from home for a few days? Apply a touch of petroleum jelly to your blade after it is dry. This will prevent your blade from rusting and keep it fresh for the next time you use your blade.
Bags Under the Eyes
To banish or lessen eye bags in the morning, put a thin layer of petroleum jelly under eyes before going to bed at night. Some people swear this works for them every time.
Soothe a Dry Nose
Winter colds are the worst, but having a raw, sore nose on top of the headache and chills is enough to send one over the edge. Help ease your sore nose from all the wiping and blowing by applying a thin layer of Vaseline to it. This will coat and help protect your nose from constant rubbing.
Shower Curtain
I hate it when the shower curtain starts to stick on the rod. A quick trick to fix that it to give the shower rod a quick wipe off and then apply a thin coating of petroleum jelly to it. It stops the sticking.
Makes Perfume Last Longer
As soon as you apply perfume to your skin, it begins to evaporate and give off its scent. A little trick to make the perfume last longer is to apply a touch of petroleum jelly to your skin and then dabbing the perfume onto those areas. The perfume will still give off a wonderful scent, but it won’t evaporate away as fast as it would on dry skin.
Chewing Gum
Oy! Did your daughter just chew her gum into her hair? Did the brothers play a rotten prank on the youngest sibling? Get out the Vaseline and work it into the hair around the gum. The gum should start to slide off of the hair in no time.
Stuck Ring
If you get a ring stuck on your finger, apply a coating of Vaseline to your finger and the ring should be able to slide right off.
Papier Mache Molds
This is a simple little trick I learned while crafting. If you want to use molds to make different shapes from papier mache, apply some Vaseline to the mold before laying on the wet paper. This will prevent the dried papier mache from sticking to the mold. For example, you can apply a layer of petroleum jelly to the outside of a bowl, cover it with a few layers of paper, let it dry, and then remove it with little to no sticking.
Tame Your Eyebrows
Eyebrows not behaving? Yeah, I hear you. The trick to taking those brows is to apple some Vaseline to them. You only need a tiny bit, but it is enough to give them brows some staying put power.
