Petroleum jelly has so many uses,
from chapped lips to hand lotion and
even as an antiseptic. But how and
why was this product created?
It came from a British-born, 22-year-
old chemist named Robert
Chesebrough. After Robert’s job of
clarifying kerosene from sperm whale
oil became obsolete , he traveled to
Titusville, Pennsylvania to research
newly discovered petroleum. Robert’s
idea sprouted when he witnessed oil
workers smearing a sticky substance
called Rod Wax onto their cuts and
burns. Robert took the material back
with him and experimented on it.
To extract the most useful
component of the wax, he distilled it
until the oil evaporated, leaving
behind only thicker fractions. Robert
got a patent for this method of
making petroleum jelly, which used
heat under a vacuum before bone
char filtering what remained.
Chesebrough began selling his
product in 1870 as “Vaseline.”
Determined to make his invention a
household product, Robert conducted
public demonstrations, cutting or
burning himself with either acid or an
open flame then applying Vaseline
on his wound to show its healing
capabilities. Robert even said he ate
a spoonful of Vaseline every day for
its alleged healing properties.