How To Make Your Own Un-Petroleum Jelly

Photo – OneGoodThingByJillee.com

Many people around the world use vaseline or similar petroleum jelly products as moisturizers. I remember when I was a kid, we used it in great quantities for dry skin and chapped lips.

However, petroleum jelly has recently come under fire over potential health risks. Many petroleum jelly products have been banned in Europe and there is a concern about a possible link to cancer – especially breast cancer. Dr. Oz has gone on a fierce crusade against it – advising people to steer clear of it.

We’ve discovered a fantastic super-easy recipe for an “un-petroleum jelly”. It uses only two ingredients: Olive oil and beeswax.

What about the cost? I just checked on Amazon and a major brand pure petroleum jelly is selling for around $5 (plus shipping) for a 13oz jar.

A pound of beeswax is around $12.50 at the time of writing, 16oz of olive oil varies between around $7 and $15 depending on brand. So this formula will cost just a little more, but the difference is not all that great. Even if the health risk of petroleum jelly is a “possible” – it’s worth avoiding it for a couple of extra dollars. It’s a lot cheaper than medical care!

Special tip – why not add a few drops of essential oil – for example peppermint – which is regarded as beneficial for skin and lips. Note also that you can vary slightly the amount of the ingredients to change the consistency of the end product. Add a greater amount of beeswax to make it harder. You could also substitute coconut oil instead of olive oil if you want.

One more note – in the original recipe, Jillee doesn’t use a double boiler but just does it in the pan. I would caution against this. It is very easy to burn beeswax and discolor it. Using a double boiler with a “pan inside a pan” and water in the outermost pan, gives a more gentle, even and easily controllable heat.

Here is the link to the full (and super easy) tutorial:

https://onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2012/04/make-your-own-petroleum-free-jelly.html