What is Paraffin Wax?

Paraffin is a soft wax containing paraffin oil, which is nonflammable and refined from petroleum. Due to it’s very high capacity for heat, paraffin wax is able to absorb and retain a great amount of heat, but at a lower than normal temperature. This allows the wax to be used on the skin without the risk of causing burns. As with all wax substances, when at room temperature, paraffin remains a solid. Once placed into the paraffin tub and warmed, the wax becomes a liquid. When the paraffin is applied to the skin, it begins to solidify again as it cools. All of the heat that the wax retained during the melting process then transfers to the skin. This process is called heat of fusion and is precisely what makes a paraffin wax treatment so unique and special.

What is Paraffin Wax good for?

Skin Treatment – Used on the skin, paraffin wax provides an intense moisture therapy, making this treatment most ideal for dry to severely dry skin. The warm wax opens up the pores, allowing maximum absorption of the paraffin oil and other calming oils such as lavender into the skin. The heat from a paraffin treatment also helps to promote circulation in the skin, which results in a more radiant appearance. Paraffin wax treatments are not only nourishing, but are also extremely soothing and will help to soften the texture of the skin.

Heat Therapy – Paraffin wax is not only beneficial to the skin. Many body treatments will incorporate paraffin wax due to it’s superb heat therapy. Here are some of the ways paraffin can be used as heat therapy:

• To relax tired and stiff muscles
• To soothe Arthritis joint pain
• To alleviate Tendinitis pain
• As a treatment before therapeutic massage or exercise
• During physical therapy
• To warm very cold hands or feet

Overall, I would say that paraffin wax serves as an excellent treatment. With it’s many uses, owning your own
paraffin bath is a great idea. A paraffin tank is easy to use and maintain. It is a small investment, with great gain.

I often wonder why it is that we tend to disregard certain areas of our skin, thinking they need less attention than others. The fact is, our lips, along with our hands and neck are one of the first areas of the skin to show the signs of aging. Most of us take our lips for granted, assuming they need nothing more than some lip gloss to keep them shiny and beautiful. However, our lips are naturally dry with extremely thin skin. Their lack of sebaceous glands is what causes us to have the constant urge to lick them, hoping to quench their thirst. Unfortunately, swiping saliva onto our lips does exactly the opposite of providing moisture. Saliva quickly evaporating as well as the damage caused by digestive enzymes present in our saliva greatly contributes to the dehydration our lips. So how do you kick the habit of licking your lips and replace it with something more effective than lip gloss to keep your pucker looking lush and smooth? It’s really quite simple. If you already tend to your skin every morning and night, then you’ll just have to add a couple of additional steps to your skin care routine.

• Like the rest of the skin on your face, your lips need to be exfoliated. You should incorporate this step into your skin care regimen at least once a week. The best time to exfoliate your lips is at night before bed. A gentle lip treatment such as the EI Solutions Lip Refine works fabulously. The EI Solutions Lip Refine uses time released AHA to smooth fine lines and improve the texture of the skin on your lips. Prior to applying a lip refining treatment, you can condition your lips by gently massaging them with a wet washcloth. This very quick and easy exfoliation process will help to keep your lips healthy, full and kissably soft.
• Heal and hydrate the skin of your lips with a good lip balm treatment. The choices of lip balm treatments are endless. My all-time favorite is the EI Solutions Lip Primer, which works wonders when teamed up with the EI Solutions Lip Refine. The EI Solutions Lip Primer is oil-free and hydrates and nourishes your lips with aloe vera and various other botanical supplements.
• Protect your lips from the sun. Due to their constant exposure to the sun, your lips are actually more susceptible to skin cancer than other areas of your face and body. A SPF must be used on your lips everyday! If your lipstick doesn’t already have a SPF value, be sure to include a lip balm with sun protection such as the EI Solutions Hint of Color Therapeutic Lip Balm SPF 18. This lip balm can be used alone for a splash of color or under your own lip stick or gloss for instant protection against UV-light rays.

Take a rain check on dry and chapped lips by protecting and moisturizing them now. Not only will you benefit by having softer and smoother lips, but you will also be fighting the effects of aging by preventing fine lines and wrinkles. While others suffer from painfully cracked lips, you’ll stand out in the crowd as your healthy lips shine in all their plump glory!