16.12.2017, 14:25

Lamps and candles are an image of eternal Light, and also mean the light with which the righteous shine. These are the words of Saint Sophronius, Patriarch of Jerusalem. The Old Testament also mentions the fire of a lamp: “And the Lord said to Moses... that the lamp should burn continually; Outside the veil of the Ark of the Testimony in the Tent of Meeting, Aaron (and his sons) must set it up before the Lord from evening to morning always...”

In this article we will look at the main types of lamps, their differences, features of choosing lamp oil and how to properly light a lamp at home.

Types of lamps

Lamps can be tabletop or hanging. Both require lamp pads. A table lamp can stand flat on a shelf without a lamp support, but there have been cases when, due to overheating, the lamp cracked and the oil spread. The exception is ceramic lamps. They are more reliable and usually come with a “leg”.

A hanging lamp requires a holder bracket. It is attached to the ceiling or iconostasis. This work should be carried out by a master so that the burning lamp does not fall.

It is believed that a lamp made of colored glass is better than one made of painted glass. The paint on a painted lamp may come off over time. Colored glass is not so easy to distinguish from painted glass. Usually, if you look through the edges of a lamp, the edges of a painted lamp are transparent, while those of colored glass are the same color as the lamp itself. - made of colored glass.

It can be seen that the red lamp on the left has an unpainted edge. This is paint. But the purple lamp on the right is made of colored glass.

Usually, on fasting days, a dark-colored lamp is lit - blue or green, and on holidays - a red one.

People are also experimenting with olive or sunflower oil. But we haven’t tried this, if you have experience, share it in the comments.

If burning produces fumes, first of all reduce the flame. If this does not help, you should change the oil to another one.

A lamp with good oil can burn around the clock. However, make sure that there are no icons, wood, paper or other flammable surfaces at least 20 cm from the fire. Remember that when a lamp burns, it releases droplets of oil that settle around, making the surfaces of the shelves flammable. Do not place the lamp on the very edge of the shelf.

How to light a lamp

Pour oil into the lamp - a little more than half.

Insert the wick into the float. The wick should move freely in both directions. Thread the wick to the middle. Dip the top edge, the one that will burn, into oil.

Then pull the dry end so that the wick protrudes 2-3 mm from above.

Place the float in the lamp so that the entire wick is moistened with oil.

You should light a lamp from a church candle, not from a match. Such a tradition.

The fire should not be big, it should not smoke. If the fire is too high, pull the wick from below.

The average volume of a home lamp is 30 ml. This amount of oil will be enough for 1-2 days. When the oil burns out, the lamp should be extinguished and cleaned. Then refill and light. A half-liter bottle of oil should last for 2 weeks.

It is best when your lamp is lit from the Holy Fire. In many cities on Easter they celebrate the Holy Fire from Jerusalem. During such a religious procession, you can light a candle from the fire and bring it home for a lamp. In this case, before cleaning, transfer the fire to the candle so that it does not go out, and then light the lamp again from this candle.

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Nowadays, people who light lamps in front of icons usually do not think about what kind of oil should be used in the lamps. It is believed that lamp oil can be anything - as long as it burns well, does not smell strongly and is cheap enough. A variety of oils for lamps appear on sale: vegetable, mineral, technical, multi-colored, flavored, from sunflower to transformer.

And all this is called lamp oil. Not so long ago, quite cheap and not very high quality oil appeared on sale, which for some reason began to be called “wooden.” This ancient name causes confusion among many: some believe that wooden oil is extracted almost from wood. Many have heard that Previously, before the revolution, in Russia it was wooden oil that was used in lamps. What is real wooden oil, and why is it called that? What kind of oil should be burned in lamps according to the charter of the Holy Orthodox Church? How to distinguish counterfeit oil from real? We will try to answer the question these questions.

The history of lamp oil goes back to the times of the Old Testament, when the Lord God commanded His prophet Moses to build a lamp for Him in the tabernacle of meeting: “And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Command the children of Israel to bring you pure oil, beaten for illumination, so that it may burn continually. a lamp; outside the veil of the ark of the testimony in the tabernacle of the congregation Aaron (and his sons) shall set it before the Lord from evening until morning always: this is an everlasting statute throughout your generations; on a clean candlestick they shall set a lamp before the Lord always" (Lev. 24: 1-4).

“And command the children of Israel that they should bring you pure oil, beaten from olive trees, for illumination, so that the lamp may burn at all times” (Exodus 27:20). The oil that the Lord commanded to be burned in a lamp is also called wood oil (1 Chron. , 27:28). This is how the Complete Orthodox Theological Encyclopedic Dictionary says about it: “Oil is a young olive, wood oil, oil... Jacob poured oil on the stone (Gen. 28:18) that (oil) he had for food and to anoint your body. Olive oil has extensive use in the Christian Church. Thus, oil is burned in front of holy icons.

Secondly, oil is used in the ritual of blessing the loaves. Along with the five loaves of bread, wine and grains of wheat, oil is also blessed as a nutritious and healing substance in diseases. Believers are anointed with this oil at all-night vigil or matins. Thirdly, oil is used to anoint the weak - in the Sacrament of Blessing of Oil, by pronouncing the words: “In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.” Fourthly, the oil is consecrated with a special prayer and is used to anoint the one who is about to undergo Holy Baptism Fifthly, oil is poured on the departed” (Complete Orthodox Theological Encyclopedic Dictionary, vol. 1, pp. 856-857).

So, oil and wood oil are different names for the same oil - olive. Wood oil, unlike vegetable oil, is obtained from the fruits growing on the tree, and not from seeds and herbs, hence the name.

Why do we now call “wooden” oil that has nothing to do with olive oil? This happened because the original, true meaning of this name was gradually lost and replaced by another. The reason for this substitution was the gradual impoverishment of faith and piety and, as a consequence, a formal attitude towards church worship. The Lord called this attitude the leaven of the Pharisees (Mark 8:15). For many, a lamp is only an external attribute of a temple or home icons, an element of decoration - and nothing more. And what kind of oil burns in it - it doesn’t matter, as long as "cheaper".

Counterfeiting of wood oil in our country began in the 70s of the 19th century. Until this time, more than a million poods of real wood oil were imported to Russia per year. However, it should be noted that even then this oil was of the lowest grade, had an unpleasant odor and was absolutely unsuitable for food. Even then, three types of olive oil were distinguished: olive, Provençal and wood. In fact, waste from the production of olive oil was used as a lamp (it was obtained from the marc chemically, distilled with sulfur dioxide (!) carbon).

Often this oil was diluted in the country of origin. As an example, let's take a quote from a famous literary work of the mid-19th century, which quite clearly characterizes low-quality wood oil: “The moon is usually made in Hamburg; and it’s done very badly. I’m surprised that England doesn’t pay attention to this. It’s made by a lame cooper, and it’s clear "that fool, has no idea about the moon. He put a tar rope and part of the wooden oil; and therefore there is a terrible stench throughout the whole earth, so you need to plug your nose (N.V. Gogol. Notes of a Madman). Thus, the decline of piety led to represents a change in terminology.

But, despite the poor quality, the cost of even low-grade wood oil remained quite high. Thanks to the development of industry, it began to be counterfeited on a huge scale. To falsify wooden oil, vegetable oils were used: coconut, rapeseed, castor, as well as vaseline oil, kerosene, and fish oil. Sometimes a little olive oil was added to this mixture, and sometimes there was no olive oil at all. In the Moscow region at the end of the 19th century there were 13 large factories that produced about 843,000 pounds of adulterated wood oil per year.

In addition to these factories, there were also numerous handicraft industries, located in private apartments, with very simple equipment. Moscow manufacturer Davydov, who took out a patent for the production of artificial wood oil, called it “garnished oil.” It was intended for burning in light bulbs. At the end of the 19th and early 20th centuries, numerous manuals for preparing “garnished” oil at home appeared on the market. Gradually, the distinction between garnish and wood oil was erased, and fake wooden garnish oil began to penetrate into churches.

At the end of the 80s of the 19th century. the situation had reached the last extreme, so it was necessary to take vigorous measures to supply churches with pure lamp oil. By order of the Holy Synod, in 1888, a chemical analysis of 27 samples of oil was carried out and the results were reported in the “Church Gazette” (No. 1; 2 for 1888), and the diocesan authorities were asked to take care of extracting lamp oil directly from abroad and the establishment in dioceses of special warehouses for him at monasteries and diocesan candle factories. But this did not help much. Economic considerations took precedence over piety, and the so-called “market economy” began to form in Russia, which also affected the earthly part of the Church.

After the revolution of 1917, the question of lamp oil was temporarily removed, like many other questions concerning the ritual side of worship. During the Soviet period, you had to use what you could get; you didn’t have much choice. In simple terms, there was “no time for fat.”

But now that there is a choice again, the question of the type and quality of lamp oil should be renewed. The main argument for using bad oil is its cheapness. But we must not forget that “oil and wax, as the purest of substances used for combustion, signify the purity and sincerity of the offering made to glorify the holy Name of God (Ex. 27:20). Oil, in particular, signifies the zeal of people, similar to the zeal of the wise virgins who took oil with their lamps to meet the Bridegroom (Matthew 25:3,4), i.e. it means the desire of Christians to be pleasing to God by their deeds, by life, and not only by faith (cf. Ps. 44: 8)” (Manual for the study of the Charter of Divine Services of the Orthodox Church by K. Nikolsky, St. Petersburg, 1874).

What kind of zeal of people can indicate cheap, but not pure oil? What purity and sincerity? To meet the Lord Jesus, will we really take lamps with bad oil for reasons of economy, justifying ourselves by the fact that we had nothing to buy good oil with? In the Old Testament, the Lord, through the mouth of the prophet Malachi, reproached the priests for bringing unworthy sacrifices to the holy altar: “You bring unclean bread to My altar, but you say: How do we dishonor You? - By saying: The Lord’s table is not worthy of respect.

And when you sacrifice a blind thing, is it not bad? or when you bring the lame and the sick, is this not bad? Offer this to your prince; Will he be pleased with you and will he accept you favorably? says the Lord of hosts. So, pray to God to have mercy on us; and when such things come from your hands, can He graciously receive you? says the Lord of hosts” (Mal. 1:7-9). Is not unclean oil the likeness of the sacrificial animal of the blind and lame?

And, if we choose a gift for a person on whom our life depends (for example, a doctor), then will we really be guided by considerations of cheapness and not quality? Moreover, if this person makes it clear to us what he would like to receive as a gift. Nikanor, Bishop of Kherson and Odessa, said this in his teaching: “How long ago has petty selfish deceit become a favorable sacrifice to God? How long has the Russian proverb (“On You, God, what is worthless to me”), which captured and aptly outlined this unattractive a trait of our home-grown Pharisees.

After all, even in the Old Testament, in order to clarify that it is not suitable to sacrifice to God what is not suitable for us ourselves, it is commanded (Lev. 22:21-22). And you, Orthodox child of the New Testament, a Christian soul, and not a Jew, bring to the altar of the Lord not an ox, not a sheep, not a goat, but only a penny candle, and even here you strive for it to be not even a penny, but a penny. Who are you deceiving, like Ananias and Sapphira? Wasn’t your existence with you?”

In the monastery of St. Theodosius of Kiev-Pechersk, the following incident once happened: when the feast of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos was approaching, there was no wooden oil to pour into the candila for that day, and the church builder decided to squeeze the oil out of field seeds, pour it into the candila and light it. Having asked Rev. Theodosius and having received his permission, the builder did as he planned. When he was about to pour oil into the kandil, he saw a mouse that had fallen into the oil, already dead, floating there. Then he hastily went to the monk and announced to him that he had covered the vessel with oil with all care and did not know how the mouse got in there and drowned.

The monk, realizing that this happened at God’s discretion, condemned his unbelief and said to him: “We need, brother, to have hope in God and trust that He is able to give us what we need; and not to do what we should not do out of unbelief. Go, pour the oil on the ground, and, praying to God, let us endure a little, and He will give us oil in abundance today." When the monk gave this order to the builder and prayed, it was already the evening hour. At that time, one rich man brought a large barrel filled with wooden oil. Seeing this, the monk glorified God that He heard his prayer so quickly. They filled all the kandils with oil, and even more of it remained. And the next day they brightly celebrated the feast of the Most Holy Theotokos.

Orthodox Christians should not skimp on sacred things - use as a sacrifice to the Creator not the purest and best, but poor, cheap technical oil, often “flavored” with various perfume impurities to fight off the smell of oil and kerosene. The Church has never blessed the aromatization of lamp oil, although aromas and incense are present in other parts of the service as an obligatory element.

Purity is the main requirement made by Holy Scripture for lamp oil. When anointed, unclean oil causes allergies in many people, and eating it is out of the question. When burning, the smell of kerosene “breaks through” all perfume additives, this often causes people who stay for a long time near a burning lamp to feel unwell, have headaches and even poisoning, and the room is gradually filled with a suffocating stench. Bad oil causes significant damage to churches, smoking icons and frescoes, and it burns faster than good oil, so the savings here are imaginary.

How to distinguish fake oil from real one? Real olive oil at temperatures below +8 degrees changes its color to white without losing its qualities, has a slightly burning taste, a characteristic taste and a greenish color. Olive oil is supplied to Russia from Spain, Greece, Turkey and Israel. The highest quality is Spanish.

If it is absolutely impossible to get good olive oil, you must at least remember that only pure oil can be used in lamps, without additives or impurities, at least to some extent corresponding to the instructions of Holy Scripture. As such an oil, the bishops of some Local Churches bless the use of mineral medicinal vaseline oil, which, thanks to modern technologies, undergoes thorough purification, or a mixture of olive and medicinal oils. Medical oil burns even better than olive oil, produces less soot, and has no impurities or odor. When anointed, it, like olive oil, has a beneficial effect on the skin and can be taken internally as a medicine. Medical oil fully meets the requirement of purity. Today, about 10% of Orthodox dioceses, mostly northern, around the world use it as a lamp.

Medical oil today is also subject to falsification. White industrial oils are often passed off as medical, and sometimes they are diluted with industrial oils. As a rule, such oil is sold without documents. In accordance with the current legislation of Russia, the packaging and accompanying documents of any product must contain mandatory information about it, including information about the manufacturer, exact name, detailed description, information about the seller.

Medical oil must have a hygienic certificate from the Ministry of Health and a certificate of conformity, as well as a quality passport issued by the manufacturer. By the way, the only plant producing medicinal oil in the CIS today is the Yaroslavl Refinery named after. Mendeleev. No other plant in Russia produces medicinal oil. And good imported oil is much more expensive. Medical vaseline oil is colorless and odorless, and has a fairly viscous (thick) consistency. To check the quality of the oil, you can ask the supplier to drink some oil. If the oil is real medicinal, then it can be taken orally without fear.

And yet, real lamp oil is wood (olive) oil, which the Holy Church has been using for several millennia. Only pure olive oil, without impurities or additives, should be sacrificed to the Creator and our God, as was commanded by the Lord Himself, to Him be glory forever and ever. Amen.

Literature:
The Bible, or the books of the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments in the Synodal translation.

Complete Orthodox Theological Encyclopedic Dictionary.

The life of our venerable and God-bearing father Theodosius, abbot of Pechersk, chief of the Russian monks who began to labor in monasteries according to the charter.

A manual for the study of the Charter of Divine Services of the Orthodox Church by K. Nikolsky, St. Petersburg, 1874

Ya. Nikitinsky. Falsification of wooden oil St. Petersburg, 1888.

"Church Gazette" No. 1, 2 for 1888

I. S. Sosnin. Homemade artisanal production of lamp oil. M., 1902.

V.V. Ryumin. Handicraft production of vegetable oil. St. Petersburg, 1910.

A. Sidorov. Preparation of lamp (burning) lighting and machine oil. St. Petersburg, 1912.

N. I. Vartov. Homemade production of lamp oil. M., 1917.

A. A. Usinin. Wax candles and their meaning for Orthodox Christians when used in the Temples of God and church ceremonies. M., 1997.

Today, when people light lamps in front of icons, they do not think about what kind of oil should be used in the lamps.

The lamp oil on sale nowadays is very diverse:

• vegetable,
• mineral,
• technical,
• colorful
• flavored.

Everything from sunflower oil to transformer oil began to be called lamp oil.

There is oil on sale of low quality, quite cheap, which for some reason began to be called “wooden”.

This ancient name has caused confusion among many, since some believe that wood oil is extracted almost from wood. In addition, it is known that in Russia before the revolution they used wooden oil for lamps.

History of lamp oil

Story lamp oil very ancient and goes back to the times of the Old Testament. The Lord commanded to burn oil in a lamp, which is also commonly called wood oil. Wood oil and fir oil are different names for olive oil. Since wood oil, unlike vegetable oil, is obtained not from herbs and seeds, but from fruits growing on a tree, it received the name “wood”.

Counterfeiting of lamp oil began in the second half of the 19th century. Before this, lamp oil was imported to Russia in huge quantities. However, this oil was of a lower grade: it had an unpleasant odor and was absolutely unsuitable for human consumption.

Even then, there were three types of oil: wood, olive and Provençal. As lamp oil in fact, the waste left over from the production of olive oil was used, which was obtained through chemical extraction and then distilled with carbon sulphide.

This oil had a very unpleasant odor.

However, the cost of low-grade wood oil was quite high, despite the poor quality. Thanks to the development of industry, wood oil began to be falsified. For counterfeiting, various vegetable oils were used, such as coconut, castor and rapeseed, and in addition Vaseline oil, fish oil and kerosene. A little olive oil was occasionally added to this mixture, but often it was absent altogether. Gradually, counterfeit began to penetrate into churches.

After the events of 1917 and the Soviets coming to power, the issue of lamp oil was removed, like many other issues relating to churches and the rites of worship. During this period, instead of lamp oil, churches used what could be obtained. In those days, the clergy did not care about the quality of the oil.

Today the question is about quality lamp oil relevant again. The main argument for using low quality oil is its cheapness. Orthodox Christians are advised not to skimp on sacred objects. And, although incense and aromas are present as a mandatory element in various parts of the service, church tradition does not use aromatization of lamp oil. Low-quality oil can cause allergies when anointed, and flavored industrial oil, when burned, causes headaches, poor health and sometimes even poisoning in nearby people. Bad oil can cause significant damage to a temple, since it smokes icons and frescoes, so this is an imaginary saving.

From us you have the opportunity to order lamp oil of the highest quality. Write to us or use our contact details to get more complete information.

Vaseline oil (lamp oil, liquid paraffin, paraffin oil, Oleum vaselini seu Parafinum liquidum, food additive E905) is a purified petroleum fraction with a wide range of applications.

Physicochemical characteristics.

Colorless, practically without storage in the cold, tasteless, transparent, oily liquid. It is not a homogeneous substance, but a mixture of a large number of fractions, which are higher hydrocarbons with different boiling points, different saturated vapor pressures, not to mention differences in other properties. Has a neutral pH. In daylight, paraffin oil fluoresces. Practically insoluble in water, slightly soluble in ethanol 96%. Dissolves in all proportions in ether, chloroform, gasoline. Mixes with fats and oils (except castor) and has all the disadvantages of Vaseline. Easily fuses with wax, stearin, and hard fats. Does not become bitter and does not change from the action of alkalis and acids. Relative density 0.810-0.890 g/ml. Kinematic viscosity at 40 °C is 10-80 cSt. Ignition temperature 150-260 °C. When taken orally, petroleum jelly is not absorbed (except for minor traces) and cannot play the role of a nutritional agent.

Application.

Vaseline oil is used to create many different medical and cosmetic ointments; it is used as a solvent for a number of drugs intended for injection and as an antifoam in the production of penicillin. Vaseline oil is used to create plastic lubricants that are resistant to strong oxidants; it is part of the leveling liquids Ts-313 and RME. Used in Cesium storage containers. In churches, liquid paraffin is used instead of vegetable oils in lamps and in the production of candles, since the absence of aromatic hydrocarbons paraffin and sulfur in petroleum jelly results in a non-smoking flame and promotes uniform impregnation of the wick. As a result of complete combustion of liquid paraffin, which is indicated by a non-smoking flame, carbon dioxide and water vapor are formed. In the food industry, petroleum jelly is used as a lubricant for equipment, including for lubrication of mechanisms with low loads and high speeds (10-15 thousand rpm).

The use of petroleum jelly as lamp oil.

The tradition of lighting lamps with lamp oil in priestly rites existed already in the times of the Old Testament. The lighting and burning of lamps carries a great spiritual meaning of turning to God and symbolizes the memory of the events of the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and subsequent wanderings. In the first mentions of the use of the sacred temple fire, lamp oil is called "oil." There are also references to it under the name “wood oil”. These names for lamp oil are explained by the fact that olive oil was originally used, which is obtained from the fruits of the olive tree.

Currently, olive oil continues to be used for lamps. However, the widespread use of olive oil for lamps is characteristic of regions where the olive tree grows (Greece, North Africa, etc.).

For countries importing olive oil (Russia, Ukraine, etc.), pure vaseline oil is used as lamp oil. The church leadership approves of this replacement. When pure lamp oil is lit, the combustion products are only carbon dioxide and water.

Other vegetable and petroleum oils are not used for lamps due to the formation of soot or fire hazard. In difficult times (revolution, war), there were cases of using such oils as a temporary phenomenon.

The lamps have two types of design. What is common to all designs is that the lamp oil rises from the bottom to the top due to the capillaries of the wick. At the end of the wick, the palm oil burns as long as there is contact between the wick and the oil.

The design of lamps for lighting olive oil provides for the location of the wick on the float. The distance from the burning wick to the oil level in the lamp should be minimal and constant. This is the only way to ensure reliable oil wetting of the wick. When the oil level drops to such an extent that the float falls to the bottom, the flame will spread from the wick to the oil. This is a fire hazard. And to prevent this from happening, before filling the lamp with oil, first pour a little water into the lamp, and then add oil. Water sinks to the bottom, oil rises to the top. In this case, the wick will go out when all the oil has burned out.

In the design of lamps for lighting vaseline oil, the wick is fixed motionless on the edges of the lamp glass. The distance from the burning wick to the oil level in the lamp will not be constant, but the properties of Vaseline oil are such that the wick will always be reliably moistened with oil. The use of petroleum jelly as a lamp oil is less fire hazardous than olive oil.

Immersion oils are used in microscopic studies to enhance brightness and expand the limits of image magnification. To do this, immersion oil fills the space between the object of study and the first lens of the microscope.

Cedar oil can also serve as immersion oil. Unlike cedar oil, vaseline oil retains its optical properties longer over time.

In the vulcanization technological cycle, vaseline oil is a plasticizer. Plasticizers are introduced into rubber mixtures to increase their plasticity and softness, which is necessary to facilitate the manufacture and processing of mixtures. Plasticizers are fatty acids, waxes, vaseline oil. They are added to mixtures in an amount of 5-15%.

Vaseline oil is used in medicine for various purposes.

The use of petroleum jelly is regulated by the instructions for providing immediate first aid on sea vessels without medical personnel. In this case, deep penetration of a foreign body (small objects, tropical insects, etc.) into the external auditory canal. The patient is placed on the healthy side and sterile Vaseline oil is poured into the ear, then a 70% alcohol solution is instilled into the ear. After 5 minutes, the patient is turned over, and together with the liquid, the foreign body comes out of the ear canal.

Vaseline oil is found in the hygiene of newborns at home. In this case, eliminating diaper rash. Diaper rash (redness and sometimes weeping of the skin) develops due to defects in care (too frequent washing causes desquamation of the epidermis), as well as due to overheating. Most often, diaper rash occurs on the buttocks, inner thighs, groin, and sometimes in the cervical, axillary, and behind-the-ear folds. To prevent diaper rash, all these places must be lubricated with Vaseline oil. Lubricate the skin with a piece of cotton wool or gauze. This method of preventing diaper rash is much better than powder, since powders form clumps that can promote the growth of bacteria. For diaper rash, the skin folds are not washed with water, but cleaned and lubricated with a piece of cotton wool slightly moistened in sterile petroleum jelly.

Vaseline oil is prescribed to children in the preoperative period. In this case - with subacute and chronic forms of Hirschsprung's disease (children aged one to three years). Vaseline oil is prescribed from the first day of admission of the patient. Vaseline oil significantly facilitates mechanical sanitation of the colon, characteristic of colonic obstruction.

Vaseline oil is prescribed to children for poisoning. In this case - food poisoning with fat-soluble poisons (trichlorethylene, kerosene, gasoline). Rinse the stomach with boiled water and add 2-3 ml of vaseline oil per kilogram of the patient’s weight.

Vaseline oil is used to protect against certain occupational diseases. For example, in modern technology for drilling wells for hydraulic fracturing of coal seams, the operating personnel of drilling rigs come into contact with kerosene. With prolonged exposure to kerosene on the skin, occupational diseases appear in the form of dermatitis. Protecting the skin of your hands from the effects of kerosene is done with a paste of the MP-1 “biological gloves” type. Paste composition: potato starch - 14.1%, glycerin 12%, white clay 10%, talc 8%, vaseline oil 7.5%, water 43.6%. Wash off the “biological gloves” with sulfonated castor oil.

Vaseline oil is used in veterinary medicine to treat cats. During the shedding period in cats, accumulations of hairballs form in the gastrointestinal tract. This leads to constipation and intestinal blockage. Internally, petroleum jelly has a laxative effect and helps painlessly free the intestines of foreign bodies and eliminate constipation. You need to give the oil in the amount of 1 teaspoon per day to a kitten and 1 tablespoon to an adult cat.

Sterile petroleum jelly is used in laboratory procedures for artificial insemination (reproductive medicine). It is a relatively inert, immiscible coating liquid that ensures minimal evaporation of water from the surface of the cell culture and diffusion of gases. Increases the safety of expensive components: embryos. Maximizes the efficiency of cell micromanipulation.

Application of liquid paraffin in the food industry.

Pharmacopoeial vaseline oil is registered as a food additive E905. It is used to increase the shelf life of perishable products and to obtain a beautiful presentation. Liquid paraffin is used to glaze cheeses, nuts, peaches, pears, apples, citrus fruits, melons, pineapples, coffee beans, candies and dragees, biologically active food additives, flour confectionery, and chocolate products.

Vaseline oil is recommended by manufacturers of nickel-iron diesel locomotive starter batteries to protect the electrolyte (potassium hydroxide solution with the addition of lithium hydroxide) from carbon dioxide from the air. It is allowed to add petroleum jelly to each battery in the amount necessary to cover the electrolyte surface with a layer 2 mm thick. The consumption of petroleum jelly is 90-100 ml per 9.5 liters of electrolyte.

Using Vaseline oil for makeup.

In makeup masks for professional theatrical makeup, Vaseline oil is included in the fatty base for paint. Recipe examples:

No. 1. Vaseline oil 110 parts. Ceresin 60 parts. White wax 16 parts. Lard treated with two percent benzoin resin 235 parts. Coumarin 1 part.

No. 2. Stearin 200 parts. Vaseline oil 400 parts. Ceresin 400 parts.

Use of petroleum jelly for cosmetic purposes.

Vaseline oil is included in a large number of skin care creams (sunblocks, shaving products, hair strengthening products). Below are some recipes for simple and effective homemade natural creams:

No. 1. Cucumber cleansing cream for daily use. Suitable for any skin type. Cleanses, whitens the skin, tightens pores. Application time 20 minutes. Shelf life in the refrigerator is 3-4 days. Ingredients: 3 teaspoons wax, 4 teaspoons coconut or olive oil, 5 teaspoons vaseline oil, 4 tbsp. spoons of cucumber juice, 1 teaspoon of glycerin, a pinch of borax, 1 drop of green dye. Manufacturing method: Melt the oil and wax in the usual way in a water bath and at the same time heat the cucumber juice, glycerin, borax in a separate bowl. When the contents of both vessels heat up and melt, add the juice with glycerin drop by drop to the oil, stirring continuously. Remove, add coloring and stir until mixture thickens and cools.

No. 2. Protective cream for dry skin for daily use. Protects skin. Application time 20 minutes. Shelf life in the refrigerator is 2 weeks. Ingredients: 3 g zinc oxide, 2 g quinine, 5 g petroleum jelly, 15 g petrolatum. Method of preparation: Mix zinc oxide, quinine, vaseline oil thoroughly until the grains completely disappear.

Receipt.

The raw material for the production of petroleum jelly is oil. The vaseline oil fraction is obtained after distilling off the kerosene. It is cleaned by treatment with sulfuric acid and sodium hydroxide solution, decolorized by infusion with bone charcoal or anhydrous clay, and then separated from solid paraffin impurities by freezing.