Latest news with #RobertChesebrough
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Do YOU know where Vaseline comes from? People left shocked after discovering how the popular balm is made
The origins of popular healing balm Vaseline have left people shocked - and some now have more questions than answers. On an episode of QI, aired by the BBC, Sandi Toksvig asked her guests whether any of them knew the origins of Vaseline - which is commonly used to soothe dry skin. It is quickly pointed out that this is 'Petroleum Jelly', before Sandi launches into a lengthy retelling of its origin story. 'There was an English-born American chemist called Robert Augustus Chesebrough and originally he had a sperm whale oil company,' she says. 'And weirdly, it went out of business and became less popular. So there was a great oil rush in the United States, particularly in Pennsylvania in 1859. 'So, he thought: "What am I going to do?"' The chemist noticed that the oil workers in Pennsylvania 'used the gunk that accumulated around the drill rods to heal cuts and burns, Sandi explains. 'And he spent 10 years perfecting a process to distill it into Petroleum Jelly. 'He named it Vaseline as a trademark in 1872.' But, Sandi explains, nobody was interested, so he would travel on a horse and cars selling what he dubbed 'Wonder Jelly'. 'In order to demonstrate how brilliant it was, he burnt patches of his own skin - and before long, he was selling a jar a minute.' After hearing this story, some viewers were confused about exactly what this 'gunk' is. After hearing the story, some viewers were confused about exactly what this 'gunk' is One person said: 'So it comes from gunk on a drill rod but where does that gunk come from?' Others found the explanation simply fascinating.
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
I Just Learned What Vaseline Really Means, And It's Clever
Did you know that Tesco had an own-brand Tesco Tea before they actually got their brand name? Yup ― the store chain is named after the product, and not the other way around. These are the sort of facts I like to bore fascinate my loved ones with (don't get me started on the true meaning of Twix or IKEA; my partner prays we don't walk past boxes of Quality Street and Ferrero Rocher in our weekly shop). Good news for my beleaguered beau ― I've found another one! Turns out that Vaseline, the petroleum jelly, has a hidden meaning in its brand name. What would go on to become the company's flagship product was originally called 'rod wax,' because it was a by-product of oil drilling that rig workers used to protect their skin. In 1859, chemist Robert Chesebrough saw the product at work, went on to purify it, and had patented it by 1865. This was called Wonder Jelly at first. But per Vaseline's site, by 1872, Chesebrough wanted to rename his product. So, he called it 'Vaseline Jelly – a combination of the German word for water (wasser) and the Greek word for oil (oleon).' It makes sense. After all, the slick gel-like product is made from waxes and oil, which in turn help to keep the water in our skin where it should be. Modern Vaseline also contains hyaluronic acid, a naturally occurring acid which attracts and holds water. Ever accidentally swallow some lip balm (or, for the flavoured kinds, deliberately lick your lips more than usual)? Well, according to Encyclopaedia Britannica's site, you've got nothing on ol' Robert. The owner of the product's patent lived to 96; Britannica says he 'attributed his longevity to eating a spoonful of his 'wonder jelly' each day.' They add: 'Though it is not toxic, both Unilever [who owns Vaseline] and Encyclopaedia Britannica recommend against eating Vaseline.' However, fact-checking site Snopes could not confirm that the chemist also cured his pleurisy by asking a nurse to slather him with the balm. I Just Learned What 'Ferrero Rocher' Really Means, And It Makes Sense I Just Realised What 'Twix' Actually Stands For, And It's Pretty Clever I Just Learned What Tesco Really Stands For (And I Had No Clue)
