Vaseline, or Petroleum Jelly, has many uses, both practical and downright silly (see our Petroleum Product of the Week: Halloween Edition post for petroleum jelly armor ...).

Petroleum Jelly exploded in the beauty world because of its hypo-allergenic and non-irritating properties. Oh, and how could I forget to mention that it doesn't clog pores?

It's highly refined and 100% safe to use in a number of applications. It's been a staple in many households ever since it's discovery in the 1800s.

Petroleum Jelly: An Extremely Brief History

Originally used by oil workers to heal cuts and burns, petroleum jelly has been around since around 1859.

It was discovered in Titusville, Pennsylvania on the oil rig pumps, and employees called it rod wax. "

A man named Robert Chesebrough patented the jelly and called it Vaseline: the product we know and love today.

Basic Beauty Applications

I grew up in a household run by a mechanic and a beautician, and we always had petroleum jelly on hand.

My father always has some in the garage in case of minor injuries or dry skin, and my mother always had a small tub in her makeup bag.

Petroleum Jelly (we'll call it PJ " from now on) is known far and wide, but you might not be aware of its many beauty applications. Give your beauty routine a makeover with these simple PJ applications:

1) Perfect your manicure          

Before you paint your nails, swirl a cotton swab in some PJ and apply it to the skin around your nails. This will make removing any polish that (inevitably) will miss your nail much easier.

Just make sure to avoid the nail! Dip the other end of the swab in acetone to remove any PJ that might get on your nail.

2) Avoid dried up lids on nail polish bottles

I didn't say it outright before, but I will now: nail polish gets everywhere. It can even get on the actual polish tube and the polish can seal shut. Avoid this by applying some PJ to the bottle where the brush screws into place!

No more struggling to open your favorite shade of polish.

3) Avoid streaky self-tanner

Before you apply your favorite self-tanner, apply a little PJ. This will keep the lotion from clinging to dry patches in skin and help you to stop streaking and dark spots before they start.

4) Maintain your hair between cuts

Not all of us can afford to get our hair cut every other week, but fear not! You can apply PJ to split ends to hold hair over until your next cut.

CAUTION: Don't apply too much as it can weigh your hair down and make it look dirty. Not what we're going for here.

5) Highlight your best features

There are a few different ways to do this: you can use it alone on cheekbones and browbones as you would any other highlighter, or you can mix it with another liquid highlighter to extend its shelf life.

You can also use PJ as an overnight moisturizer for glowing skin in the morning.

Did you know that the "original formula" mascara was vaseline and cork ashes?

Tell us what some of your favorite PJ uses are in your beauty routine in the comments below!

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaseline http://stylecaster.com/beauty/beauty-uses-for-vaseline/ http://www.seventeen.com/beauty/a30544/vaseline-beauty-hacks/ http://stylecaster.com/beauty/beauty-uses-for-vaseline/ http://glamour-zine.com/7-beauty-tips-and-diy-healing-recipes-using-vaseline-jelly/