Naked Science Forum
Life Sciences => Physiology & Medicine => Topic started by: melaniejs on 24/02/2020 13:53:54
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Harry asks:
How do you remove an excessive amount of petroleum jelly from the skin?
Anyone know?
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I would recommend a disposable composite cellulose fiber matrix (a paper towel)
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An alternative would be to emulsify the material into an aqueous phase cleaning agent using, for example, a soluble salt of a long chain carboxylic acid as the emulsifying agent. (Or soap and water)
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Hi guys,
Thanks for your interest. Naturally I tried soap and hot water and kitchen roll. Believe it or not I actually tried a lot of things. It's actually been on my skin for 5 years.
Thanks
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It's actually been on my skin for 5 years.
No, it has not.
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Love the arrogance. :)
You're welcome to test it but I don't recommend it.
Half a jar of vaseline on a localised area of skin. Let's see how smug you are then...
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I actually tried a lot of things. It's actually been on my skin for 5 years.
I would see a dermatologist. It sounds suspicious.
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It is possible that you have greasy skin.
It is not possible that you have anything that has been on your skin for 5 years, simply because you skin isn't that old.
"Throughout your life, your skin will change constantly, for better or worse. In fact, your skin will regenerate itself approximately every 27 days."
From
https://www.webmd.com/beauty/cosmetic-procedures-overview-skin#1
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While it is true that your skin replaces itself it is still true that there is vaseline stuck to it. I never had vaseline stuck to my skin for 30 years of my life. Interestingly I never applied that much.
Have you tested it yourself? I was surprised too...
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I have used vaseline for greasing vacuum fittings.
And I didn't bother with gloves, so I got it on my skin.
And it's not there now.
So, it's pretty clear that it comes off.
So it's not going to be there after 5 days, never mind 5 years.
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ooh we've got an intellectual, folks.
But did half a jar get on your hands thoroughly worked in and allowed to dry.
I am merely suggesting that the quantity matters. Possibly how it's allowed to dry after being worked into the skin.
No, generally vaseline even in moderate amounts comes off the skin but experience has taught me that a very large amount can stay on the skin.
Thanks
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Hi guys,
Thanks for your interest. Naturally I tried soap and hot water and kitchen roll. Believe it or not I actually tried a lot of things. It's actually been on my skin for 5 years.
Thanks
No it has not.
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ooh we've got an intellectual, folks.
Just one.
and allowed to dry.
The reason I was using vaseline on vacuum gear is that it has a very low vapour pressure, and it's fairly stable WRT polymerisation. It doesn't "dry".
I am merely suggesting that the quantity matters.
Do you accept that, if there's lots on your skin, most of it can be wiped off (for example, with a paper towel or a rag)?
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Look guys, I'm not a chemist but I'd be very confident to prove I'm right if it might help someone engage in me finding a solution.
You say it doesn't 'dry' fair enough. But it is certainly easier to remove from the skin on initial application.
I'm on here to solve a problem. I used vaseline before and it came off. In 30 years of my life so maybe you can problem solve the conditions whereby vaseline CAN stay on your skin andwhat would be helpful is propose a solution.
At the very least you will see there are circumstances where it is difficult to remove from the skin.
Thanks for your interest
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At the risk of being ignored, I will add my own, "no, you did not have petroleum jelly stuck to you for several years"
I won't say your wrong about what your skin feels (how would I know), but I can be pretty certain that there must be another explanation.
As explained by others, we shed the surface of our skin frequently enough that nothing stuck to the surface can stay long (say it's permanently affixed to the surface, where does it go when the surface falls off?)
Perhaps you injected the jelly deeper into the tissue, more like a tattoo? (NOT recommended) Even then, I would be very surprised if it stuck around for more than a few weeks.
I applied petroleum jelly (liberally) to the backside of my son on a nearly daily basis for multiple years (until potty training), and I would bet that there would be no way to distinguish his anus from that of a similarly aged lad who had never gotten such treatment. (and that part is more absorbent than normal skin)
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Oh god. It's a very large amount of vaseline worked into a small surface area of skin.
You can say 'No, it's not there as much as you like.' You can say that. We can go through the balance of probabilities if you like. The skin does she'd it's skin this is true but there is something going on here that at the very least 'involves' vaseline. No I did not inject it as I would have included it in the information I sent.
I can give you a list of the things I've tried.
It would seem rather odd that in my 35 years of being alive on this planet having not had vaseline stuck to the skin in this way for 30 of them that it would be curious now to come to a science forum to post about it.
Maybe it defies your experience and so you've never encountered it. Well I'm sorry that the universe can be difficult. At least I know enough to know I don't know and to try to find out.
And let me say this: it would be a bit daft, dare I say it 'unintelligent' to be absolutely convinced of something when it turns out that there IS a circumstance where vaseline can indeed stay stuck to the skin.
One fact doesnt mean that another might exist together. This is how our complex universe works. Like you I may have remained ignorant of this possibility for the totality of my lifetime but having it happen to me forced me to reassess what I 'know'.
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You can say 'No, it's not there as much as you like.'
OK, let's assume we will.
Why do you think it's there?
Look guys, I'm not a chemist
I am a chemist.
But what you need is a doctor.
There seems to be some doubt about which particular branch of medicine.
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I challenged you to test it didn't I. It's available in most shops. No substitute for good practical science.
Yes, I have seen the doctors and they prescribed hibiscrub and a cream. The hibiscrub seems to do something but not quite enough. When I put too much on before I used an alcohol based gel and left it on then together with hot water and soap it came off.
I'm afraid you don't have any experience in this. I don't really care what you've studied or think you know.
How do I know it's there? Well I have nerve endings on my skin to feel and I have eyes that see. My eyesight was just checked. I can send that as evidence that I can see. I could also verify that I have a functioning nervous system too if you required it.
You demand proof. I can understand that. But it seems to be a specific problem that relates to a specific condition being met.
it absolutely is. And I challenge you to test it. If it's as easy to prove as you say then it comes off. If you honestly test it.
Then we'll have to find a solution together.
Thanks
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The solution is go to a doctor. It's going to be very difficult to exchange the necessary information by sending each other snaky messages.
In person, a trained professional has a chance of determining what is going on.
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Well I hope so. But it's a three month wait to see the specialist. I switched practices because of this problem. Because no-one was listening.
I only presented with this specific in 2015. I hadn't had it the rest of my life.
No, I wouldn't expect your son to have vaseline on his skin if applied in that way. I had used a lot of it before though I did find it difficult getting it off. Maybe I used a cream too and them used a nail brush. It certainly wasn't easy.
Any number of the people have viewed this forum can test it. All they have to do is prove it can, under certain cinditiins, stay on the skin for more than '5 days'?
I never said it would work with a little...
And then I'm probably owed an apology because I never started the snarky comments.
Not nice. Had chronic pain for 30 years. The doctors 'knew' that didn't exist either. Even when I was wrong about the causal mechanism I was not wrong about the symptoms.
It was a valuable lesson for me in life. But the social isolation was horrific. We don't function well in those circumstances.
Got psychosomatic symptoms. Another real thing that we don't understand very well, no-one talks about. I hope someone is reading this and identifies with this.
That's all you can have in this kind of situation. I'm going off topic but I hope someone finds this useful.
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I'm afraid you don't have any experience in this.
I have used vaseline for greasing vacuum fittings.
And I didn't bother with gloves, so I got it on my skin.
And it's not there now.
So, it's pretty clear that it comes off.
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they prescribed hibiscrub and a cream.
Can you post the ingredients list for the cream?
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Hi,
It's very distressing. I wish that you would think before you post something. I'm trying to be civil but your dismissiveness is not helping.
I happen to know it is on the skin... I actually know. People don't generally imagine that kind of thing. Your assumption that nothing is there is based on your theoretical knowledge most likely that has not been tested. You have never applied half a jar of vaseline to your genitals. I have.
You can argue the wisdom of doing such a thing. I did have a reason. It usually helps if you start with the assumption that the person posing the problem might have something that is new to you. I know you might find that very surprising.
Thanks for listening
Its not vaseline harry, superglue grows off your skin, so vaseline has no chance.
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Hi,
Sending this on my phone and can't see how to use the block quotes.
'Can you post the ingredients list for the cream?'
Yes, happy to.
Zeroags emollient cream: macrogol cetostearyl ether 1.8 percent w/w, cetostearyl alcohol, chlorocresol, liquid paraffin, paraffin white soft and purified water.
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, paraffin white soft
Well, that answers the question.
If you don't want vaseline on your skin, don't use a skin cream that contains vaseline.
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Can you explain. Paraffin white soft is vaseline? Hmmm, well I just used what the doctor prescribed to remove it.
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Okay, I haven't used the cream however for several days.
And I didn't use that cream for the four years I have had this on my skin. I'd used e45 cream, T gel shampoo for greasy hair, washing up liquid and mechanics hand cleaner (swarfega).
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"E45 cream and lotion contain light liquid paraffin, white soft paraffin and..."
https://www.netdoctor.co.uk/medicines/skin-hair/a6632/e45-cream-and-lotion/
But I still want to know how you think you have ruled out the idea of greasy skin as the cause.
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Bored chemist, I've never had greasy skin and just have no reason to think that is the case. The skin, and I'm sure you'd agree generally does a very good job of maintaining itself.
Its hard to describe but the colour of the substance I see on the skin is yellow. And that stands out from my white skin. You have to look closely mind and with good light.
There are other factors involved but I want to get you on my side. Let's say that it's not vaseline for the sake of argument. It is definitely a yellow substance that I can see as distinct from the skin.
Then there is the fact that greasy skin would not block feeling the skin.
Best example I can give is I have removed enough of it to 'feel' when I put hot water on it. The vaseline, that much of it was such an effective barrier that you cannot feel the hot water even when on the other areas of skin where you can. So there was/I'd an aspect of what you feel and the visual aspect: a yellow substance.
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.... You have never applied half a jar of vaseline to your genitals. I have.
I had been going to ask how much you used and where you put it, adding that a photo would help! Sort of glad I didn’t.
There have been reports that women using petroleum jelly on genitals are more at risk from a bacterial infection. A thought - a large amount of the jelly would block air to the skin, change the skin moisture content, and might allow fungal infection to set in. It might be worth looking to see if there are any bacterial or fungal infections that might give skin a greasy, yellowish appearance.
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If there's enough of it to see what colour it is then there's enough to analyse it and confirm or refute the idea that it's vaseline.
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Hi,
I just carried out an experiment. I bought a jar of vaseline and I applied a lot of this. I could get it off right away even after replicating how I applied the product in 2015. Could that Bach of vaseline be contaminated?
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I have an idea what the problem might be. Do you get a twinge in your right shoulder when you take a pee ?
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Hi,
I just carried out an experiment. I bought a jar of vaseline and I applied a lot of this. I could get it off right away even after replicating how I applied the product in 2015. Could that Bach of vaseline be contaminated?
Possibly, but unless you have the original container, we will never know.
However, as has been pointed out, even superglue doesn't stick for that long.
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I couldn't speculate.
The pharmacist at my local practice has reported this, though.
Seems that from what everyone is saying that it's an unusual occurrence so I think that it would raise the suspicion with whatever I bought.
I'll keep you updated.
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Seems that from what everyone is saying that it's an unusual occurrence
No.
We are saying it is an impossible occurrence.
You need to get a sample of the yellow stuff analysed if you want to find out what's going on.
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Okay but something is possible about it. It's not an optical illusion. I'll speak to my doctor about it. But it's been a hard job getting anyone to listen.
Thanks
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Okay but something is possible about it. It's not an optical illusion. I'll speak to my doctor about it. But it's been a hard job getting anyone to listen.
Thanks
My advice is not to tell the doctor that you think it's 5 year old vaseline because he will know that is nonsense. Doctors know that superglue wears off in a matter of days.
Tell him there's some sort of greasy stuff on your skin and it's bothering you..
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Okay, will do. Perhaps it is some fungal infection. Do think it's bad that it's not been diagnosed. The problem has certainly been going on for 5 years.
Cheers
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Well, if you were insisting it was something impossible, how likely was a correct diagnosis?
I suggest "drawing a line under it", and seeing what happens now.
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I guess I'll just hang in there generally. It's tough guys.
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I just want all this to end. Had chronic pain for 30 years of my life. It's so exhausting. I just want a break.
You take the piss out of me for not knowing stuff but no-one can learn any better than I can. Your brain wasn't impaired.
Not my fault and doctors abandon people like me. We're not supported at all. I've felt completely invisible with this. You don't know what that does to someone.
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I know I'm late here but do seek out a Dermatologist and allow them to take samples to analyze like Bored said before. Good luck! There are skin conditions that can manifest in yellowish crusts, or patches of growth, even seemingly greasy ones. I guess etc.. Especially in warm damp areas. Try also cotton under garments or clothing that allow air circulation also.
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Thanks, Karen.
I'll ask my doctor.
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Definitely a job for a dermatologist. Sounds very much like a persistent allergic reaction to Vaseline, or any of a number of malfunctions e.g. of the sebaceous glands. If it doesn't wipe off with Swarfega or fall off as the epidermis wears away, it must be coming from inside.
And just time for a dig at my learned friend BC: you will get a better vacuum if you use Apiezon or a silicone lubricant.
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Well used this hydrocortisone they prescribed since Wednesday but nothing. Just thins the skin. I don't know why they prescribe it to be honest.
Appointment with dermatologist is booked in June which leaves me just wishing I'd never bought this kind of stuff off Amazon. I've reported it to Amazon. The health and safety team said they'd be in touch.
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I'm happy to say I have no idea what this stuff is. But I love the confidence of the doctor based on nothing. Just doesn't know but has to give it all the bravado. Same rubbish last time when it was a product causing allergic reaction and instead of asking what might have been used just prescribed corticosteroid cream. Why? Some of these doctors seem to think that things just happen by themselves.
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And just time for a dig at my learned friend BC: you will get a better vacuum if you use Apiezon or a silicone lubricant.
Not if the pump is lousy- and most of the time, it was. If you want a good vacuum, you don't use grease, (unless you count induum as a grease)
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Completed 7 day use of hydrocortisone. No joy. Other symptoms involve pain in side headaches and pain in knees, and lost two stone. Was diagnosed with UTI and really wondering if it's related. Not clear on what is causing these symptoms. I don't have a clue but I know I shouldn't have these symptoms. Can anyone relate this to anything? Naturally I continue to follow up with the doctor.. :(
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Had skin sample a few weeks ago. Hopefully results come in. Dermatologist appointment delayed to January. These people are great. Skin condition from 2015! They prescribed a cream for yeast infections but this didn't clear it either. For these people they think time grows on trees!!!
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If it was actual petroleum jelly, then to remove it I would suggest 70% alcohol hand sanitiser. I disagree with BoredChemist, in my experience soap doesn't dissolve petroleum jelly and other mineral oils well at all. Or Swarfega, that would work extremely well.
But there's zero chance that your skin still has petroleum jelly after five years, not only does skin shed, but petroleum jelly wipes off. Maybe if there was some kind of weird contaminant in the petroleum jelly or on your skin at the time it might cause some kind of long-term issue that might give the appearance; but petroleum jelly, if pure, is a very innocuous substance that is soon gone.
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I would suggest 70% alcohol hand sanitiser.
I would suggest something that is designed to clean human skin without causing much irritation.
Vaseline is not very soluble in alcohol and the addition of 30% water will make that even worse.
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Yeah, I wasn't very well I guess. It was something to n the product that infected the skin with this yellow stuff. I did a skin sample and they didn't see anything and have to wait to see dermatologist in January. Just never buy skin products on Amazon marketplace and you won't have to wait years to solve a skin infection.
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It's pretty distressing though when you have something and people don't believe you because they think you're crazy, when you're crazy with stress from the problem they're not solving.
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God, you learn a lot about what people don't know and the average level of intelligence on planet earth when they can't treat a 6 year yellow fungus. I presume that is what it is. Haha, laughably the dermatologist didn't even take a skin sample. Last skin sample is the fungal one. God these guys are clever. Haha 6 years!!!
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Is anyone going to help me? Who specialises in funguses?
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I think I've given up. Just never buy anything from third party sellers on Amazon. And more importantly don't trust the doctors to solve it. I'm sorry but that is the bottom line. They weren't good enough.
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It's funny reading these comments a few years later. I sound like a mad man.
Though, I am still trying to get someone to engage with this yellow 'parasite'.(Unclear if it is that but pretty clear it has to be something living, right. To stay on the skin.)
I had seen a dermatologist at UCLH who misdiagnosed Lichen Schlerosus. I didn't challenge this initially, as I kind of realise I sounded mad saying it was vaseline and not something in the vaseline that gave it the yellow colour and the odour.
Well, I used it for a few weeks but then obviously it was obvious that it isn't Lichen Schlerosus. The cause and effect is all wrong.
They forwarded me to another hospital and they have been dreadfull really since I have now had this over 7 years.
I know I initially gave a mad explanation as to what they yellow stuff actually was but maybe I wasn't in the best mental health. It should still be the job of the doctor to see the repetition of the complaint must be based on something real.
Well, I have a lot if unrelated physical pain so I just thought I'd focus on this.