Paraffin hand baths at home: how to do it right, which wax to choose

Many people have heard about the benefits of paraffin hand baths at home. But not everyone knows how to do this simple procedure correctly. But you need to not only strictly follow the general recommendations, but also choose the right paraffin itself, the quality of which determines the success of the session.

In fact, doing a cosmetic procedure yourself is not at all difficult, but you need to remember the rules and contraindications.

Varieties of paraffin

Paraffin is an insoluble fatty product without aroma or taste. Essentially, it is a petroleum product that has properties similar to regular wax. Due to heat transfer, the substance is widely used in medicine and cosmetology. In medicine, it is used to treat the musculoskeletal system; in case of salt deposition, paraffin applications are prescribed. In cosmetology, you can use paraffin along with various vitamins, oils, herbs, because it is easy to find material with additives on sale.

There are two types of procedures using it: hot and cold wax. The first stimulates sweating, the pores open perfectly. The film that forms on the skin retains moisture and significantly improves blood flow. Due to this, dry skin becomes more hydrated, elastic, and youthful. The cold version has the same properties, only without the thermal effect. It is chosen if there are contraindications for carrying out a hot procedure at home or in the salon. There are often cases when hot cosmetic procedures are prohibited not only for the face, but also for the legs or arms.

Contraindications to paraffin therapy

Despite the powerful healing effect of the procedure, there are still contraindications to it. This:

• phlebeurysm; • allergic reactions on the skin of the foot; • dermatitis, ulcers in the active phase; • fungal infections; • inflammatory processes; • open wounds and burns; • diabetes; • leg paresis (loss of sensation); • cardiovascular diseases and hypertension.

If you have these diseases, but still doubt whether you can undergo paraffin therapy, we strongly recommend that you consult with your doctor.

Types of procedures

Beauty salons offer different types of paraffin therapy; they differ in the parts of the body on which wax is applied. The following methods may be used:

immersion: the entire arm or leg is immersed in molten paraffin;
layering: the composition is applied with a brush;
application-napkin: the first layers are applied with a brush, the temperature of the composition is approximately 55 degrees Celsius, gauze soaked in the same material is applied on top, but its temperature is already 65 degrees.

Many people are interested in how to use cold paraffin for hands, but it is also used for feet and face. This useful procedure helps relieve inflammation, itching, and eliminate skin laxity.

If you choose a hand procedure, it looks like this:

First, disinfection is carried out with a special agent. Next, you need to apply a nourishing cream, using light, massage movements.
The prepared hands are dipped into the bath a couple of times, then wrapped in special disposable bags and waited for twenty minutes.
The bags are removed along with the paraffin and a moisturizer is applied.

For nail fungus

It cannot be the only remedy for the treatment of onychomycosis, but it can significantly shorten the healing period and prevent the deterioration of the nails.

beeswax – 5 g;
tea tree oil – 5 drops;
honey – 1 tsp.

Mix the ingredients and place in a water bath. When the mixture becomes homogeneous, pour it into a jar and let it harden.
Apply once every 2 days, rubbing into the nail plates.

Symptoms and treatment of onychomycosis

For home use

Of course, it is not always possible to visit beauty salons on a regular basis, so many people resort to home treatments. To do this you need to take:

bath for wax and paraffin;
the cosmetic wax itself (additives are selected based on the problem that needs to be eliminated);
plastic bags or special mittens;
scrub, moisturizer (often replaced with cosmetic oil).

To achieve maximum effect, you need to resort to this procedure for ten days in a row. There is nothing complicated in the procedure:

First you need to melt the paraffin in a paraffin bath. You can use a water bath. Water should not get into the wax - this can lead to burns!
Hands are prepared: washed with soap, remove the varnish from the nails, apply a scrub, wipe dry, apply the selected cream.
Hands are dipped into liquid wax up to the wrists for five seconds - and so on up to five times. Then they put on the bags and leave for twenty minutes.
The paraffin is removed, then cosmetic oil or cream is applied again.

That's all, the procedure is considered complete. But you need to keep the treated skin areas warm for at least three hours.

For dry nails

Suitable for girls whose nails are prone to dryness, brittleness and splitting. The first effect will be visible after the first use, and after a course of 5-10 procedures, the nails will noticeably become stronger, their quality and resistance to mechanical damage will improve.

Ingredients:

beeswax – 2 g;
Shea butter – 8 g;
tea tree essential oil – 2 drops.

It is better to measure the ingredients using a kitchen scale, but if you don’t have one, proceed from the data that a 1*1 cm cube of wax equals 1 gram.

If the wax is foundation - a piece of 3*3 cm - 1 gram.

Recipe:

Place Shea butter and wax in a container and place in a water bath. Melt the ingredients until they are completely dissolved;
Wait 2-3 minutes for the mixture to cool slightly and add the tea tree. Stir quickly to combine the ingredients.
Pour the resulting mixture into a wide-necked jar, such as a cream container, and let it harden. This usually takes from 30 minutes to 2 hours depending on the room temperature.

Apply to your nails once a week and repeat until your nails are in the desired condition.

Beneficial features

For hands, such a procedure will be indispensable, because they are often exposed to the influence of the external environment. Without proper care, the skin will quickly become tight, dry, and lose its elasticity and youth. Special purified paraffin melts easily and has the following effects:

pores are enlarged, nutrients are better absorbed into the skin;
moisturizing, heat stimulates active sweating, the film does not allow sweat to pass through - moisture ultimately remains in the upper layers of the skin;
removal of toxins that are removed from hands along with the film;
stimulation of local blood circulation;
smoothing wrinkles;
strengthening nail plates;
enhancing the impact of cosmetics.

Sealing balm

To use, purchase a polishing block. Make sure that there are no hard particles on the edges, since its purpose is to rub the composition into the nail plate.

wax – 3 g;
ylang-ylang essential oil – 3 drops;
grape seed oil – 1 tsp.

Recipe:

To make the wax melt faster, grate it on a fine grater before heating.
Mix with the rest of the ingredients and place in a water bath.
Pour the resulting liquid into a cream jar and leave until it hardens.
Apply to nails once every two weeks. To seal one nail, you need a small pea the size of a match head, which must first be rubbed into the plate with your fingers, and then “stamped” using a polishing block.
You need to polish until the mass is completely rubbed in.

Read more about sealing and laminating nails:

Nail lamination - procedure and review of products

Choice of product

Paraffin should not be confused with wax, which is used to make candles. Candle wax will not work. It has very low heat conductivity and can cause burns. For a wax bath, you need to choose special cosmetic and purified paraffin. It is sold in specialized stores or pharmacies. It comes without dyes and additives or with various vitamins, oils, and flavors. Usually, when choosing, they are guided by the following:

For skin with inflammation and cracks, choose paraffin with aloe vera or peach oil.
For dryness, a composition with olive oil, wheat germ, cocoa, and almond oil is suitable.
At the first signs of skin aging, choose fortified oil; it must contain vitamin E.

It is more convenient to immediately buy a full set for a home procedure, which includes the bath itself, wax, as well as fleece mittens and skin care products.

If you need to buy the bath itself separately, then you should pay attention to the following nuances:

Sizes with volume are chosen for certain parts of the body. For example, a volume of two liters is enough for the hands, and more for the legs.
Heating time can be from one hour to four hours. Of course, the wax should heat up as quickly as possible.
The presence of a thermostat to understand to what temperature the contents of the bath are heated.
The presence of a filter to free the wax from excess particles.
The material must be anti-slip. There are often suction cups at the bottom of the bath.
In specialized stores, the price is sometimes inflated, so you can first look at the cost of the product in online stores.

How to make a 10 percent saline solution at home. Frequency and technique of rinsing

The dosage and number of manipulations are selected individually, since it depends on the problem that needs to be solved. During the cold season, two to three washes per week will be sufficient for preventive purposes. For acute infections - up to four times a day for one to two weeks. For hygienic purposes - every morning. People with chronic infections can cleanse regularly.

First, decide which tool is best for you: a special watering can, a rubber bulb, a teapot with a thin spout, or a regular syringe without a needle.

These instruments cannot be used for newborns and small children, since any of them can easily damage the nasal mucosa.

Technique for rinsing the nasal passages in adults:

choose a device in advance and prepare a solution at the desired temperature; fill the device with medicine;
tilt your head to the right. Slowly pour the remedy into the left nostril, while it will flow out of the right nostril. Some of it will end up in the oral cavity, it’s not scary, you just need to spit it out;
do the same with the right nostril, turning your head to the left. It does not matter which nasal passage you rinse first. The main principle: the head is tilted to one side, and the nostril is washed from the opposite side.

For maximum therapeutic effect, you need not only to carry out the procedure correctly, but also to follow a certain regime after it.

For some time after the manipulation, the remedy remains on the nasal mucosa. Therefore, you should not go out into the fresh air for two to three hours in the cold season, or for an hour in the summer.

You can scoop the solution into your palms, drawing it in first through one nostril, then through the other. For many people, this is the only way to conveniently perform this procedure. However, it must be taken into account that with this method the angle of inclination of the head must be sufficient so that the product gets into all the sinuses. Using your palms, it is quite difficult to control this. If all the sinuses are not washed out, then there will be no noticeable effect from such treatment.

You can use the “adult” method for children starting from the age of five, but only under the supervision of their parents. Treatment of young children is fundamentally different from treatment of adults.

Technique for rinsing the nasal passages in young children:

Prepare everything you need, lay the baby on his back;
clean dried crusts using a cotton swab and petroleum jelly;
drop 1-2 drops of solution into each passage;
wait a few minutes and suction using a pharmacy aspirator or a small rubber syringe;
at the end, wipe the nose with a cotton swab;
a child who can already sit needs to drop the medicine into the nose with a pipette, and then sit him down and make sure that the remaining medicine flows out of the nose.

If your nose is very stuffy, then drip it with vasoconstrictor drops within 10-15 minutes. This applies to both children and adults.

Rinsing the nasal sinuses with salt water is not done before bed, before meals, or before going outside. After eating, at least two hours should pass. You can go out into the fresh air every two hours in winter and half an hour in summer.

Now you know how to make saline nasal rinse. If everything is done according to the instructions, then with the help of this simple recipe and simple procedure you can very quickly say goodbye to a cold.

We take salt for granted as a necessary seasoning for dishes.

Meanwhile, this substance, important in cooking, is a healer, a magical protector and an assistant in the household.

For treatment, salt is often used in dissolved form. The methods have a number of nuances that you definitely need to know about. For example, how do you make a 10 percent saline solution if you don’t have chemical measuring spoons or beakers at home? How much salt and water should I take? Let's look at simple options for preparing medicinal solutions.

Precautionary measures

If there are contraindications, then it is better to refuse the paraffin therapy procedure. If the skin has not previously come into contact with cosmetic wax, then an allergy test is first performed. They dip their finger into the wax and then watch the reaction for a whole day. The presence of a burning sensation and rash is a clear sign that such a session is not suitable.

If there is no special bath for paraffin therapy, then check the temperature with your finger. Hot composition causes redness. After the procedure, you should not leave the house for three hours, do not use chemicals and do not do a manicure immediately.

If you do everything correctly, then the home procedure will only benefit. After the first session, you can note that the skin has become silkier to the touch, smoothed out and become elastic. But it is the full ten-day course that can transform the skin beyond recognition, restoring it to its former youth.

Step-by-step instruction

If you are using the mass for the first time, then you need to buy pure paraffin, without additives or fragrances. This is how you can assess whether you are allergic to this product;

If the procedure is carried out without a special paraffin bath, then the amount of material can be reduced from 1.7 kg to 0.5 kg. At home, a special bath is replaced with a thick enamel basin;

The basin or bowl must be perfectly dry, otherwise the mass will begin to separate, and wet dishes can cause severe burns on the skin during the procedure.