Can I melt paraffin wax for arthritis in an ordinary pot on the stove?

Question

I wanted to buy an electric Paraffin wax bath machine to use for the arthritis in my hand, and I went to Walmart because I had seen them there before Christmas, but they had no more. Can I use an ordinary pot, on the stove, to melt the wax, or will it ruin the pot?

Answer 1

You probably can in a normal pot just fine, but I would reccomend using a double-boiler pot to heat it more evenly, and I don't think it would tend to stick as bad.

Answer 2

It would certainly be easier to use the purpose-made machine.

Yes, you can use a pot on the stove, but you need to use a double-boiler - something that will not put the wax in direct contact with the pot that is on the heating unit. That would be a fire hazard.

I'm assuming that there's an ideal temperature for the arthritis treatment that matches up with the temp of paraffin at some point. So, you might want a thermometer too.

The wax won't ruin your pot/container, but it will take a decent amount of heat, detergent, and washing to get the wax out.

See why those purpose-made units might be better?

Answer 3

I've used those waxes before, and the problem I had is that they kept cooling down so quickly, and I would need to heat them up again before I continued with my waxing. May I make a suggestion? If you are going with the Gigi line, then I would advise you to use their Brazilian Hard Wax for the bikini area. It is a 'stripless' wax, and it's designed for waxing down there. I find that it hurts much less than any other waxes that use strips. And, I would suggest going for the wax warmer. That way, you only have to buy the tins of wax at about $10 or so for a 14 ounce tin (club member price), and each tin will last for several waxings. The advantage of a warmer is that it keeps the wax at a steady temperature the entire time you are waxing, and the temperature on the better warmers are adjustable but you want to use the high setting only to get the wax heated a bit - maybe for the first 20 minutes or so. Then, you set it to a low setting and let it heat the rest of the way. That takes about 45 minutes usually, then you are ready for waxing! And once you are done, just unplug the warmer, and put the little dome looking cover over the wax while still in the warmer - or you can remove the tin if you choose to, and store it until next time you need it. And this month, I think that Sally's has them on sale for $25, which is a really good price for that particular warmer. I've had mine for quite a while now, and it still works great. Just be sure to use those cardboard collars around the tin of wax, or sooner or later, it will get inside the warmer. And that is a big, sticky mess which is difficult to clean up. With Brazilian Hard Wax, you simply apply it in a thin layer with your wooden spatula, and wait until it is soft and pliable - maybe 30-45 seconds or so. Then you lift up one end of the wax and rip the wax section off - in the opposite direction of the hair growth, of course! One other thing that I found with these types of waxes is that its better to use baby oil instead of powder on the area to be waxed. But apply just a very light coat of baby oil or the wax will not adhere to the hairs very well. Using baby oil forms an effective barrier between your sensitive skin, and the wax. Thus, you avoid pulling off any layers of skin along with the wax, as sometimes can happen with baby powder. I find it works much better than powder in those areas. I hope this helped!

Answer 4

It will probably ruin the pot and it could cause severe burns. If you can't find a paraffin warmer (try walgreens also) you can warm the paraffin in a microwave 30 seconds at a time. Use a popsicle stick to test it on the inside of your wrist until you know how many minutes it takes to warm it in your microwave.
I am a hairdresser and have seen more than my share of people who burned themselves w/home wax or home paraffin kits. Good luck.

Answer 5

i will ruin the pot
I make candles and you need the candle wax container in a large pot then the wax melts. the candle container is washable and so is the pot. it gets very hot more than that device would. check the shopping on yahoo. to see if anyone has a sale

Answer 6

I wouldn't recommend it. There are lots of other places that sell those paraffin wax baths such as Bed, Bath and Beyond and Linens & Things.

Answer 7

I would use a double boiler and a steel bowl. That way you could just leave the wax in the bowl and reuse it later.