Robert Chesebrough invented petroleum jelly, which he trade named Vaseline, and founded the company that later became Chesebrough-Ponds, a leading manufacturer of personal care products. Chesebrough patented the process of making petroleum jelly (U.S. Patent 127,568) in 1872.

Chesebrough began his career as a chemist distilling kerosene from the oil of sperm whales. The disovery of petroleum in Titusville, Pennsylvania rendered his job obsolete, so he went to Titusville to see what new materials might be created from the new fuel.

Chesebrough's success stemmed from his belief in himself and in his product. Before Chesebrough could try to sell the petroleum jelly, he had to test it to see if it really worked on cuts and burns by using himself as the guinea pig. Having demonstrated the product's efficacy on himself, Chesebrough was still unable to sell any to drug stores until he travelled around New York State demonstrating his miracle product. Before a rapt audience he'd burn his skin with acid or an open flame, then spread the clear jelly on his injuries, showing at the same time his past injuries, healed, he claimed, by his miracle product. To further create demand, he gave out free samples.

Chesebrough opened his first factory in 1870. The term Vaseline was coined, according to some accounts, as a combination of the German word for water, Wasser (pronounced Vahser), and the Greek word for oil, elaion.

Chesebrough lived to the age of 96 and claimed to have eaten a spoonful of Vaseline everyday. He was such a believer in Vaseline that during a bout of pleurisy, he had his body completely covered with it from head to toe. He soon recovered.

Today, physicians have shown that Vaseline has no medicinal effect or any effect on the blistering process. Vaseline’s effectiveness is due to the coating of cuts and burns which prevents germs from getting into the wound and because it keeps the burned skin moisturized.

American chemists | American inventors