A colorless or white, somewhat translucent, hard wax consisting of a mixture of solid straight-chain hydrocarbons and having a melting point of about 48° to 66°C(120° to 150°F). Paraffin wax is obtained from petroleum by dewaxing light lubricants. It is used in candles, wax paper, polish, cosmetics and electrical insulators. It helps to extract perfumes from flowers, forms the basis of medical ointments and provides a waterproof coating for wood. In wood and paper matches, it helps ignite the matchstick by providing hydrocarbon fuel that is easy to vaporize. Paraffin wax was first produced commercially in 1867, less than 10 years after the first oil well was drilled. Paraffin precipitates easily from petroleum as it cools. Technological advances have simply made separation and filtration more efficient and economical.