Is not only used to give a (wooden) dancefloor correct roughness or smoothness, but also to wax skis or snowboards, as fuel for candles and tea lights, for coating cheese, to prevent dehydration. My mother covers the jam in jars along with it.
Parum and affinis means 'no affinity or reactivity’. Paraffin is stable and very low reactive. It is not soluble in water and alcohol, but can be used after melting,blended with fats, beeswax, stearin.

It is obtained as a hydrocarbon from petroleum and coal tar. It is part of the alkanes having from 16 to 57 carbon atoms. The general molecular formula is CH₃(CH₂)nCH₃. The melting point is dependent on the chain length(s).

Liquid paraffin or paraffin oil is an old laxative and is also used in ointments and as a skin softener. It is not clear whether ingestion is (un) healthy.