9 Unusual Uses For Baby Oil, Because It’s Not Just For Babies
As you may know, baby oil’s not just for babies. You may actually use it to moisturize your baby’s skin and that’s a good thing. The oil not only helps prevent dryness, but also is better than a lot of other skin-softening products out there—i.e., it’s dermatologist- and allergy-tested. Here are nine other ways you can use baby oil, so make sure you always have some on hand, baby or not.
1. Bath Oil
Forget Epsom salt, though that’s good too, but now you can just squeeze some baby oil into your bath to get extra-soft skin. Since baby oil is mineral oil, it’s perfect for the tub—without chemicals and additives that other “bath oils” may contain.
2. Remove Makeup
Just put some baby oil onto a Q-tip and get rid of makeup: eyeshadow, mascara, you name it. Plus, you’ll moisturize as you remove. A win-win!
3. Moisturize Hands (And Legs After Shaving And Brows After Waxing)
My hands tend to get chapped in the winter. While I was at a friend’s house, she offered me some baby oil for them, and it worked wonders. Others use baby oil to moisturize after shaving their legs, particularly while their legs are still damp so the oil locks in the moisture that’s on their skin. And still others, like my last eyebrow waxing lady, used it to get rid of some stubborn wax above my eye. So, all in all, baby oil makes for a fantastic moisturizer. In any case, it can’t hurt to try!
4. Shave Gel
I tried this once in a pinch—baby oil instead of shave gel—and it worked. I even added more after rinsing my legs with warm water. All I can say is—smooth, smooth, smooth, and I haven’t gone back to shave gel since.
5. Take Off Band-Aids (Without Pain)
Next time you need to rip off a Band-Aid, dig out the baby oil first. You can soak a Q-tip or cotton ball in it, then rub it across the bandage until it loosens. No ripping necessary. To make things more fun and less painful for kids, VeryWell also suggests adding food coloring to the oil. Clever!
6. For Cuticles
When you do your nails, hands or feet, baby oil makes for a great moisturizer for your cuticles. A friend taught me this trick, and now I tell everyone I know (including you!).
7. Lessen Stretch Marks
Yep, baby oil can help reduce stretch marks. Who knew, right? Just apply to wet skin and it should lighten the stretch marks. Of course, do this daily to see the best results, preferably at night so that the skin has enough time to absorb the fatty acids to make it smooth again.
8. Scare Off Head Lice
I had no idea that baby oil was a way to get rid of head lice. The catch? The oil needs to stay on your head for at least eight hours. Then again, people do say baby oil makes for a good hair serum, so the baby oil can serve two purposes in this case. However, I tried putting just a drop in my hair while writing this article, and it felt a bit too greasy for my taste, so perhaps try a little bit of your hair first before you go all in. A friend of mine dabs a tiny amount of baby oil onto the ends of her hair only and says it makes it look “more alive,” so you can try that, as well.
9. Clean Makeup Brushes
Want your makeup brushes to look brand new again? Just use baby oil. Pour a bit into a bowl and then do a brush at a time, immersing it in the oil, then scraping it against the bowl’s bottom—you’ll see the dirt lift right out. Magic! If you’re more of a visual learner, you can watch this short video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=15&v=MMFqiY6Y4mshttps://youtu.be/MMFqiY6Y4ms