9 Unusual Uses For Baby Oil, Because It’s Not Just For Babies

Johnson's Baby Oil

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

bubble bath photo
Photo by audi_insperation

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

mascara photo
Photo by thatedeguy

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)

soft hands photo
Photo by shannonkringen

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

razor photo
Photo by bogolyandras

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)

band-aid photo
Photo by HeyGabe

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

manicure photo
Photo by Catriona Ward

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

pregnant photo
Photo by Salmanrobin

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

shiny hair photo
Photo by Amy Windsor

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

 

Beauty, Health, Life
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About the Author
Natalia Lusinski
In addition to Simplemost, Natalia is an ongoing writer for Bustle (sex, dating, relationships, and money), HelloGiggles (pop culture and news), The Delite (feel-good stories), and Don’t Waste Your Money (yep, money issues!). You can also find her writing in the L.A. Times, the Chicago Tribune's RedEye, xoJane, Elite Daily, Scary Mommy, Elephant Journal, and Chicken Soup for the Soul anthologies, among other publications. She has a Ph.D. in couch-surfing, having spent four years sleeping on over 200 L.A.-area love seats and sectionals, all in an effort to whittle down her student loan debt. She still loves couch-surfing in other cities, too (hint, hint).

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