5 Oils that you can use to beautify

There are various oils out there that you can use neat on your skin and hair to keep it in good condition. Many of these can be sourced quite cheaply, some are rarer but I have tried all of the following ones out with good results.

The advantage of using an oil need is that it tends to last longer, works out cheaper, and its free of a lot of the nasty preservatives found in some treatments.

Here it is!

1. Olive Oil

From:

Olive oil has a high content of monounsaturated fatty acids and its high content of antioxidative substances.

Good For: Hair treatment, mixed with sugar or salt (fine!) as a scrub, as a moisturizer after a shower and on my salad.

Buy: From any supermarket! I like Extra Virgin although that has a stronger smell. You may prefer a lighter oil for that reason and it is easier to wash off as the consistency is lighter.

2. Emu Oil

From:

Emu Oil is high in linolenic acid and oleic acid. The combination of these off relief to muscle and joint pain and it sinks into the skin easily with an anti-inflammatory effect.

Good For: Skin Care and as a muscle rub.

Buy: The luxurious end has Dremu (£30 for 30ml – the bottle pictured above) or more affordable is Golden Emu Oil for £14.95 for 55ml.

3. Coconut Oil

From:

Coconut Oil consists of more than ninety percent of saturated fats – good fats and has a large range of uses beyond beauty.

Good For: Skincare, Hair Treatment, can be used with food (to cook it for example).

I always go for VIRGIN coconut oil as it is unprocessed. Processed or refined coconut oil is much cheaper to buy and isn’t a terrible choice if you on a budget – it’s still great for hair treatments but if you can, buy Virgin – the smell of raw coconut is heavenly.

This pic is of my Elemis ‘moisture melt exotic oil’ – which by the way is just coconut oil with some scent in it (I checked the ingredients list) dressed up in a luxury bottle. It doesn’t even say if the oil is virgin or refined. Boo to you Elemis for charging £29 for 100ml of coconut oil with a bit of scent in it (sorry Product Placement Blog, Elemis fan extraordinare).

Buy: Virgin coconut oil is expensive, especially if you are using it for your hair (like mine!). I buy it in 1lb baggies (and put it into my own jar) from eBay for about £18.

4. Bhringaraj / Sesame Oil:

From:

Sesame oil has rejuvenating properties help to prevent early greying and balding. It’s said to add depth to hair.

I first encountered it when I got some Bhringaraj hair oil – Bhringaraj is a herb which is mixed with sesame oil. The smell is better with Bhringaraj oil although because it is expensive, I would save it has a hair treat, and use sesame for more general use like body massage (I should be so lucky).

Buy: 500ml from Pukka Herbs at £27.95 . Normal sesame oil can be bought at all Chinese and Asian supermarkets and probably a lot of regular ones too (although at a higher price). Note – sesame oil smells STRONG. Could be great if you sit next to someone at work who you hate with nut allergies.

5. Crocodile Oil.

From:

Not to be mistaken for the mother in law.

Crocodile oil is said to be highly anti-bacterial – Crocs actually have the strongest immune system in the world.

Uses: Skincare – said to be good for eczema, cuts, bruises, rashes, burns, psoriasis and other skin problems (even dark circles allegedly!). Can be used on pets (for sarcoptic mange, not dark circles silly).

What about the issue of farming Crocodiles for this? The site I bought mine from says:

Crocodiles are farmed for their meat, the same as cattle and chickens. The meat is low in cholesterol and regarded as a delicacy in many restaurants around the world. There is less than 800g of fat on each crocodile which can be used for medical research. The fat is a by product of farming and unless used for medical purposes it is discarded. No crocodiles are killed for the sole purpose of obtaining the fat.

The one thing about this oil is that it does have a fatty smell too it – it don’t like it very much so I would use it to treat a rash or burn but I wouldn’t use it regularly without a definite reason (unlike say with the coconut and olive oil).

Buy: Jamu Shop is very good for this kind of thang.

Verdict

The other thing I realized looking at these oils is that so many of them promise to do everything. One is amazed that someone hasn’t just chucked a giant globe sized vat of oil over the earth to heal everyone and everything.

I suggest trying them out for yourself and not getting too excited until it actually works for you.

Easiest to get hold of: Olive, Sesame

Best intensive treatment: Crocodile