Top 15 alternative uses for baby oil
- by Anna Sattler (RSS feed) on Feb 25th 2008 10:00AM
- Filed under household hacks, kids, art, doors and windows, staying green, cleaning
When you run out of massage oil, lotion, shave gel, or nearly any other personal care product, do you panic, or calmly reach for the baby oil? Baby oil is the one item that I go overboard and buy too much of because it is so cheap, and there are so many uses for it.My two year old sighs in contentment when I use baby oil to massage her dry winter skin. I use baby oil to get peanut butter out of her hair, and have used it to get gum out of her hair too. Please join me after the jump for a list of all the extraordinary uses I have for baby oil.
- Shave with baby oil instead of shave gel. I find that it helps soften my dry skin, and keeps my skin moisturized longer than lotion.
- When I want to slip my rings off before I cook a meal or work in the garden, I use baby oil to help the stuck rings slide right off my fingers. Warning: Do not remove your rings over an open sink! The results could be disastrous!
- I try to take a 30 minute walk every day. Since it has been extremely cold, I rub baby oil into my skin before I go out into the cold. The baby oil helps to insulate my body and keep me warm as I get my daily exercise.
- To keep your arm or leg hair intact, rub some baby oil around a band aid or other adhesive bandage before removing.
- Should a zipper become stuck, I use a cotton ball or q-tip to help the zipper slide up and down more easily.
- If a price sticker doesn't peel off as easily as it should, dab a little oil on said offending sticker, let soak into the sticker then wipe clean with a soft cloth.
- When I run out of olive oil, I use baby oil and lemon juice mixed in a spray bottle to polish my wood furniture.
- My necklaces always seem to tangle, but the knot easily comes out when I use a straight pin and a dab of baby oil on the knot.
- Baby oil will remove paint from your skin, and you'll do double duty by not only removing the paint; you'll also soften your skin.
- Baby oil makes a great makeup remover. Dab some on a cotton ball and eye shadow will slide right off. I do not recommend using it on the rest of your face, as it always seems to clog my pores.
- Use when making homemade baby wipes.
- Use to quiet squeaky door hinges if you run out of Vaseline.
- Baby oil keeps my leather bags and shoes supple. Just rub generously into leather with a soft polishing cloth. It also keeps my leather goods waterproof.
- On the rare occasions I get to take a luxuriating bath, I add a couple drops of my favorite essential oil to 1/4 cup of baby oil, and relax for a few minutes before I have to become Mommy again.
- A few drops of baby oil and a polishing cloth will make stainless steel and chrome shine like new.
Comments [17]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
2-25-2008 @ 1:42PM
diane.rixon said...
Great suggestions, Anna! I will try the one for using baby oil to remove product stickers. That sticker residue drives me nuts!!
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3-02-2008 @ 9:01PM
M.E. Williams said...
Mineral oil isn't that great for your skin, though: it's known for its fantastic ability to clog pores (same with petrolatum/Vaseline, which I would only use on my feet and cuticles). You can use most of these tips with olive, jojoba, sweet almond, etc etc., with less of a downside.
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5-29-2008 @ 7:26AM
J Riggs said...
Someone told me that a little baby oil on your puppy's feet will releive the itching, or at least make him stop biting his feet. Do you know whether this is true? Thanks
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5-29-2008 @ 1:08PM
Anna Sattler said...
I would consult a vet to find out why or what your dog may be allergic to, and whether or not it may be chewing on it's feet out of boredom. I would think that a dab of baby oil rubbed into the pads and sore spots would be just fine, but again, consult a veterinarian.
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6-03-2008 @ 7:47AM
Nikki Ngo said...
I am allergic to fragance in baby oil. You had mentioned using straight mineral oil. I am confused when I search for mineral oil because it has all these names. Which mineral oil should I use to take off eye/brow make-up? Do you have to dilute the oil? Thank you in advance.
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6-01-2008 @ 1:10PM
Anna Sattler said...
I recommend straight mineral oil. You do not have to dilute the oil. Put just a dab on a cotton ball, remove your makeup and then wash your face per usual. I also recommend using petroleum jelly, if you would rather stay away from the oil. Just dab the petroleum jelly on your makeup and remove with a warm wet washcloth.
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10-07-2008 @ 7:45AM
Nelson patino said...
Baby Oil and Mineral Oil are also great for vinyl, rubber and leather. I use it on the plastic trim inside and outside my car. Works great, better than Armor All. And it does not run when it gets wet like Armor All and lasts alot longer. Best price I have found so far is at the store Dollar Tree; 14 Oz.- $1.00.
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12-12-2008 @ 12:19PM
Carmen said...
I have extremely curly hair that frizzes a LOT, and an extremely dry and itchy scalp. I hate using gels, but just recently started using baby oil in my hair. My scalp does not itch anymore, and my hair does not frizz. I apply about a dime sized amount to my scalp as soon as I get out of the shower, and use a comb, not a brush. I recommend for all those with dry scalps to try this, and stop using all that nasty, gooky, and expen$ive gel! =)
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1-22-2009 @ 2:05PM
kathys said...
I put baby oil all over my WET skin after I get out of the bathtub, from my face to the bottoms of my feet. I am allergic to so many lotions and this keeps my skin moist and soft, especially in the winter. It absorbs quickly into the wet skin and does not leave an oily feeling. Then just dry off as usual.
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2-27-2009 @ 2:14AM
scalpinfections said...
There are many definitions and symptoms commonly described as "scalp infections". There are in fact quite a few quite different reasons why your scalp may be sore, itchy, inflamed burning red or infected.
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2-27-2009 @ 3:31PM
Carly said...
Would baby oil do any damage to car paint?
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3-10-2009 @ 7:57AM
annabellesmommy said...
if you put one or two drops of baby oil into your ear it will dissolve wax plugs and help drain out ear fluid left over from an ear infection. but i don't recommend putting anything into your ears if you aren't sure if you have a healthy ear drum. it's also safe for babies ears too if their eardrum is healthy :)
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4-13-2009 @ 3:13PM
Michael said...
Baby oil or mineral oil is the by-product of when they turn petroleum into gasoline. I would think twice before purchasing it again. It's a strange world when a company adds fragrance to fossil fuels and we rub them into the bodies of our children.
There are many alternatives. I prefer almond or avacado oil for skin purposes.
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8-13-2009 @ 10:00PM
Shill23 said...
I have the worst fingernails... they are thin, brittle, and I have NEVER been able to grow them long enough to even have much of a white tip- because they are so torn and ugly by then that I have to cut and start over. Rub baby oil on them a couple of times a week- and I PROMISE you will have amazing nails!!! Mine are healthy & strong- and the only reason I have to trim them now is when they get too long. The oil soaks into the nail- and stays reguardless of how many times you wash your hands. It provides a protective barrier- which means I rarely even have to file them because they stay straight and even- even when I bump them against things that would normally chip or cause them to break. Trust me- this is my best found beauty secret... IT WORKS!!!
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8-31-2009 @ 5:17AM
Dick said...
I would never use this stuff on my skin! It's a petroleum oil.
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9-03-2009 @ 7:57AM
Richie said...
Until recently I have always suffered with a dry itchy scalp. At times it was so bad it would drive me crazy. Over time I have tried just about every shampoo available, including those for sensitive scalps, and nothing helped. I recently tried massaging baby oil into wet hair/scalp, leaving it for an hour or two, then rinsing through with warm water. I did this for 2-3 days and it totally solved the problem.
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11-06-2009 @ 5:26PM
Chris said...
Is baby oil REALLY a gasoline by product? I had a patch of dry skin on my chest and I used it everyday for 2 weeks after taking a shower and the dryness has gone away...
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