I love baby oil. I love the way it smells and I love its texture – as long as I don't goof up and use too much with whatever I'm doing, of course. But did you know that babies aren't the only ones who can benefit from this soft, silky, sweet smelling oil? There are dozens of additional ways it can be used, but here are my top 7 uses for baby oil!
No fake, jake; baby oil can help keep you warm when the weather is cold. All you have to do is rub it into your skin before getting dressed to go out. The reason for this is because the oil actually seals up your pores, which creates your very own insulation. Now, I don't know that I would recommend this all the time, because your pores need to be open, but if you're going to be out in the weather, walking around outside, and so on, this is definitely a good idea – just make sure to shower when you get home!
This does not mean what it looks like it means! Although … well, yeah, anyway, you can use baby oil to lubricate squeaky doors, cabinets, et cetera, if you don't have any WD40 or anything like that. If you have a zipper that sticks, a little baby oil along the teeth will help you out as well.
Did you ever get gum stuck to or in anything? When I was a kid, I had an uncanny knack for getting gum stuck in my hair, and out would come the ice, or the peanut butter, or the scissors. However, baby oil does the job just fine. It can get come off your skin or off of a surface – like if anyone you know has a tendency to stick gum under your table or something like that.
Baby oil makes an excellent shaving agent. It softens your skin while you shave, of course, but that's not all. It can actually make the hair softer, too, whether it's on your legs, under your arms, or anywhere else. So, that can even make it grow in softer, which is great if you have coarse, dark hair. Ahem, ahem; I can personally swear by this tip.
Believe it or not, baby oil really can be used to polish your wooden furniture – although you shouldn't use it by itself. Instead, put some oil in a spray bottle, then add in about a tablespoon or so of lemon juice and shake up the bottle to mix it all. Spray the mixture onto your polishing cloth rather than the wood itself, then commence to cleaning and polishing. The lemon juice is what actually cleans the wood, but the baby oil adds a rich, gorgeous shine.
Now, raise your hand if you spend a pretty penny on makeup remover. I do too, little realizing that I am basically paying for jumped up baby oil. You can just use that to get your eye makeup and all off of your face in the evening. I tested this, thinking it might leave my skin feeling oilier, but really, it was about tied with the removal I use now.
If you ever have to sit there and pick at sticker residue left on glasses or mirrors or what have you, then you'll like this one. Instead of scrubbing the heck out of your glassware, just use a little bit of baby oil. It comes right off in a flash.
Baby oil is clearly another one of those household items that can be a little lifesaver with dozens of things. Those are my favorite kinds of items! Do you know of any other uses for baby oil?
Top Photo Credit: sameer0205