Baby oil isn't just for babies. In fact, this household helper has uses that go beyond the nursery -- and no, we're not encouraging you to use it when you sun bathe! From every day beauty hacks (no makeup remover on hand? No problem!) to helping you untangle necklaces and polish surfaces, the toxin-free oil is perfect for so many unexpected life moments.
Have you heard that joke about baby oil? The one that goes something like:
If corn oil is made with corn and peanut oil is made with peanuts, then what is baby oil made with?
The answer: Baby oil is made with mineral oil and fragrance by industrial professionals; babies don't have the fine motor skills or chemistry knowledge to create baby oil, duh.
Baby oil is useful for a lot of things beyond baby bottoms. It'll smooth, soften, lubricate, refinish, clean, and so much more. It also has some usual uses for which it really oughtn't be used. Read on for some tips and tricks that'll help your baby oil .
Have you stepped in gum? Your kids have gum in their hair or smeared it on the counter? Saturate the the gummy mess with baby oil for a minute and then wipe it away or comb it out. If you need to then remove the oil, use white vinegar to counteract it!
STICKY SHREDDER
If you spend too much time fighting with your shredder, place a few pieces of paper on a baking sheet and saturate them with baby oil. Then run them through your shredder to loosen up the motor inside.
SOAP SCUM BUILDUP
Use baby oil on your shower to remove soap scum and prevent buildup. You can also put it on your shower curtain to create a barrier.
DUSTING ASSISTANT
Apply a small amount of baby oil to your clean dusting rag and dust in circular motions on wood surfaces. Once you're done, go over the surface again with a clean cloth for a flawless finish.
STUCK ZIPPER
If you're battling a zipper that will. not. move. try applying baby oil to both sides of the zipper with a cotton swab and work it back and forth several times. It'll be smooth sailing - well, zipping - in no time!
NAIL POLISH ON YOUR SKIN
Keep nail polish off your skin while you paint by applying a little oil around the edges of your nail with a cotton swab. Then, when your nails are dry, the excess paint will rub right off and your cuticles will be happy!
SHAVING
Lock in moisture while you're shaving by using baby oil instead of a store-bought brand or (worse) your body soap. Perfect for anyone with sensitive skin!
MAKEUP REMOVER
No expensive makeup removers needed, just grab that bottle of baby oil. Use a cotton swab or cotton pad for a quick, gentle cleanser -- even for stubborn eye makeup!
POLISHING SHOES
Keep your leather happy and looking great by using baby oil as a shoe polish. It's perfect for polishing surfaces because there are no harsh chemicals in it.
Massage oil:
Use it as a massage oil. Remember our latex lessons from the previous step. Rubber gloves will degrade, as will balloons and some parts of massager attachments.
Remove earwax:
When in-ear headphones were just starting to become a thing, I went deaf in one ear. Panicked, I went to the doctor only to discover that I had a cebum compaction, earwax clogging my ear to the point I couldn't hear. Gross, right?
For the temporarily hearing impaired, there's an easy home remedy to handle that waxy buildup: baby oil!
While laying on your side or tilting your head so your affected ear is up, drop five drops of baby oil inside (warmed, if you really want to dissolve the mess) your ear. Let it stay for long enough to dissolve some of the wax, then let the oil drain out onto a clean towel or into the sink. A small amount of warm water can be used to dislodge any last bits with a small bulb or needle-less syringe.
Take off eye makeup:
Put some baby oil on a cotton ball. Gently rub it over any eye makeup that you want to remove. Maybe use another cotton ball to wipe away any excess oil.
Bath oil:
Put a few drops into the next bath you draw. It'll leave your skin feeling touchably soft and silky.
Post-shave oil:
Use as an after-shave oil after shaving any non-face part of the body. Works best as a layer over the top of some traditional moisturizer to lock in the freshness.
Keep warm:
My little sister went to school in Montana. The temperature routinely dropped below -10 degrees Celsius. She would use baby oil or Vaseline as an extra layer of insulation on any exposed skin as she hiked her way to class. It apparently prevented any facial frostbite, as she still has her nose attached.
There are limits to how helpful or practical this is. You can't just grease up and head out in your skivvies when birds are dropping from trees encased in ice.
Soften cracked or dry heels:
If your heels are cracked, dry, and unsightly... baby oil and a sock will help. (I recognize that these two items are often used in conjunction for other purposes: filming extra-slippery versions of the Risky Business slide, freshening up a pair of stinky socks, and even - though I hesitate to mention it - cleaning off the sides of a dribbly bottle of baby oil.)
Apply some baby oil over your heel before bed, put on some socks, then wake up transformed like a Jergens-Kafka mashup.
Remove bubblegum, wax, or bandaids:
If you've got some bubblegum or wax on your body or in your hair, baby oil will get it out. Apply a small amount to the affected area, let it sit, then work at the mess with your fingertips. It'll make the gum easier to get out, it'll soften the wax, and it will help the bandage come off without tearing out any hair.
This is a particularly good method of removing excess wax after an eyebrow or bikini job.
For those of you who remove more band-aids than body hair, applying some baby oil around the bandage is a great middle-of-the-road option for people who can't subscribe to contingent. Firm but gentle, that's the way to do it.
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