Nothing says baby more than the sweet powdery scent that permeates a room after using baby oil. Baby oil is essentially mineral oil that has fragrance added to make it more pleasant and appealing. Typically, it is used as topical skin oil because of its ability to be absorbed by the skin for the purpose of hydrating it. However, through the years, baby oil has been adapted for multipurpose functions such as polishing wood furniture, quieting a squeaky door hinge, loosening a ring that is stuck on a finger and maintaining leather products to name a few common uses.
Baby oil is still a leading baby care product, because of the different uses it has become associated with. If your baby has cradle cap, which is a yellowish scaling or crusting build up that forms on a baby's scalp, you can rub a little bit of baby oil on the scalp; let it soak over night, brush to loosen, and then shampoo. For the baby that is colic, a soothing baby massage with warmed baby oil can be quiet helpful. Adding a little baby oil to the bath water can help moisturize dry skin, which is one of the more common ways to use baby oil in caring for a baby.
Again, baby oil is not just for babies anymore. For the older toddler and child, a parent can use a little baby oil to loosen the adhesive tape on a bandage, and lessen the pain that is anticipated with a bandage removal. No more fretting over peanut butter or gum stuck in a child's hair. Just work it out with a comb and a little baby oil. As you can see, baby oil is definitely a useful product to have in the home.
What to Look for
Today, baby oil products can be found in standard bottle form, gels and cream and even spray bottles for convenient use. Different brands on the market have taken baby oil to the next level by adding other skin nourishing elements like aloe vera, or they have deviated from the basic powdery scent that was commonly used by infusing milder scents. Baby oil products that are on today's market have been manufactured to take into account the sensitivity of a baby's skin, and so there are brands that have produced hypoallergenic baby oil. Sometimes, it is the greasy feel of and greasy residue that is left on the skin that may have parents pass on baby oil use, but newer baby oil products have incorporated formulas that are aimed at lessening the greasy feeling that can be left behind with baby oil.
Common Pitfalls
Since baby oil is mineral oil with fragrance, it may be less expensive and equally effective to just purchase mineral oil instead of a marketed brand of baby oil. Baby oil should not be overly used because it does have a tendency to clog pores and create pimples. Also, when using baby oil on a baby's skin, monitor for skin rashes that may be indicative of an allergic reaction to the product. The powdery scent of most baby oil products can be overpowering and irritating to the nose, causing sneezing and headaches, so, it may be better to find baby oil with mild scent.
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