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icallitbliss
February 29th, 2012, 09:35 PM
I thought I'd start to try out an oil for my hair...what is everyone's opinions on baby oil? And how would I go about using it?

trampledbygeese
February 29th, 2012, 10:02 PM
I was wondering, what is baby oil made from? Is it a naturally occurring oil or a petroleum bi-product or something else?

If it's a natural oil, I don't know any down side to using it, but if it's synthetic, then I would hesitate to use it on the scalp as it might disrupt your natural oils. Maybe something from the kitchen like olive or grape seed oil might be better?

But please keep in mind, I'm a novice at oiling hair and scalp myself. I use olive, coconut and castor oil and it works wonders.

allio21
February 29th, 2012, 10:07 PM
Mineral oil (baby oil) is a petrochemical or a byproduct of crude oil. So I personally never use baby oil or anything else containing mineral oil, petrolatum or paraffin. You can find it in a number of different beauty products. It's basically a cheap alternative to any plant derived oils.

Here's one of many websites that explain it:
http://ecologycenter.org/erc/petroleum/body.html

If I were you I would try a plant derived oil. There are LOTS of different kinds.

Hope this helps :)

gazelle
February 29th, 2012, 11:16 PM
There are several threads about baby oil. It is made up of mineral oil, and it moisturizes very well.

There are some members didn't trim after baby oil.

gazelle
February 29th, 2012, 11:18 PM
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=88347&page=3

One of the threads is here

MeowScat
March 1st, 2012, 03:38 AM
I tried Johnson's Baby Oil on my hair for the first time last week. I tried it on my dry hair for a pre-wash treatment but I used about 20 drops. Big mistake. My hair looked greasy after washing it.

A few days later I used 2 drops on my freshly washed wet hair. Now THAT was awesome! Soft hair with less tangles. I couldn't keep my fingers out of my hair for the rest of the day, it was so silky! :)

Avital88
March 1st, 2012, 03:49 AM
i dont know, there is something about babyoil,i just dont feel like its good to put in my hair ..
You could also try argan oil or coconut oil as a first oil,i think theyre both one of the best oils:-)

Lissandria
March 1st, 2012, 03:56 AM
I use coconut oil and baby oil, I love them both. For me the best way is a very small amount of coconut oil (a fingernail full) and then a drop or two, MAX of Mineral Oil afterwards on wet hair. That gives me shiny, hair and NO dry ends at all. Have a read of the Mineral Oil threads, and LHC member ktani is always happy to answer the technical questions on how or why something works, she is fantastic. :) HTH and good luck with whatever you decide!

janeytilllie
March 1st, 2012, 04:03 AM
I'm currently using baby oil at the moment.

There are many methods and the mineral oil thread link above is definetly helpful in deciding whats best :)

here's my method :)


I use baby oil with the least ingredients. My baby oil only contains minreal oil and parfum.

After washing my hair I will apply my leave in conditioner then on top apply 2 drops on baby oil in my hair.

When my hair is 90% dry I will again apply alittle more maybe 4 drops.

I will then apply no more until my next wash.

This has given me the best results but everyone hair likes different things.

Hope this helps :)

jacqueline101
March 1st, 2012, 04:19 AM
I have used it in the ends of my hair.

ktani
March 1st, 2012, 05:36 AM
I use coconut oil and baby oil, I love them both. For me the best way is a very small amount of coconut oil (a fingernail full) and then a drop or two, MAX of Mineral Oil afterwards on wet hair. That gives me shiny, hair and NO dry ends at all. Have a read of the Mineral Oil threads, and LHC member ktani is always happy to answer the technical questions on how or why something works, she is fantastic. HTH and good luck with whatever you decide!

Thank you so much!

icallitbliss
Of the 2 large baby oil threads, this one has the most information, http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=86298.

This post has links to most issues or asked about questions, http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showpost.php?p=2018998&postcount=6

Cosmetic mineral oil is natural, safe and can work extremely well, with in my opinion, no downside.

Unlike drying oils http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showpost.php?p=2020749&postcount=11, it is not difficult to remove or wash out of hair, as long as like with any nondrying oil, it is not overused.

I recommend a baby oil with just paraffinum liquidum (mineral oil) and fragrance as other ingredients like shea butter can make the hair greasy or heavy. Tocopheral acetate (Vitamin E) is sometimes listed as an ingredient - that is added to stabilize the mineral oil and is in ones that do not list it, since it is in the mineral oil used to begin with. That is how cosmetic companies buy it from suppliers.

ETA: There is also information in my blog, in my signature below, on mineral oil/baby oil.

ETA:2 The boards were a bit wonky and the thread title is missing but this is from 1970s Hair care and summarizes mineral oil/baby oil use too, http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showpost.php?p=2021184&postcount=114.

ETA:3 From my blog, http://ktanihairsense.blogspot.com/2012/01/more-on-cosmetic-mineral-oilbaby-oil.html
Silicone can enhance vegetable oils, http://www.dowcorning.com/content/publishedlit/27-1276.pdf, but like I said in the blog, there would be no need to create such a product unless the oils needed help, and is not necessary to use silicone and mineral oil/baby oil because cosmetic mineral oil is not sticky, or greasy when not too much is used, and it spreads better than vegetable oils or waxy butters. I get 0 tangles with it and others have too. It also moisturizes hair better than silicone, vegetable oils and butters.

ETA:4 Two examples of waxy butters are shea butter (which unrefined also contains latex), and cocoa butter, which both contain a high amount of waxy stearic acid. I have seen shea butter listed with a stearic acid content of 50% ETA:5 and over that % listed for cocoa butter.

Stearic acid
http://www.sbioinformatics.com/design_thesis/Stearic_acid/Stearic-2520acid_Properties&uses.pdf
"Stearic acid is a waxy crystalline solid ..."

ETA:5 Do get get hung up on the number of mineral oil/baby oil drops needed. That is subjective and down to hair length and thickness. It is about using the very least amount possible to not overuse the oil. Drop sizes vary with the person, lol. I say in my blog to "use and think small drops". That I hope helps, lol. Most people, including me, need less than first thought.

Thumper
March 1st, 2012, 06:10 AM
I used to use it on my face, to remove make-up. I would rub it all over and then right away use some make up pads to remove it, then wipe my skin down with a hot cloth. Now one time I put it on, and actually got distracted and forgot about it. It sat for close to an hour and my skin started to itch. I looked in the mirror and had broken out everywhere on my face in this harsh looking rash! Stopped cold turkey, and would never use it in my hair. Now I use coconut oil on my face with no problems!

ktani
March 1st, 2012, 06:15 AM
I used to use it on my face, to remove make-up. I would rub it all over and then right away use some make up pads to remove it, then wipe my skin down with a hot cloth. Now one time I put it on, and actually got distracted and forgot about it. It sat for close to an hour and my skin started to itch. I looked in the mirror and had broken out everywhere on my face in this harsh looking rash! Stopped cold turkey, and would never use it in my hair. Now I use coconut oil on my face with no problems!

That sounds like a fragrance reaction which is not that uncommon with fragrances. There are reports of that kind of reaction with shampoos and conditioners all over these boards. It has been reported online with Johnson's Original Baby Oil, the one I use but I have had no problems with it. Online, when the person who reported reacted, switched to a different mineral oil/baby oil, they said that they did not have a reaction.

ETA Cosmetic - Mineral oil itself is not known to do that, http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/acne/news/20050527/mineral-oil-cleared-of-pimple-rap