Beauty & Style

There are a lot of different oils out on the market.  Probably the most common known one is the Johnson and Johnson Baby Oil (hey I know my mom used it on me).  However, despite its popularity, this oil contains two of the very products you should avoid—fragrance and mineral oil.

Why?

• Fragrance oils are artificially created and contain other artificial or synthetic substances and according to the EWG, are considered to be a high hazard. They do not have aromatherapy benefits; they are solely an artificial scent.

• Mineral oil is a by-product that results from the distillation of petroleum to produce gasoline and other petroleum products from crude oil.

Fortunately there are a variety of oils available that don’t have these toxic ingredients.

• Essential oils are concentrated essence of plant extracts, materials and are widely used in aromatherapy (due to the healing nature of plants).  Essential oils are really powerful and need to be used in small doses (i.e. a few drops in the bath or combined with a carrier/base oil).

Want to Relax? Try Lavender, Rose, Geranium, Sweet Orange or Chamomile.

Want to Reenergize? Try Rosemary, Spearmint, Peppermint or Lemongrass.

Want to DIY? Grab carrier oil.  I’m personally a fan of the Dessert Essence Organic Jojoba oil as it is a heavy oil and is chemically similar to our body’s own natural moisturizer sebum, but you can use Sweet Almond Oil, Olive Oil, Apricot Kernel Oil etc.

Grab your favorite pure essential oil and add 10 drops of it for every 4 ounces of your carrier oil.  Shake it up and your done.  Now you have created your own truly natural body oil that is %100 chemical and gasoline free. These oils make great DIY holiday gifts too.

You can find essential and carrier oils locally at various Whole Foods and online at http://www.anandaapothecary.com

Images via greenmomcanada and ehow