Nourishes Hair Follicles: Baby oil can nourish the hair follicles, providing essential nutrients for hair growth. Massaging a small amount of baby oil onto the scalp increases blood circulation, allowing the follicles to receive the nutrients they need to produce healthy hair strands.
Baby oil is primarily a mineral oil and is often used for moisturizing skin. While it can help condition hair and add shine, it does not promote hair growth. Hair growth is influenced by factors like genetics, diet, and overall health rather than topical products.
Coconut oil is a popular choice for baby hair care due to its moisturizing properties. It helps nourish the scalp, promotes hair growth, and can prevent dryness and flakiness. Additionally, coconut oil has antibacterial and antifungal properties, making it suitable for sensitive baby skin.
“You can use baby oil as a regular massage oil for your hair or body. It works equally well as coconut or any other oil. Massage your hair and leave it overnight to get frizz-free hair or use it to massage your body to de-stress,” suggests Dr Kapoor.
Serious side effects of Baby Oil
Signs of an allergic reaction, like rash; hives; itching; red, swollen, blistered, or peeling skin with or without fever; wheezing; tightness in the chest or throat; trouble breathing, swallowing, or talking; unusual hoarseness; or swelling of the mouth, face, lips, tongue, or throat.
It is the same thing you might do when you apply a moisturizing product to your baby or wash him or her. Even though it is usual to wash your baby's hair only once or twice weekly, applying hair oil daily to the baby's head is extremely important.
Can you use baby oil as lube? The short answer is no. While baby oil is safe to use on the skin as a moisturizer, it shouldn't be used as a sexual lubricant. Baby oil and other mineral oil products used as lubes can cause condom problems and skin irritation.
Apply baby oil to your scalp and hair, gently massaging it in. Leave it on for about 30 minutes or overnight, and then wash your hair as usual. This treatment helps to lock in moisture and protect your hair from the drying effects of shampoo.
While leaving oil on your hair may seem beneficial, prolonged exposure can have adverse effects. If hair growth oil is left on for extended periods, it can attract dirt, clog pores, and lead to dandruff and itching. Over-saturation may also weaken hair strands, making them prone to breakage.
While it is safe to use on skin, people must avoid using it as a lubricant for sexual intercourse, especially with latex-based barrier methods. Using baby oil as a lubricant may increase the risk of infections, STIs, and pregnancy. Instead, it is advisable for people to use lubricants specifically for intercourse.
Despite feeling fairly lightweight, baby oil is a pretty heavy-duty occlusive, so if you use too much, your hair will get noticeably oily. “It should be used in moderation so it does not leave the hair feeling too oily and weighed down,” Hu advises.
So why doesn't everyone use baby oil all the time? Mostly because mineral oil can be a controversial skincare ingredient, and many people avoid using it. However, the ingredeint is largely considered safe by dermatologists.
Leave it on for a few hours or overnight, then shampoo and rinse normally. Add a few drops of baby oil to your bath water to soften and moisturise your skin as you soak. This can be especially beneficial for individuals with dry or sensitive skin. Massage baby oil into your cuticles to help soften and moisturize them.
Baby oil doesn't absorb into the hair shaft like natural oils such as coconut or argan oil. Instead, it coats the hair, which can lead to buildup over time. For those with fine or oily hair, this often results in strands feeling heavy and greasy rather than soft and nourished.