Singapore Expats

Can anyone recommend a good moisturising oil to use for small children? I'm looking at something you can leave on after a bath.

I'm not tied to any brand. I can only find Johnson baby oil in the pharmacies, but their main ingredient is mineral oil (paraffin) which I'd rather avoid.

Here:
http://www.herballuxuries.com/mineral-oil.htm

From the article:
"Mineral oil is clear, liquid oil with no scent and will not spoil. It is produced as a byproduct of the distillation of gasoline from crude oil."
Do we want this on our skin?

And:
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/do ... 427705.htm

Any suggestions?

I think Almond Oil is good for massaging babies.

it's very soothing and has great healing properties. Another great moisturizer, though not an oil, is 100% shea butter. It's a bit smelly but it works great on my son's eczema.

Thanks, I will take a look at almond oil then. Guess butter is out since she'll have it on all day :p

Not 100% sure but I thought my midwife told me not to use any nut based oil in pregnancy or whilst breastfeeding due to the onset of nut allergies in the baby. After that young children should not be given nuts until over the age of 3 years.
This was 6 years ago so my memory could be wrong, but I did not use any nut oil in pregnancy and breastfeeding due to this advice.

i second the caveat on using nut oils, particularly if allergies/asthma run in the family. am not a fan of oils; prefer creams and have found calendula based creams good (there are local shops selling the california baby brand, though there may be other brands available as well). for atopic dermatitis, i found cetaphil and nutraderm quite helpful.

I like the California Baby Super Sensitive oil. It has no fragrance.
http://www.californiababy.com/super-sen ... -5-oz.html

And I mix it up with the other ranges of essential oils depending on how I want to use it. If my baby has a flu then I make a blend with the 'colds and flu' essential oil
http://www.californiababy.com/super-sen ... -5-oz.html

Can also make spritzers, put them in a diffuser, in the bath and for massage. Quite flexible and since its natural I know its safe from parabens, alcohol etc.

PhoenixT wrote:it's very soothing and has great healing properties. Another great moisturizer, though not an oil, is 100% shea butter. It's a bit smelly but it works great on my son's eczema.

Where do you get 100% shea butter around here? Been looking for it.

I have read several articles indicating that long term (50 plus years) exposure to baby oil(Like Johson and Johnson) leads to leather skin.

I would think that a good extra virgin olive oil would be a good cure all.

Beware thought, not all extra virgin olive oil is extra virgin.

extra virgin rapeseed oil.

one843 wrote:Beware thought, not all extra virgin olive oil is extra virgin.

What does that mean exactly?

Olive oil vendors choose the wording on their labels very carefully.

* "100% Pure Olive Oil" is often the lowest quality available in a retail store: better grades would have "virgin" on the label.
* "Made from refined olive oils" suggests that the essence was captured, but in fact means that the taste and acidity were chemically produced.
* "Light olive oil" actually means refined olive oil, not a lower fat content. All olive oil has 120 calories per tablespoon (34 J/ml).
* "From hand-picked olives" may indicate that the oil is of better quality, since producers harvesting olives by mechanical methods are inclined to leave olives to over-ripen in order to increase yield.
* "First cold press" means that the oil in bottles with this label is the first oil that came from the first press of the olives. The word cold is important because if heat is used, the olive oil's chemistry is changed. It should be noted that extra-virgin olive oil is cold pressed, but not necessarily the first oils.
* "Bottled in Italy" or "Packed in Italy" does not necessarily mean that the olive oil originated in Italy. Back or side labels indicate the origin of the olive oil which is often a mixture of oils from several nations

The United States is not a member of the IOOC and therefore the retail grades listed above have no legal meaning in the United States; terms such as "extra virgin" may be used liberally. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which controls this aspect of labeling, currently lists four grades of olive oil: "Fancy", "Choice", "Standard", and "Substandard", also called Grade A through D, respectively.[12] These were established in 1948. The grades are based on acidity, absence of defects, odor and flavor.

sundaymorningstaple wrote:Olive oil vendors choose the wording on their labels very carefully.

* "100% Pure Olive Oil" is often the lowest quality available in a retail store: better grades would have "virgin" on the label.
* "Made from refined olive oils" suggests that the essence was captured, but in fact means that the taste and acidity were chemically produced.
* "Light olive oil" actually means refined olive oil, not a lower fat content. All olive oil has 120 calories per tablespoon (34 J/ml).
* "From hand-picked olives" may indicate that the oil is of better quality, since producers harvesting olives by mechanical methods are inclined to leave olives to over-ripen in order to increase yield.
* "First cold press" means that the oil in bottles with this label is the first oil that came from the first press of the olives. The word cold is important because if heat is used, the olive oil's chemistry is changed. It should be noted that extra-virgin olive oil is cold pressed, but not necessarily the first oils.
* "Bottled in Italy" or "Packed in Italy" does not necessarily mean that the olive oil originated in Italy. Back or side labels indicate the origin of the olive oil which is often a mixture of oils from several nations

The United States is not a member of the IOOC and therefore the retail grades listed above have no legal meaning in the United States; terms such as "extra virgin" may be used liberally. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which controls this aspect of labeling, currently lists four grades of olive oil: "Fancy", "Choice", "Standard", and "Substandard", also called Grade A through D, respectively.[12] These were established in 1948. The grades are based on acidity, absence of defects, odor and flavor.

All very well and good, and to be honest: No sh*t Sherlock! But 'extra virgin' usually means 'extra virgin'.

you either a virgin or you not, right? you cant have a little shag and still be a virgin? and no shag, a extra virgin?

i more confused now (about the virgin oil, that is!)...

No sh*t Sherlock! But 'extra virgin' usually means 'extra virgin'

Some people never change, do you...

In Singapore, Eurasian doesn't mean Eurasian either.