They were good enough for the ancient Greeks and continue to be the top choice of leading professionals and therapists.
But it’s only recently that the rest of us have started to cotton on to why the golden liquid needs to become a staple in our beauty cupboards.
So what is the fuss over body oil? Why does it deserve the coveted space on your bathroom shelf?
Here are just some ideas to motivate you to convert to body oils in every step of your beauty routine, with our pick of products in the gallery above:
- Bath oil: Add a few drops to your bath each night to effortlessly nourish skin, making you smell divine from top to toe.
- Relaxing massage oil: Unwind and relax stressed muscles by pouring onto your palms, and massage across the whole body.
- Manicure: Rub a dab of body oil on your cuticles to soften.
- Pedicure: Rub a generous amount of body oil all over your feet. Put on thick cotton socks and allow the oils to soak in overnight when you go to bed.
- Perfume: Many people don’t like applying heavy perfumes to their skin, but you can apply a few drops of a scented body oil on pulse points for a natural, light fragrance – pulse points are behind the ears, knees, wrists, elbows and neck area.
- Shaving oil: Rub generously on legs for a close shave. Shaving with oil also reduces irritation and eliminates the need for post-shave moisturiser.
- Frizz-buster: Place one or two drops of body oil into your hands and run lightly through the hair – this also helps tame dry ends. For a deep-conditioning hair treatment, rub a generous amount into your hair before bed. Comb it through, secure it in a loose bun on top of your head, place a towel over your pillow, then hit the hay. In the morning, shampoo as usual and enjoy your luxurious locks.
- Body exfoliator: Make a basic sugar scrub by mixing a 2-1 ratio of sugar to body oil. Mix in a small bowl or jar. Rub into skin in the shower and rinse off. You won’t believe how soft your skin will feel afterwards.
