Where can I find decent body oil for a decent price?

November 14, 2009 1:00 PM

Me and my skin recently discovered that we both like body oil a lot more than lotion. The stuff I've seen so far when out shopping comes in very tiny jars and is a bit expensive for me. Any suggestions for body oil in bulk?

I've tried Burt's Bee's Lemon oil, which I liked but $8.00 for 4oz feels kind of expensive. I like lightly scented stuff but usually not "flower" scented.

Directions on where to get or advise on how to best use, would be deeply appreciated.

posted by silkygreenbelly to Health & Fitness (24 answers total)

Refill your bottle with almond oil that is sold for use in cooking, or any nice refined vegetable-based cooking oil. If you like fragrance, you can add a few drops of essential oils of lemon, rosemary, or whatever you like, which you can buy in tiny bottles at a Whole Foods Market or a similar store. Be careful with lemon oil or clove oil, because they are irritating to the skin if used at too high a concentration.
posted by Ery at 1:09 PM on November 14, 2009

Neutrogena Body Oil would seem to meet your criteria. I haven't used it in many years, but from my memory of it, it's sesame oil, and has a light, neutral, not floral scent.
posted by jocelmeow at 1:09 PM on November 14, 2009 [1 favorite]

you can get the neutrogena body oil (which is quite nice) in a very large bottle (more than a liter I would say...) at costco. comes with a pump dispenser and all!
posted by supermedusa at 1:25 PM on November 14, 2009

Came in to recommend Neutrogena Body Oil as well. It is great for dry skin and it comes in a good sized bottle. It's mild but pleasant smelling and is definitely not floral. It costs around 10 or 12 bucks for a bottle and a little goes a pretty long way.

I like oil because it is not greasy like lotion can be. I actually put it on in the shower, before drying off, because it sort of locks in the moisture from the shower. It's also a little messy so doing it in the shower makes it a little easier.

It sort of makes the water bead up a bit too, so toweling off doesn't just end up removing the oil from your body right after application. I just let my skin air dry until the oil absorbs (2 or 3 minutes).

Don't use mineral oil, as it can clog your pores. If you want to go the natural oil route like Ery suggests above try coconut oil.
posted by k8lin at 1:27 PM on November 14, 2009

What about good old baby oil?
posted by dpx.mfx at 1:35 PM on November 14, 2009

I'm going to suggest Hot Six Oil which I found in the African-American beauty products area of Walgreen's. Its super-inexpensive and has an immpressive ingredients list. It's packed with all kinds of natural oils and plant extracts, and nothing artificial. I use it on my legs after I shave and it works wonders. It has a pleasant tropical sort of Shea butter smell (I'm no good at describing scents) and absorbs really nicely.
posted by a.steele at 1:47 PM on November 14, 2009

An old roommate of mine swore by almond oil, just as Ery recommended.
posted by hermitosis at 1:51 PM on November 14, 2009

I like the "Tea Tree Hair & Body Moisturizer" that I get from the barber shop. It's basically tea tree oil, comes in a big pump bottle, and smells great on either gender.
posted by SpecialK at 1:51 PM on November 14, 2009

I came in here to recommend the Neutrogena body oil. Smells nice, inexpensive, does the job.
posted by lunasol at 2:10 PM on November 14, 2009

I use a Nivea Smooth Sensation Body Oil right now. It doesn't smell like anything in particular, and I like it.
posted by Medieval Maven at 2:17 PM on November 14, 2009

Or you could make your own Body Oil:

1 cup sweet almond oil from here
1/2 cup safflower oil from here
2 teaspoons apricot kernel oil from here
1 teaspoon liquid lanolin from here

Combine oils and lanolin, mix gently together and put in a sealed jar.
posted by lungtaworld at 2:27 PM on November 14, 2009 [2 favorites]

I like the Neutrogena oil, but if you have dry skin try olive oil. Here's the review on Makeupalley. If you want scent, just put some perfume on after applying the olive oil.
posted by Houstonian at 2:34 PM on November 14, 2009

This is one of the oils that Palmer's makes that I just love. It's light, like the Neutrogena; but smells like shea/cocoa butter.
posted by peagood at 2:52 PM on November 14, 2009

Trader Joes Lavender Body Oil is great and inexpensive.
posted by sulaine at 2:59 PM on November 14, 2009 [1 favorite]

You can order almond oil from Escential in Portland. $11 for 16 oz. They have other massage oils that will work as body oil. Or if you're down here sometime, they're on Hawthorne.
posted by peep at 3:17 PM on November 14, 2009

Best answer: I got some carrier oils (base oils like grapeseed or sweet almond) and essential oils from Mountain Rose Herbs and mixed them myself in a plastic bottle. The nice thing about their site is that they have in depth descriptions of essential oil and carrier oil properties, so you can weigh the different oils based on things like skin type and moisturizing level.
posted by blueskiesinside at 3:37 PM on November 14, 2009 [2 favorites]

Another vote for olive oil, but make sure you use refined or "light" olive oil, not virgin or extra virgin, which have a strong smell.
posted by yclipse at 3:40 PM on November 14, 2009

Best answer: another vote for oils like sweet almond, grapeseed, rosehip seed, or olive. mountain rose herbs, as mentioned above, is a fabulous resource. you can add essential oils if you want scent.

you can get a squeezy bottle to put your oils in, and keep it in the bathroom. just rub some in after you shower.

(also, if you have an interest in oil cleansing, which is washing your face with oil, this is a good link. the same basic rules apply, but a good combo is castor oil and olive oil).
posted by sucre at 4:17 PM on November 14, 2009 [2 favorites]

The main ingredient in the Burt's Bees is almond oil, so I agree with everyone who suggested just buying that in bulk. Olive oil is not something I care for straight, as it never seems to absorb. However, mixed 1:2 with jojoba is nice. Rosehip seed oil goes rancid extremely fast, so if you want to use it, mix with something more stable.
posted by oneirodynia at 5:20 PM on November 14, 2009

Jojoba oil from here. Jojoba is good because it's non-comedogenic (won't cause breakouts) and organic.
On re-read I see this is about the same price as the stuff you use, so feel free to ignore, but I highly recommend the stuff.
posted by baserunner73 at 7:00 PM on November 14, 2009

I use Aura Glow, which you can find at Whole Foods or a co-op. I put it in on in the shower. Short, natural ingredient list; about ten bucks for eight oz which lasts me a while.
posted by pintapicasso at 7:38 PM on November 14, 2009

If you want to go cheaper than the Neutrogena (which is good!), Kroger makes a generic version of it.
posted by pumpkin11 at 8:00 PM on November 14, 2009

Best answer: Nthing almond oil. It feels ultra-silky on and in your skin, and it's not terribly spendy.

If you want a scent, go to Zenith, sniff out an essential oil you like, and add a drop or two to the bottle.

Easy, cheap, very satisfying.
posted by dogrose at 9:17 PM on November 14, 2009

Response by poster: Just wanted to quick update with a HUGE thank you to blueskiesinside, dogrose and sucre. I got a ton of information at the website you recommended and was then able to go to Zenith and pick out exactly what I needed.

THANK YOU
posted by silkygreenbelly at 5:35 PM on November 17, 2009