Orange Glamor: almond oil

No, I'm not going to recommend you to book an appointment with a masseur. I'm here to talk about easy to do, everyday massage. Massage need not necessarily be done with oils. You don't get beautiful skin by using more product. Whatever you use, whether a cream or shower gel, it's at least thrice as effective if you massage it.

And if we are talking about healing and relaxation, it can be easily done yourself in minutes, without spending dollars. Though I suppose people enjoy spa experiences more because of the luxury it offers, making you feel like a king or queen. But if you are truly after relaxation and rejuvenation, I reckon it's better done at home, not only cheaply.

Personally, I used to give myself a full body massage with mustard oil before bath. Half an hour before bath, I'd apply it on my whole body and keep rubbing it until bath time. I don't think it can be kept longer than that because mustard oil feels really sticky and if you keep it on for too long, it starts to itch. It makes skin shiny though and it actually treats itchiness of scalp (speaking from personal experience).

Now, I use pure almond oil and I don't have to even massage the whole body to be relaxed. Massaging my ears is enough. It gives me energy, brightens up the eyes and improves breathing. If you apply it on the neck and ears, then definitely you can feel the body relaxed, especially the face. If you have a headache, then too, massaging it relieves the ache. Like mustard oil, it too gets rid of an itchy scalp while also making hair soft and radiant.

Though be careful, mixed oils are completely different from pure oils. But I don't think you need to be a scientist to detect them. Mixed oils mostly state that they are mixed. All you have to do is reading the ingredients.

I wouldn't say mixed or fancy oils are all useless. They are pretty good too, they just serve a different purpose. They often smell great. Of course, pure oils smell amazing but certain hair oils have a fragrance similar to talc and perfume, something you can wear at a party. Also, some of them have different oils among them, one or more to give strength to the hair, others for shine. Some are also designed to take effect in a short time, so you don't have to keep them overnight.

While they may smell good and even make your hair pretty, I wouldn't recommend them for body massage or for problems like itchiness.

Image: Emma Watson