We use oils in our daily lives for various purposes. They are useful in cooking, present in our cosmetic products, to light lamps, run our cars etc. There are just about so many oils available for different purposes and qualities. However, most of us hardly experiment or try new oils in our daily routine. Most kitchens will have just 2-3 types of oils. When it comes to massage even fewer oils are tried by us. Every oil has a different composition, thus providing different health benefits. You should be well aware of their uses and benefits so that you can get the best of them. Let it be a massage or edible oil, make an informed choice.
Today, I wish to share 5 best oils that you should have at your home for the benefit of your health. Keeping these oils at your home will allow you an opportunity to experiment and make changes according to conditions. For example, you should use coconut oil for massage in summers but for winter, black sesame oil is much better. For cooking, benefits of olive oil or argan oil are unmatched to most other oils. If you are allergic to nuts or wish to avoid vegetable refined oils, you can try plant-based oil like olive oil or palm oil.
You might have come across people who swear by vegetable oils for their health benefits and also people who believe that they are not good for our health. But the American heart association claims that they are safe to be consumed, even in blends. Though, there is absolutely no debate about their benefits as hair or body oils.
Top 5 Best Oils
Botanical name of the argan plant is Argania Spinosa. It is native of Morocaan land, and has a long history in the continent of Africa. It is known as the liquid gold of Morocco. However, due to its low cultivation and rarity, it is costlier than most other oils. Even then, this oil has wonderful health benefits in both culinary and cosmetic practices.
It is generally sold in two different grades. Edible grade is extracted by roasting the seeds and grinding them in a mill. Whereas, cosmetic grade is cold pressed. Cosmetic grade is lighter in colour than edible grade with deeper nutty scent.
Black seed oil is another one in the list of oils that gained popularity in recent times. It is often mistaken as onion oil due to its name of black onion seed oil. The botanical name of black seed is Nigella sativa, which is native to the Middle East and Western Asia. You can find its records in ancient practices of cosmetic and medicine from those regions. It is so rich in nutrients that people have used it as a natural remedy for many years. It is also used in various cosmetic and health products, even used in capsules to directly ingest.
If you are looking to buy quality black seed oil, then do check our post and review for this oil.
This is one of the most well-known oils across the globe due to its ease of availability, cost and health benefits. I always recommend that you use only virgin or extra virgin coconut oil for edible or topical applications. Coconut oil contains mainly saturated fats (80-90% of total fat), due to which it solidifies at cooler temperature. In recent times, MCT oils have gained popularity due to their claimed health benefits. Coconut oils contain a good amount of MCTs, which are responsible for various health benefits.
Olive oil needs no introduction when it comes to the health benefits of oils. We covered this oil extensively in our post on carrier oil (link this to new post on carrier oils here). Even though, olive are native to Mediterrain, but nowadays better quality olives are grown here at home in California. Olive oil can be used topically, however, due to its thick texture, it is always advised that you should mix it with lighter oils like coconut or rosehip.
Rosehip oil is extracted from seeds of wild rosehip plants, from the region of Chile. Just like other oils in this list, it was also popular in ancient times in the cultures of Mayan and Native Americans for its healing and cosmetics properties. However, it is no longer popular in culinary or edible processes, but it is very popular as carrier oil in aromatherapy. It is different from rose oil, which is extracted from rose petals. You can use it with coconut oil or even replace it if you don’t like coconut scent. You can easily find it in the US over the shelves at reasonable prices or simply on amazon, where we have reviewed them here.
