thoughts on some oils

There's a part of me which really wants to be a crusty hippie, never wash my hair and only use beauty products with ingredients I can pronounce. It seems like a sensible and healthy way to be. The problem is, I love the chemicals! Benzoyl peroxide is my knight in shining armour, my hair only feels clean after a pile of frothy sulfates have stripped it bare and I love wearing probably poisonous lipsticks. As anyone knows, the key to a healthy and happy existence is balance, so my attempts to make casual nods to a more natural existence come in the form of oils.

Both bought from amazon.co.uk

 I tried jojoba on my face but I just couldn't bear the sensation of it - like my face was actually melting away. I'm also not totally convinced by the evangelical cries of "it cannot clog your pores" ringing throughout the internet. I think it probably did clog my pores. I used the rest of it up as body moisturiser and much preferred it. Apparently because it is a similar makeup to the natural oil skin produces it is easily absorbed into the skin, and I am inclined to agree. In some ways, it's nice to be using something so pure and natural. But in other, more prominent ways, I think I like body moisturisers to smell good and come in handy packaging. One to try, but I don't feel committed for life.
 I have such mixed feelings about neem oil. On one hand, it is probably one of the most effective acne treatments I have tried, aside from serious and strong chemicals. During my use of this my skin was generally pretty good. It also seemed to moisturise and even reduced my forehead wrinkle a bit. On the other hand, it stinks. It smells like petrol, peanuts and onions and it's as rancid as it sounds. Many people commented on the fact my face smelled like a butt. The worst part is, the smell kind of stays in your skin even after you remove the oil, and it can creep into your nose when you least expect it. It also sort of tasted bad in your mouth whilst this was on your face. I'm giving up on this because I am no longer brave enough. But if you're at your wits end and want to try something cheap and natural, it's probably worth a look. But don't say I didn't warn you. 

And now for the slightly less "pure" side of oils. This Kukui Oil by ogx is mixed with some silicones and other ingredients I don't recognise. But it's amazing. Firstly, it comes in a spray, so it's really lightweight and doesn't have detrimental effects on hair volume. It smells pleasant but doesn't interfere with any other smells you're putting on (perfume, for example). But the real reason I'm so impressed with this is it has made my hair grow a TON. Before I came to America (3 months ago) my hair was at mid-boob length (everyone measures the length of their hair based on their boobs, right?). Now it is quickly approaching belly-button length. I'm growing it for no reason other than to have a small project. I want to see if I can get it to the belly button, but I do actually prefer my hair around the top-of-boob area. Still, if you want your hair to grow, I'm pretty sure this is the most miraculous thing I've found.
 A bit of natural with a bit of artificial colour and fragrance, but with no horrendous smell or greasy side effects. This hair oil summarises my feelings on the subject of going all natural: it's all about the balance.