Vaseline over Coconut? I don't think so!

I remember meeting a customer from Somalia. This young man came to Alberta, Canada ( where it is especially dry) three years ago and experienced quite a shock to his skin. It was like a vacuum had sucked away all his moisture, leaving his lips dry, cracked, and bleeding. The doctor gave him Vaseline for his dry lips, told him not too talk so much and also advised him to keep his tongue father back in his mouth. This would help prevent his lips from being so dry, he explained.

If the poor man had had better English would he have dared to ask for a demonstration?

When he told me of his plight I said, “Vaseline instead of coconut???” Hmmmmm. “Did you not grow up with coconut oil in Somalia? Was your skin not moisturized with the coconut? Your skin needs these good nutrients.” So we chatted for a while and I reassured him that if he rememberd his Grandma’s advice, he would suffer far less. Good natural lip balms, natural soaps and good oils from the earth.
Like coconut, argan, shea, olive, tamanu, macadamia, emu and many more.

But NOT mineral oil.

The lesson:
Don’t be frightened of applying good nutritious oil on your skin.

Do be frightened of mineral petroleum based oils. They are the bad ones. http://www.herballuxuries.com/about-mineral-oil.html

When will the duping stop? When will the marketing companies stop claiming that OIL clogs the pores, causing acne and other skin problems. We read this and we naturally infer all OIL is bad. We respond to this marketing ploy and buy ‘oil free’ products. Someone out there is making a lot of money.

Better to educate yourself on how the good oils actually keep the skin clean. 

Natural oils are good for the skin. I wish you could ask our Somalian friend. He is not afraid to smile, nor keep his tongue in place. Bless his heart.