Zil let me know about this oil, and I’m glad she did. It’s the perfect DIY project: a few, inexpensive ingredients, easy to make, and expensive to buy. If you’ve got the ingredients you can pull this together in about a minute for about a dime, but buying it would cost you about $6 (and would definitely take more than a minute). The reviews are pretty darn good, and it works. Awesome!
The original oil is called CND SolarOil, and here’s what they say about it:
“CND SolarOil cuticle conditioning treatment is an award-winning favorite among nail professionals and clients. What’s the fuss about? SolarOil’s synergistic blend of naturally light oils and Vitamin E MT-50 (USA / Canada) offer intense therapy for dry, damaged cuticles. Jojoba oil carries the Vitamin E MT-50 (USA / Canada) deeply into the skin, reducing visible signs of aging and keeping hands soft and supple. Repeated use actually drives the oils deeper in the natural nail, for results that only get better with time. Nails… feel stronger and more flexible. SolarOil features a super-penetrating formula that works wonders on nails and cuticles.”
I wouldn’t be too worried about exact measurements with this—I eyeballed it, judging by how full the bottle was as I added each oil. A bit of variation here and there won’t make too big of a difference.
I fitted the 5mL bottle I used with a dropper top since you’ll only ever need a drop of this at a time. This wee little bottle is small enough to be easily tossed into a purse or travel bag, and since it’s just straight oil, you could rub a bit into the dry ends of your hair, or use it on your face.
Jojoba & Almond Cuticle Oil
2mL sweet almond oil (USA / Canada)
2mL jojoba oil (USA / Canada)
1mL rice bran oil
2 drops Vitamin E MT-50 (USA / Canada)
1 drop Lavender EO
1 drop roman Chamomile EOCombine everything in a 5mL glass bottle. Cap with a dropper top and a sealed lid.
To use, massage a drop or two into the nails and cuticles.
No roman chamomile but lots of others, what would you suggest as a combo with the lavender – maybe neroli?
Neroli would be lovely! Anything citrussy (but not photo-sensitizing) is a good choice. If you’ve got some benzoin that’s also lovely, or even some peppermint for something a bit more peppy 🙂
Hi Marie! very good recipe…(as always!) and….You know I have a question! Would you tell us how you do your recipes are always so good? this is really amazing…this is really incredible thing …and if I read too much too many blogs with such recipes none had such good recipes and so well written!…and I mean it! this is no joke … great job .. bravo… …and hello from Grecce!.
Aww, thanks Athanasia 🙂 A big part of it is planning. I plan my blog entries out far in advance so I can make things and have time to observe how they work and change over time so I thoroughly understand something before posting about it. It also helps that I’ve been doing this for a while—with nearly 600 recipes up here I’ve had a lot of practice!
Hi Marie, love your recipes. Is the rice bran oil essential in this one as it is one oil I prefer not to ever use. Is it better to just leave it out or to replace with another? I have a big selection of other oils to choose from.
Reposting 🙂
Sometimes the simple things are the best 🙂
Catherine, I am curious, why is rice bran oil the only oil you never use?
Thanks, Tina!
You can use olive oil instead 🙂 I only used rice bran because it’s in the original and I happened to have it on hand.
Thanks Marie 🙂
🙂
Great recipe. I have made a similar nail/cuticle oil with argon and jojoba w/ vit E and a little almond eo. works great as I am sure this one will too.
Oooh, yours sounds just lovely as well 🙂 It can be so fun to pamper the small bits of our bodies!
Sometimes the simple things are the best 🙂
Catherine, I am curious, why is rice bran oil the only oil you never use?
Tina I’m a holistic health practitioner and rice bran is one oil I steer my clients away from because it is so very highly processed. As you absorb anything you use on your skin I try not to use anything I wouldn’t eat.
I’m always interested in the “nothing I wouldn’t eat” rationale. By this reasoning do you also avoid tea tree oil and arnica, as both are poisonous when ingested?
🙂 Because I am a Registered Homeopath I always use arnica in potentised homeopathic form even when adding it to creams, as it is so incredibly effective that way and means the problems with arnica on open skin are avoided. As far as tea tree oil goes, that’s an interesting question, as yes I do apply it to skin myself, and recommend it to others. I guess the real difference is that tea tree and arnica are both well known for their healing properties so would be included where that was wanted, but rice bran doesn’t have the same healing quality. Also neither arnica or tea tree are oils I would be eating. In Australia use of essential oils internally is not approved. Being aware that what goes onto our skin is absorbed, just as if it has been eaten, means that I question the ingredients all the time…that’s one of the reasons I like to make my own skin care products. With rice bran oil it’s that I don’t see that benefit of using such a highly refined oil when I could select another organic or nut oil that offers benefits that are lacking in the rice bran oil, as well as avoiding the possible effects of highly refined ingredients. Maybe I should have phrased it differently. 🙂
Interesting—I can definitely see where you’re coming from on that. Rice bran is a pretty “blah” oil, and I likely won’t replace it whenever it runs out. I do, however, love to try new things 😛
I’m sure you already know this and are being hyperbolic, but would like to point out that the skin definitely does not absorb everything just as if it has been eaten! If that was the case I wouldn’t be thirsty for days after taking a shower, and I would be quite rotund from all the fats I slather onto my skin. I also may as well have licked the seat of the last public toilet I used. Our skin is a great barrier from most things, and while some things can definitely make it into the blood stream through our skin (nicotine patches are a good example), that is more the exception than the rule. There’s a good article with some body product specific examples here. The gist of it is “The facts are that very little is capable of penetrating skin, and even less is absorbed into our body.” Skin is amazing stuff!
😀 Wonderful image you draw! Yes true about skin absorption. Always worth using the best ingredients you have available.
I think we can definitely agree on that 🙂
Thanks, Tina!
This sounds wonderful, but it seems like every time I try to make something, there’s a new oil to add to the already growing collection of EOs & base oils I have. I guess my question is, what is rice bran oil & what is it known to be used for? Also, what is the difference between roman chamomile and regular chamomile oil?
You can just use olive oil instead of the rice bran oil—it’s a pretty “meh” oil as far as they go, and relatively interchangeable.
Roman chamomile is Anthemis nobilis L wheras German chamomile is Matricaria chamomilla L, but the main difference is the price (Roman being WAY cheaper). If you have the more expensive stuff, feel free to use it!
I made a combination of this and your Lemony cuticle cream yesterday. I didn’t use every single ingredient but I must say that it’s divine!
Fantastic! Glad you’re enjoying your DIY efforts 🙂
I have horribly abused cuticles and am always looking for ways to soothe them. I made this up with two minor modifications. First, I subbed argan oil for rice bran oil. I meant to sub my calendula-infused olive oil, but flat-out forgot. The argan oil is nice, and I’ll try olive oil next time.
Second, I do most of my nailcare either on the bus or while waiting for the bus, just because that’s when I have a few minutes to myself. The dropper bottle seemed like way too much hassle for my habits, so I added a little pinch of beeswax to make this into a very soft salve, and poured it into a tin. It works great, since I can carry it in my pocket and massage a little in whenever I remember — on the bus, in a meeting, or just at my desk.
My cuticles do seem happier when using this (in combination with a thicker salve at night that I put on fingers and toes at night), and it’s light enough to leave my fingers non-greasy during the day.
Hi Diana! I’m glad you’re liking this, and your modifications sound great for what you need 🙂 Have you looked at my lemony cuticle butter? I keep it at my desk at work to massage in whilst brainstorming 😉
I make a similar nail oil with about 3/4 Jojoba oil, 1/4 rosehip oil, and a few drops lemon EO and Rose Geranium EO. I will add Vitamin E to the next batch – great idea.
Thanks, Pamela! Enjoy 🙂