Functional Friday No. 10

Olive Oil.

This common household item has been super functional in my house these past 2 weeks.

Did you know you can use it to clean the meconium (baby's first poop) off babies' little bottoms? It removes the tar like substance without any issues. It is also good at treating diaper rash.

It also is good for lubrication of baby's skin. You can use it on their head if they're getting cradle cap. And it's great for giving baby massages. The reason we use this instead of harsh lotions or soaps is because it's safe to eat. As a general rule, you don't want to put anything on a baby that you wouldn't eat- the reason for this is that we absorb so much sub lingually (through our skin) that we shouldn't put anything on their body that isn't edible.

For the non-parents out there;

You can use it as furniture polish. You can also use it in your bath to help soften your skin. It works well at stopping a squeaky door or hinge. I use it to clean the wax pencil (a.k.a. grease pencil/china marker) off of various surfaces once the labeling is no longer necessary. When you get paint (spray or otherwise) on your skin, olive oil on a washcloth or cotton ball will remove it. Obviously, it also is used wonderfully for cooking, for adding to pasta water while boiling, or as a butter substitution and more. I also just read it is great at treating light burns (aloe vera is the first option but olive oil is so common you might have access to it first).

Happy Olive Oiling and Functional Friday!