When I was younger, I studied ancient cultures.

I know that (at the very least) the ancient Mesopotamians, Phoenetians, Greeks &
Romans are known to all have used oil scraping (Romans are known to have done it at least weekly) for health and cleanliness reasons, not necessarily beautification purposes. Romans also would swish oil around their mouths, spit it out and then use sticks to "brush their teeth" afterward for "mouth cleanliness."

Some museums with large collections of ephemora have oil scrapers on display. I've seen them on display in Rome, Paris, London and NYC. There's still a lot that was known in those cultures that we're (re)discovering today, since so much knowledge was lost as the ancient libraries were destroyed.

I was going to post earlier but kept forgetting.

Hope this helps.

No Scale

You must read about Ayurveda. Oil is used extensively in their healing modalities.

Here are a few that they mention:

Hibiscus oil is used in the hair to help the brain.

Calamus oil helps balance and concentrate the brain.

Oils prepared from plant alkalis has been used to treat skin eruptions and earache

Bilva oil is used to treat deafness

Chandanbalalakshadi Oil applied to the chest and forehead for bronchitis, respiratory disease, fever, cough, consumption and pain

Jatyadi Oil (which includes copper sulphate) and Nirgundi Oil for skin diseases

Mahamasha Oil (usually contains goat's flesh) is used in paralysis and body pain

Narayana Oil - also for paralysis, body pains and is good for fertility

Vishagarbha Oil contains poisons like Oleander is applied to ama-obstructed joints to help pierce obstructions

In Kerala the art of medicating oil has been perfected. Some pharmacies in that state produce more than one hundred different varities of medicated oils.

Bala Oil for fertility, to cure exhaustion, especially after giving birth.

Ganda Oil applied to fractures, sprains and strains to help them heal more quickly.

Kshira Oil - for acute and chronic rheumatism, facial paralysis

There are also medicated Ghees usually taken with milk.

The lists go on and on.

I'm so excited, I just found an Ayurveda store right in my neighborhood. It's in a very very strange place, right next to Strictly To Go Pizza.....! I'm going to check them out this week.

Molly

That's interesting that you mentioned oil massages. I've heard before that the way to know if you've had a really good massage is because you have a real urgent need to go to the bathroom afterwards. Massages are used to draw toxins out of your body & I wonder if it's purely the massage or the oil that's causing the toxins to be expelled. Could be a combination of both. Another great reason to run out & get a massage. :-)

btw, had my second pull this morning. Didn't notice much else except that my teeth continue to look whiter which is great! Had planned on getting some whitening strips but now that $$ can go towards something else.

I try to do an all over sesame oil massage daily. Like you, I don't have time to wait, but haven't read that you need to wait. My understanding is that you rub it all over with the most time and attention to your head and feet. I can't say that I've noticed any miracle cures, but I've stopped nearly all cleansers and anti-aging stuff and my skin feels at least as good as it did before. I pulled with coconut oil last night for the first time and while I was at it put a spoon full on my scalp. Woke up this morning with hair like Farrah Fawcett. Not really, just a fantasy. I still have thin hair.