How do you apply your BPAL oils?

[plainjean]

I hardly ever put oil in my hair, because it always has the possibility of making my hair really oily if I accidentally put in too much. But when I do it, I put a little in the palm of my (clean) hand and rub my hands together and then run that through the ends of my hair (I choose the ends because those are drier than the rest of my hair. Therefore they won't get as greasy as easily as the rest. Also, they could use the extra moisture ). I just find that easier than running the wand through my hair, which never seems to distribute the oil evenly enough for my liking (On my hair, I mean! I love wands for skin application, haha).

[cupcakegernade]

I just place a finger over the opening and flip it. Then I rub that on my wrist, neck, and inner part of mt elbows. However, I am so scared of knocking my bottles over, as I flip them a good two or three times (slather here ) I really want to invest in reducer caps, I think I will sleep better knowing my smellies are safe from my clumsy mitts .

[rhetoricians]

I've purchased some 5 mls lately and am waiting for some wand caps (my weapon of choice for applying), but now I am stuck trying to figure out how to apply my lovely new bottle of Metal Rabbit! How do you apply your bottles without the aid of a wand cap? I feel like I'm missing something obvious!

[EmpressPixie]

You aren't missing anything obvious. I turn mine upside down (gently) and then right side up again. Then I use a q-tip to grab whatever is on the lid and dab that on my skin.

 

Except for Eat Me which is so hardcore mine and I will never, ever, ever sell. That one I stick my finger on the end up and upturn. Then I dab some all over me: wrists and hair.

 

Some people use a toothpick inserted into the oil.

 

Some people insert the q-tip into the oil, but I always worry it will soak up too much.

 

Some people use a cotton ball or cotton pad.

 

Edited to add: With the exception of the Eat Me example, all of these are "clean" ways to use oil -- your own body oils never come into contact with the oil. That both means that your body chemistry doesn't alter it and that you can sell it later if your tastes change and you don't love something anymore.

Edited May 23, 2011 by EmpressPixie

[Mellifluous]

the top actually has a little dot thing that slightly protrudes.

ETA: You might have to push it into your skin a bit, but it works (although not really for slathering )

Edited May 23, 2011 by Mellifluous

[hkath]

I use plastic stir sticks/straws, you can get them in the coffee section of the supermarket for about $0.99 per pack of 100. Just dip one end in slightly (very slightly, as the straw bits really suck up oil) and then apply wherever you want. You can even snip off the used part of the stick and reuse the rest later, if you remember to do it before losing track of which end had the oil on it. I've been a BPALer for a year and I'm only on my second package of sticks.

[meaganola]

There's a whole thread for this over in the BPAL FAQ section right here.

[ljaylh]

There's a whole thread for this over in the BPAL FAQ section right here.

 

SNAP! I was just about to post that

 

And there's also a "Where do you apply your oils" thread, in case anyone was wondering about that too

[Monday]

Maybe weird place to post this but how do you get an unwanted scent off your skin? I have tried different soaps but some scents (Celeste ) just tend to stick around. Any recommendations?

[Penance]

I find castile soap (I use Dr. Bronner's unscented liquid soap) works well for removing stubborn oils. I also find that using a bath poof seems to help, rather than just lathering with my hands.

 

It might take a few tries with some scents, but it's the best way I've found to get rid of scents that don't want to wash off. YMMV, of course, but it works for me.

[Slackerdemonchild]

Okay, I heard that it was bad to apply the oils directly to the skin, because of the essential oils. Are you supposed to cut it with carrier oils? And which ones would you reccomend if needed?

[saralaughs]

I don't cut my Bpal oils. I don't really have any allergies to watch out for either so YMMV.

[KingMobUK]

Okay, I heard that it was bad to apply the oils directly to the skin, because of the essential oils. Are you supposed to cut it with carrier oils? And which ones would you reccomend if needed?

 

I would guess that the Lab try to blend their oils in such a way that they would not "burn" like some essential oils can (though not all do - it depends on the oil). If you have very sensitive skin then it might be best to test each oil (not all at once!) in a very small amount on your skin and check for a reaction. My skin can sometimes be prone to contact allergies of various kinds, including plants and vegetation, but I have not yet had a problem with BPAL, or Possets, or Nocturne Alchemy or any other of the reputable perfume oil companies whose imps have crossed my path. If you are worried, or know for sure that you always have a problem with oils, you could consider investing in a scent locket which will keep the oil away from your skin (though obviously be careful about what metal you buy if you also have issues with THOSE, like I do )

Edited June 19, 2011 by KingMobUK

[KingMobUK]

How do I apply it? Hm, well that varies. If I am testing an imp for the first time I use the wand and then wipe it clean before replacing the cap. This is because they are the items I am most likely to later pass on. Though to be honest I have acquired most of my imps second-hand so I can't vouch for all of them fully.

 

With bottles, I have started to test with a plastic straw or something similar for the first couple of wears. If I adore them and have no intention of trading them, after that I go straight for applying with a finger since I am something of a slatherer (my skin eats up oils), though I generally dislike the scent to linger on my fingers, so I am looking to switch to using glass essential oil mixing rods instead when I can find some at a reasonable price. I never apply on top of recently applied lotions because I have always been a bit fussy about mixing things in that way and my current lotions are themselves scented. I like to apply to skin that I have recently washed or at least wiped over with a damp cloth (this doesn't go for reapplying during the day, of course, and I have now acquired some decanting supplies so that I can make myself an imp for that purpose where I don't already have one.

 

Again, most of my bottles are pre-loved and some from ebay - so they have variably traceable ancestry.But I'm not really too worried about it, to be honest. I try to pick up partials to start with and If I like a scent enough the chances are that I will go after a full backup in any case. Where that happens, I think that now I am starting to acquire a decent collection I will follow Chaoskitty's example from a few pages back of decanting an imp to use and leaving the bottle untouched - then topping the imp up as needed. I'll feel better then about offering people decants with confidence of their purity.

[meaganola]

I don't cut my Bpal oils. I don't really have any allergies to watch out for either so YMMV.

 

Strangely, I don't cut the ones that burn my skin (typically, the ones with cassia and/or cinnamon), but I do cut TKO because the scent is *potent*, and I always forget just how strong it is when I slather it on my wrist. I tend to sleep with my wrist next to my face, so if it's too strong, it can actually keep me awake, which pretty much defeats the purpose of wearing it. I use jojoba oil, and I mix it in a half-and-half-ish ratio in a rollerball. This was the first oil that I put in a rollerball because I was concerned I would dump an entire bottle all over my bed if I tried applying directly from a bottle, but it turns out that rollerballs are the best way for me to apply oil.

 

Only my very favorites go into a rollerball, though. The ones I use will hold about half a bottle of oil, and that will last me at least a year. I don't go through oil quickly, to put it mildly (I still have half a bottle of my very favorite Halloweenie: Dia de los Muertos 2005, which I got a little over three years ago in a Lab auction). If I only have a decant/imp or bottle of something, unless it's a decant I made for going-out-this-one-particular-evening purposes, I go the straw-style coffee/cocktail stirrer route (unless it turns out to be a new favorite GC, in which case I sometimes start a new rollerball and add imps to it as I collect them). I picked up a box of them at Cash & Carry a couple of years ago, and I don't think I've gone through even half of the box.

[changeling]

Maybe weird place to post this but how do you get an unwanted scent off your skin?

 

My friend and I discovered that standard hand sanitizer works well for removing unwanted scent. She tried one of my BPAL scents and began breaking out--I tossed her a bottle of hand sanitizer, she rubbed that on, washed it off, and quickly recovered. Just to save BPAL's reputation, this friend is allergic to a panoply of items, and this was back when she seemed to develop a new allergy every month (I wish I were kidding about that).

 

Anything that removes other oils, such as poison ivy, should also work--Dawn dish detergent, for example. You know, I'm sure I could put this more diplomatically, but it's late and I'm tired. Thus, my apologies to the Lab. I love the Lab, it's my sole supplier of scented delights. I would never intentionally draw invidious comparisons without disclaimers, so please consider the appropriate riders attached to this reply. Thanks.

[KingMobUK]

changeling, I don't think anyone will take it that way. I certainly didn't - I used to have a friend who joked they were "allergic to everything except water and tea" and I am fairly sure that would sadly include pretty much any perfumes, oils or otherwise. At least I don't recall them ever wearing any or having any around the house of any description. They couldn't even use allergy-free soap.

[halation]

Is there a way to clean wand caps and re-use them / put them on different bottles without cross-contamination? I just got my first batch of wand caps and it turns out I didn't order enough. I realised I'd rather have one on a bottle I frequently use... but I put it on another bottle first, and it was on there for a day and now has that scent. I've rinsed and dried it, but is there anything else I could do?

[evanesce]

halation -- wash it with dawn dish soap like mentioned above. It really does eat oil. And once it's dry it should be fine.. You can see if they have an unscented version too.

[halation]

I think it worked! Awesome. Thanks.

 

halation -- wash it with dawn dish soap like mentioned above. It really does eat oil. And once it's dry it should be fine.. You can see if they have an unscented version too.

[Cocoa]

Someone mentioned here but I can't find the post, I use beverage stirrers.

I bought a bag of 50 plastic stirrers at wal mart for a dollar something and they work sooo perfect, the plus side it's I don't have to wash them I just clean them very well with a paper towel, then use another paper towel to wrap it, and label it with the name of the oil that just used on it.

[stellamaris]

Open bottle. Douse liberally.

I am a big time slatherer. That is not a word, BTW.

I use my finger, or if I am just testing, a q tip.

I am just talking about big bottles.

I also put a bunch in my hands and run it through my hair. My skin drinks up the oils PDQ.

[arrow]

Open bottle. Douse liberally.

I am a big time slatherer. That is not a word, BTW.

I use my finger, or if I am just testing, a q tip.

I am just talking about big bottles.

I also put a bunch in my hands and run it through my hair. My skin drinks up the oils PDQ.

 

 

I am curious-- how long does it take you to go through a bottle?

 

I haven't had most of my bottles long enough to gauge how quickly I'm using them. Once I'm not living on the beach (seriously, frequent ocean swims are not good if you want to wear perfume, though I would note that Snake Oil lasted pretty well through a 10 minute dip) I will be a slatherer, I'm sure. I don't care if it isn't a word; I like it!

 

Personally, I'm using toothpicks at the moment, mostly cause I'm testing. It doesn't waste too much oil like a q tip can and doesn't contaminate. Plus, I don't feel too bad throwing them away. I've ordered a bunch of wandcaps, though, so will be using those soon.

[stellamaris]

Arrow, truthfully I have not gone through a bottle yet. Many imps indeed, but no bottles. My bottle of Crib Girls is down to the bottom sixth, and I was gifted that about 3/4ths full. I do have a whole boat load of bottles though, some that I was gifted (one of my BFs has been trying to get me into BPAL for years, finally she won as you can see) and some that I have bought.

My Attention Deficit Disorder (diagnosed, documented) dictates that I don't use any one regularly, there is a rotation.

[arrow]

Arrow, truthfully I have not gone through a bottle yet. Many imps indeed, but no bottles. My bottle of Crib Girls is down to the bottom sixth, and I was gifted that about 3/4ths full. I do have a whole boat load of bottles though, some that I was gifted (one of my BFs has been trying to get me into BPAL for years, finally she won as you can see) and some that I have bought.

My Attention Deficit Disorder (diagnosed, documented) dictates that I don't use any one regularly, there is a rotation.

 

Glad to hear it; there is some hope for my bottles, then! Thanks for the response!