One of the side effects of the many tablets I have to take is that I get very dry skin on my body so I have to use bath oils and moisturisers regularly. I get Oilatum on prescription from my doctor but I think it is too clinical smelling for me to include it regularly in my bathing even though it does me good. I have used Johnsons Baby Oil for many years because it is versatile and locks moisture into my skin and that is a good thing because it has kept my dry patches under control for a long time.

Johnsons Baby Oil is a clear oil and I like to add a few drops to my bath water but not too much because I do not like the water to become too oily in case I slip in the bath. The smell of the oil always puts me in mind of a freshly bathed baby and it smells a little bit floral with a talcum powder smell as well. I do not think it smells oily at all.

When I pour it into my warm bath the smell blooms stronger and makes my bathroom smell lovely. It makes my bath a bit slippery and the water feels lovely and moisturising. When I get out of the bath after I have had a soak I put my housecoat on without using a towel to dry myself and this makes sure the oil absorbs into my skin and not into the towel.

I also use Johnsons Baby Oil as a body moisturiser if I have not used any in my bath. It is best to rub it into wet skin so I get straight out of the bath and use the oil without drying myself. It feels a little bit greasy when I use it like this and I do not really like the feel of it but it is very good for my skin so I tolerate it. Rubbed into dry skin feels nicer but I think it loses some of the moisturising benefits when applied like this.

After I have used the baby oil I can see and feel a difference in the skin on my body. My dry patches are very much reduced and my skin feels soft and smooth because the oil is so moisturising. I like the smell that lingers on my skin for a while afterwards and because it is such a neutral smell it does not conflict with any body spray or perfume I have decided to wear that day.

Another use for Johnsons Baby Oil is to help with your dusting. If you pour 2 or 3 drops on a varnished pine coffee table and rub it in well with kitchen roll it will make your table lovely and shiny and makes it easier to dust for a few days afterwards. It works just as well on everything apart from metal or glass. My friend pours a little into her mop bucket when she cleans her tiled kitchen floor and it gives the tiles a beautiful lustre but I think it would make the floor too slippy for me to try this.

I have another friend who is a coloured lady and she uses this baby oil in her hair to make it shine and her hair always looks beautiful, she tells me that coloured women and Asian ladies have used Johnsons Baby Oil as a hair product for many years. I remember my daughter went through a phase of using it as a hair conditioner when she was a teenager but it made her hair very greasy so she stopped.

The baby oil costs about £1. 99 for a normal sized bottle but it is one of those items that is often on special offer in Sainsburys or Morrisons so when it is I stock up on a few bottles because I get through quite a lot of it.