Open, Sesame!

I am not sure why that treasure trove in 1001 Nights (or Arabian Nights, as they are called) responded to the name of Sesame - I might investigate it, in which case I'll post it here - but I can assure you from personal experience that its oily namesake does "open" - or"close", if needed - a few ducts in your body that need to be clean and smooth for your health to improve and your beauty to flourish.

SESAME OIL

If I were to choose and keep just one oil from among the many that we can choose from today, it would be sesame oil. It doesn't go bad nearly as quickly as almond oil and some other oils, it makes a very good base for essential oils (for therapeutic purposes, not for perfumes), I find its taste very pleasant, it contains seven times more calcium than milk - and it features a remarkable ability to "draw out" impurities from the body.

In fact, in regions where water is scarce people often use sesame oil to wash themselves.
(My favourite method would be the one that I used in the deserts of the Middle East: I smeared my body with sesame oil, all over, and after a few minutes I used the fine sands of the dunes to scrape it off, followed by a good rub with a towel. I did this in the evening, of course - it's not a good idea to have that scorching sun get you well oiled, unless you are actually edible...)

Incidentally, oiling was the method that athletes, among other people, used in antiquity to remove dirt from their bodies and keep the skin healthy. First, they smeared their body with perfumed oil, then scraped it off with a strigil, a scraping blade. Water was often used to finish the procedure, but it is not indispensable.

A very famous representation of the procedure is the Apoxyomenos ("The Scraper"), a Roman copy (around 20 B.C.) of a Greek original from the 4th century B.C. by Lysippos.
And here is another, much "fancier" (and, not surprisingly, artistically much less respected) depiction, this time from the all-romanticising 19th century (1879), by Alma Tadema.

Sesame oil is particularly effective for hygienic purposes because it seems to draw out the impurities (although there could be other explanations for its efficacy).
Even more than that, it can help cure certain skin conditions. And it does that because it detoxifies the body.

Indeed, the use of sesame oil is a standard recommendation in Ayurveda.
(Personally, I am not too crazy about Ayurveda; its precepts and countless limitations based on just three body "types" - and I, typically, seem to combine the features of all three in perfectly equal proportions! - seem much too dogmatic for my taste. But I'll be the first to admit that my reticence might have something to do with the fact that the person who introduced me to it was a total... well, jerk. And not a particularly healthy one, either. However, he did not actually practice this procedure, so his example - or the lack thereof - means nothing in this context.)

The Ayurveda recommends "oiling" oneself - specifically, with sesame oil - every day, including the oral cavity (AKA mouth).

This last step, a very simple (although not always practical) procedure, could make a difference in your health, so you may want to take note of it:

Take a tablespoon of unrefined sesame oil and put it into your mouth, then swish the oil - forcefully and as thoroughly as you can - around your oral cavity for as long as you can; 15-20 minutes is the usually recommended time. (You can do it, as I do, while watching TV.)
When you're done, spit it out.
(The oil should have become milky white.)

DO NOT SWALLOW IT.

And be sure to rinse your mouth as thoroughly as possible - preferably with salt water and/or some baking soda (they destroy bacteria) - afterwards, to finish off the nasties that you have "pulled" out of your body.


This kills off bacteria (and thus odours), strengthens the teeth and seems to have a very good effect on the health of the gums. It also helps detox the entire body.

And it seems "the West" has caught up with this ancient practice.
There is a procedure called "oil pulling", which is exactly what I have described above - only, it is not confined to the use of sesame oil.
A new fad?
Based strictly on my personal experience, I don't think it is. If you are interested, be sure to research it; meanwhile, here is a website featuring not only the procedure itself but also some interesting comments from actual users.

And finally, with winter approaching, you might be interested to know that sesame oil does a very good job of protecting the skin against the elements.

For facial care, you can apply it alone or with added essential oils (more on this in the future).
Do not be afraid of its "greasiness"; it absorbs relatively quickly, and any excess oil you can simply wipe off with a tissue.

Because of its penetrating qualities you can, obviously, use it for cleansing the skin.

For hair care, rub your scalp with sesame oil approximately two hours before washing it.
Here, too, you can add essential oils: for example, two drops of 100% pure rosemary essential oil, to reinvigorate the blood circulation and prevent hair loss.
(Again, more on this in the future... at which time I might reveal my personal secret for sweet-smelling and alluring hair. :)

If you persist - and assuming you don't have any health conditions that would make the use of sesame oil impracticable for you - I think you may find that "Sesame" can indeed help you make at least some of your wishes come true... :)