SINGAPORE - What is cheap may not necessarily be good, as actress Jacelyn Tay found out the hard way.

The part-time actress and business owner of health centre Body Inc vented her frustration on Facebook last Friday, complaining that a bottle of jojoba oil her husband bought had made her eyelashes fall off.

"So fed up!!! My husband bought a so-called 100% jojoba oil from this famous USA website at US$5 for 118ml and asked me to try," Tay posted on Facebook.

"I refused cos (sic) so cheap definitely not good. He said how do you know if you never try."

Tay said she "unwillingly" tried some on only one eye, and "three lashes dropped immediately" when she tissued off the oil.

"And there was a film of oil left on my eye like those cheap thick oil for massage!"

An upset Tay added that it took weeks to grow her lashes.

Just several days earlier on July 11, Tay posted a photo of her long lashes, exclaiming that a make-up artiste had complimented her on their length.

Tay attributed the natural growth to jojoba oil, which helped her lashes grow longer within two weeks.

When contacted by Shin Min Daily News, Tay said she uses jojoba oil as a make-up remover after finding that it is not only effective, but also helps to strengthen her lashes.

She said jojoba oil is usually used as a 'base oil' to nourish hair. But it is also good on the skin as its properties are closest to the skin's natural oil or sebum.

Tay is a firm believer of the healing properties of base oils and essential oils and uses them at her health centre, which offers essential oil therapy.

But Tay said this episode has taught her that quality is more important than the price when it comes to such products.

"Price is definitely a factor when choosing a quality product. Among essential oils, jojoba oils are one of the most expensive where a 30ml bottle can easily cost between 10 to 20 dollars," she told Shin Min.

In addition, she adds that oils like avocado oil is effective when used to treat eczema, and she has seen clients at her centre who have benefitted from such treatments for their skin conditions.

Tay has no qualms about splurging on quality oils, and says they actually provide more value for money than buying cheaper products.

"If the product is not pure, you'll end up needing more of it and using it up faster. But if it is a good quality product, you just need a little for it to be effective. It's actually more economical."

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