In the unenlightened days before sunscreens and skin-cancer warnings, many a teenage tan-seeker swore by the same miracle product -- baby oil laced with a little iodine. We eventually wised up, but the damage was done. Not just to our skin, but to oil's reputation as a useful beauty ingredient. For nearly three decades, the arsenal of potions for skin and hair was dominated by creams, lotions, waxes, gels, mousses, serums and various elixirs. But hardly an oil in sight.

Now the onetime bad boy has become a golden child. Plant-based, petrochemical-free oils intended to cleanse, nourish, smooth and silken are the superstars of several organic beauty lines, from Dr. Hauschka to upscale Brit imports Bamford, Ren, Nude and Mama Mio. And antioxidant-rich argan oil (from the nuts of trees in Morocco's Atlas Mountains) is the hero in Kiehl's Superbly Restorative Argan Dry Oil and Moroccan Oil, a hair treatment voted Product You Can't Live Without at the annual Stylist Choice Awards.

Here's a moisturizing sampler:

• Kiehl's fragrant essence oils date to the 1920s, but the classic amber vials now come with roller-ball tips for spill-proof portability. $25 each, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom and Ampersand.

• Macerated tiare (Tahitian gardenia) and refined coconut extract give Nars Monoi Body Glow II its heady, tropical-paradise scent. $59, Sephora and www.narscosmetics.com.

• Helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed oil leads the ingredients list of Bamford Rosemary Organic Nourishing Body Oil, with 99 percent organic components. $72, Neiman Marcus.

• Rub Nude Cleansing Facial Oil between palms, massage onto dry skin, then add warm water to form a light, detergent-free milk rich in omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E. $52, Barneys New York (www.barneys.com).

• Invigorating Dr. Hauschka Lemon Lemongrass Body Oil combines organic sunflower seed and jojoba oils with extracts of lemon, lemongrass and mistletoe. $29, Whole Foods Market and www.drhauschka.com.

• Added to the bath or smoothed on damp skin after a shower, REN Moroccan Rose Otto Ultra-Nourishing Body Oil not only softens and moisturizes, it smells like roses. $65, www.renskincare.com.

• Restore shine to dull, dry hair with Phyto Huile d'Ales, a hydrating pre-shampoo treatment with essential plant oils of castor, sage, rosemary, juniper berries and lemon. 5-ampul pack, $28, Sephora and Nordstrom.

• Made in Israel, Moroccan Oil absorbs quickly and leaves hair frizz-free, polished and protected against UV damage with linseed extracts and aragania spinoza kernel oil (aragan oil). $28, www.amazon.com.

• Mama Mio Tummy Rub Stretch Mark Oil pampers pregnant (or not) tummies with a blend of sweet almond, borage, wheat germ and rosehip seed oils. $35, www.mamamio.com.

• Used before shampooing, Phyto Phytonectar Ultra-Nourishing Oil Treatment with egg yolk oil helps restore the lipid and protein deficiencies in ultra-dry hair. $30, Sephora and Nordstrom.