Black Castor Oil for Hair Growth and Hair Health

Table Of Content

• What is the best type of castor oil to use?
• Choosing a product
• Face Yoga Exercises for Fuller, Firmer Cheeks & Tighter Skin
• Benefits of Castor Oil for Hair Growth (and More)
• Castor Oil for Hair Growth: The Benefits, Risks, and How to Use It
• Best Castor Oil Shampoo and Conditioner
• Can it benefit hair health in other ways?

Pros like Chaz Dean, founder of WEN and celebrity hairstylist and colorist, tout the benefits of the ingredient. “Castor oil used to be a guarded secret to help hair growth and I got on the train a long time ago when creating my brand. Now it’s well known and trending because it truly does work miracles! “With careful application, the oil can provide improved growth to hairs with shorter growth phases such as lashes and brows, which tend to fall out naturally at about 100 days,” says Dr. Thosani. She recommends using a clean mascara wand, spoolie, or brow brush for precise application.

What is the best type of castor oil to use?

If you have fine-to-medium hair that’s prone to greasiness, smooth castor oil through your mid-lengths to ends and let it sit for 10 minutes before shampooing. But if your hair is a medium-to-thick texture, you can massage castor oil into your roots and smooth it through your ends, leaving it on for up to an hour (or overnight) before rinsing. Hill also suggests sitting under a bonnet hair-dryer to help the oil better penetrate your hair. Castor oil is a nutrient-dense oil extracted from pressed seeds of the castor oil plant Ricinus communis, which is mainly grown in India, South America, Africa, and China. The produced oil typically has a pale-yellow or almost colorless appearance with a subtle mild scent.

Choosing a product

After being extracted from the seeds, the oil is filtered and steamed to remove ricin, a toxic component that could cause rancidity. What’s left is a vegetable oil rich in compounds such as ricinoleic acid, linoleic acid, stearic acid, proteins, antioxidants and more. Both Ruggeri and Dr. Clay agree that it’s a good idea to wash the oil out—not doing this can make your strands feel excessively greasy and heavy, and it can also make styling your hair more challenging. “Finish off with a clarifying shampoo and nourishing conditioner,” Ruggeri says.

Face Yoga Exercises for Fuller, Firmer Cheeks & Tighter Skin

While this may not be as strong a delivery method as a castor oil pack, it often relieves sprains, strains, and sore joints. These are pieces of fabric, usually cotton or wool, soaked in castor oil. Some people think castor oil's antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and moisturizing effects could help fight acne. The oil may help to prevent infection by keeping the wounds moist, while the ricinoleic acid reduces inflammation. Therefore, it is important to perform a patch test before applying it to your scalp.

Benefits of Castor Oil for Hair Growth (and More)

There is a lack of qualified studies on black castor oil and its effect on human hair. I split my head open when I was younger, requiring 8 staples in my scalp. Where the scar is, I have a patch of super-curly hair that falls in a perfect ringlet, even though the rest of my hair is wavy/straight.

Castor Oil for Hair Growth: The Benefits, Risks, and How to Use It

They found that 'T' cell Lymphocytes accumulate in the thousands where a castor oil pack is applied. The castor oil does not osmose into the skin, it is too viscous, however, it acts as a giant ultrasound unit attracting the 'T' cell to the area which do the healing. Use fingers to gently massage a few drops of castor oil to the face at bedtime. By morning, the oil has usually been wholly absorbed into the skin. Castor oil on the face the night before can also make makeup application smooth in the morning and makeup removal quick at the end of the day. If you cannot do a castor oil pack, massage the castor oil into the skin where you have pain.

“Overuse and improper hair washing of castor oil may also lead to build up, which may also contribute to irritation and breakouts,” she says. For a more customized treatment, you can mix castor oil with other carrier oils, like jojoba oil or coconut oil, to help dilute it and thin the consistency, suggests Burrell, which will make it easier to use, even on fine hair. On the other hand, if you want a richer formula, mix castor oil with olive oil for a major deep-conditioning hair treatment (definitely skip this one on fine or low-porosity hair, though). You could use castor oil for hair loss, but you’d be better off talking to your healthcare provider about therapies that are proven to get results.

Can it benefit hair health in other ways?

“I’ve had progress with a rosemary oil spray (witch hazel, tea tree oil, lavender, and rosemary), spray on a morning close to the roots, and wash that night. She shared a photo of her thinning tresses in October, a snap of how much hair was falling out each time it was washed, and a recent photo showing the regrowth. Cover it with a tube bandage or otherwise wrap it with a bit of K-tape to hold everything in place, if necessary. I personally have used it for an abscess in my teeth, more than once.

15 Best Hair Growth Oils of 2024, According to Experts - Town & Country

15 Best Hair Growth Oils of 2024, According to Experts.

Posted: Tue, 20 Feb 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]

There is no scientific evidence showing that castor oil can promote hair growth. Some people claim castor oil's benefits for hair are related to its potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Antioxidants keep free radicals from damaging the body's healthy cells. This destructive process is called oxidative stress, and it's linked to many health effects, including hair loss. I have recently been using the lamp as a means of Castor Oil application, with the thought that it might produce deeper penetration (and much less mess) than simple Castor Oil packs. I just slap some on my skin and apply the light for 20min-1hr, then wipe/wash it off.

If you’re dealing with hair loss or thinning, the best castor oils might be the underrated hair growth product to try, especially as an alternative for pricey in-office treatments. The rich, multipurpose oil has gone viral for its ability to revive hair on the scalp, eyebrows, and lashes, with many crediting it as the catalyst for longer, fuller locks. Which raises the question, is there actual science backing up these claims or is it simply a beauty myth? With a healthy bit of skepticism, we reached out to dermatologists to find out more about castor oil’s benefits. Despite it not being a reliable hair growth treatment, castor oil can be a worthwhile ingredient for scalp and hair health.

It can be difficult to decipher which are viral but baseless trends versus those that can truly deliver stellar hydrating, soothing, and strengthening results for your strands. The biggest risk of using castor oil on your hair is potential scalp acne and build-up, since it’s so rich and occlusive. Castor oil is a vegetable oil derived from castor beans that’s usually colorless, but can also be yellow or deep brown, depending on how it’s made. Jamaican black castor oil is one of the more popular variations and has a thicker consistency, due to the fact that it’s boiled with ash, giving it a warm, roasted scent. It seems as if every other day there's a new skin or hair ingredient en vogue that's suddenly deemed the miracle worker we've been waiting for. Considering that we live in the age of TikTok and light-speed trend cycles, this isn't necessarily surprising, but it does make us question what does and doesn't work.

Note that the numbers in parentheses (1, 2, etc.) are clickable links to medically peer-reviewed studies. Before bed, dip a clean spoolie brush or Q-tip lightly in castor oil (you only need the smallest amount) and carefully swipe it along your lash line, making sure to avoid getting it in your eye. In the morning, wash your face with your regular cleanser to remove any excess oil. Castor oil is best used on those with dry or flaky scalps and brittle hair—it is an oil, so it might be overkill for use on those who already have oily hair.

Otherwise it can spill into the eye, which can irritate the eye due to the oily residue. If you’re looking for a lash-growth-specific product, check out our list of best eyelash serums. Castor oil was also linked to a case of acute hair matting, a rare disorder of the scalp and hair.

“I also noticed that my hairline at both sides was seriously receding and that the rest of my hair was just covering up these almost-bald patches. She revealed how she restored her locks in a post on Reddit’s Haircare forum. I saw a infrared device in a chiropractors office but expensive model. Instead of someone paying $50 a treatment, I had them use this cheap device themselves and they got positive results. Get a small cotton ball and soak it in Caster Oil and wedge it on the tooth, do this as many times as needed. Castor oil is approved by the FDA as a temporary treatment for constipation, but it isn't suitable for long-term use.

This potent oil is not only easily accessible and affordable but also uncomplicated. You can enjoy the myriad benefits of castor oil without ingesting it. Castor oil has been used for centuries to treat constipation and may be a good natural moisturizer for your skin and scalp. But there's not much scientific evidence for other possible health benefits. Research in animals shows that ricinoleic acid may help fight swelling and pain caused by inflammation when applied to your skin. One study in people found it was as effective at treating symptoms of knee arthritis as a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID).

The CDC also indicates that ricin has been the focus of medical experiments to kill cancer cells. Katie Wells, CTNC, MCHC, Founder of Wellness Mama and Co-founder of Wellnesse, has a background in research, journalism, and nutrition. As a mom of six, she turned to research and took health into her own hands to find answers to her health problems.