Castor Oil for Eyelashes, Hair, Eyebrows, Skin and Nails

The demand for castor oil has increased significantly in recent years. The oil is a real all-rounder and is increasingly perceived as a natural cosmetic product. Find out how castor oil works and where you can use it here.

Castor oil is a vegetable oil extracted from the seeds of the castor bean, also known as the miracle tree or Ricinus communis. The thick, transparent to yellowish oil is produced in India, Brazil, Vietnam, South Africa and China, among other countries.

The seeds of the castor contain oil and aqueous components. After pressing, the castor oil is refined, i.e. treated, to get rid of the toxic, but also water-soluble and heat-sensitive protein ricin contained in the seeds. The castor oil thus obtained is therefore not toxic.

The oil has a faint and characteristic odor and has a shelf life of six to eight months if stored at room temperature in a brown bottle.

Effects and applications of castor oil

The areas of application are diverse. The castor oil is used both internally and externally. In the Middle Ages it was still used as a fuel, and since the 18th century it has been used in medicine as a laxative. It is now mainly produced for industrial, medical and cosmetic applications.

Cold-pressed castor oil has particularly good results in the treatment of skin and hair. You can find out below which areas of application are also included and how they work.

1. Skin care

Effect

Castor oil is hard to imagine skin care without it. This is mainly due to the fact that the oil brings a lot of positive properties. It is moisturizing and has an antioxidant effect. Castor oil penetrates deep into the skin, it protects your skin from environmental influences and skin aging, it also stimulates collagen production.

• By using castor oil, small wrinkles and dark circles under the eyes are reduced and the skin becomes firmer and softer overall.
• In lip care, castor oil is mainly contained in lipsticks. The oil provides better adhesion to the lips and gives the lips shine.
• Using the oil on scarred areas is said to keep scars supple.
• When the oil is used on skin problems such as extremely dry or flaky skin, redness and irritation, and atopic dermatitis, the skin regenerates thanks to the high ricinoleic acid content.
• Castor oil is also said to produce positive results in the treatment of warts.
• Another advantage: the ricinoleic acid has an anti-inflammatory effect, so that bacteria that cause acne are fought.

Use of castor oil

1. Massage the castor oil onto the skin in circular motions.
2. Leave it to work overnight.
3. Wash off the castor oil with cold water the next morning.

Tip: When used regularly, castor oil is said to help fade age spots. To do this, you can apply the oil to the affected areas twice a day after cleansing your face with a cotton pad, massage it in and leave it on for ten minutes. After that, you can apply your day or night cream care to the skin as usual.

2. Eyelash and eyebrow care

Effect

Castor oil is free of chemical additives, so the oil is ideal for eyelash care. Castor oil provides a pleasant shine in addition to long and full eyelashes.

Also in the eyebrow care the oil should not be missing, because castor oil not only cares for the eyebrows, it also strengthens the eyebrow growth.

Tip: Please test before use on the eye whether you are allergic to the castor oil. To do this, apply a few drops of the castor oil to another part of the body and wait a few minutes.

Use of castor oil

1. Apply the oil with an eyelash brush.
2. Be careful not to get the castor oil in your eyes.
3. Let it sit for an hour or two before removing it with a damp cloth.

3. Nail care

Effect

Do not only use castor oil on cracked, dry and brittle nails, because the oil is generally very suitable for nail care. Castor oil supplies the nails and the nail bed with moisture and makes the nails shine again.

Use of castor oil

1. Massage the oil into the nail and cuticle.
2. Leave it to act for 20 minutes.
3. Is not all absorbed? No problem! Simply wipe off the remains with a cotton pad.

4. Hair care

Effect

Whether as an additive in treatments and shampoos or pure, the multi-talent castor oil is very popular in hair care. Primarily, agents with castor oil are used for brittle, dry or dull hair. Castor oil intensively moisturizes the hair, gives them suppleness and a beautiful shine. But the oil also helps against dandruff and is said to make the hair thicker.

Use of castor oil

1. Wash your hair with a mild hair shampoo then put some castor oil in your palms and then put the warmed castor oil into your hair.
2. Massage it into the scalp.
3. Leave the oil on for up to two hours and wash it off with a sulfate-free shampoo and lukewarm water.

The result will convince you. Your hair will be softer and shinier. If your scalp was irritated or sensitive before, it will now calm down.

Tip: If you want to use castor oil as a cure, leave it in your hair overnight, wrap it with a towel and wash it out thoroughly with shampoo the next morning.

Castor oil quality levels

There are three processes for obtaining castor oil: cold pressing, hot pressing and extraction from the press cake. In this way, oils of different quality are produced.

• Cold pressing: In this type of production, the seeds are first peeled and then pressed out in a single pass. Often the castor oil is still filtered, which is then reflected in the color of the castor oil.
  Cold-pressed castor oil is also known as virgin castor oil. It corresponds to the first quality level and is therefore the highest quality oil, since the oil is not heated and during the process it retains all the high-quality ingredients. These include ricinoleic acid, vitamin E and essential fatty acids. Only a small amount of castor oil is ever obtained per process, and this is reflected in the high price.
• Hot pressing: Hot pressing is the next lower quality stage, but is more productive than cold pressing. The seeds are heated and then pressed with screw presses.
• Press cake: The residue of pressing from the previous process is the press cake. It contains only 10 percent of the oil. The castor oil can still be chemically extracted, but the oil then corresponds to the lowest quality grade.

What is hydrogenated castor oil?

This type of castor oil is hardened castor oil. This is often also referred to as castor wax. The oil is used in the pharmaceutical sector, in industry and in cosmetics.

In the International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients, INCI for short, the name of the product is Hydrogenated Castor Oil. The Pharma Index lists, among others, 457 preparations containing hydrogenated castor oil.

When should you avoid castor oil?

Keep in mind that home remedies can also have side effects and are generally not always suitable for everyone.

In the case of internal treatment, it is very important that you only take the castor oil for a short time in order to avoid possible negative effects on your body.

• Pregnant women should resort to other products if they are constipated. The reason: Castor oil can trigger labor.
• Castor oil should not be used in acute inflammatory diseases such as intestinal obstruction and appendicitis.
  The ricinoleic acid contained in castor oil is released in the small intestine by the body’s own enzymes. The acid irritates the intestinal lining and produces an enlarged and softened amount of stool. The acid also has a laxative effect.
• Castor oil should also be avoided in the case of biliary tract diseases, abdominal pain with an unexplained cause and lack of fluids.
• Castor oil is not suitable for treatment in children under the age of 12.