How Castor Oil Can Benefit Your Beauty and Health

Castor oil has been a medicinal staple for thousands of years. In fact, in ancient Egypt, castor oil was a commonly used medicine and beauty product, even helping to induce labor for pregnant women. It’s also believed that Cleopatra used it to brighten the whites of her eyes!

Primarily grown in Africa, South America and India, this thick, odorless oil remains a popular product today, an ingredient found in many skin and hair products. It’s available in its original form, as well as the popularized Jamaican black castor oil , which comes from the same castor bean but is processed by roasting the beans and using heat to extract the oil.

If you’re wondering whether or not to incorporate any variation of castor oil into your wellness routine, here’s everything you need to know about its benefits.

Castor Oil Benefits

Among the countless benefits castor oil provides, it’s FDA-approved as a powerful natural laxative. Working by stimulating muscle movement in the intestines, it can relieve anything from mild to severe constipation and is even used for cleansing your colon before a procedure like a colonoscopy. It’s important to be cautious with how much you use, however, as too much castor oil can cause abdominal cramping and diarrhea.

Beyond that, castor oil is also essential for the following benefits:

• Wound healing
• Inducing labor
• Treating eczema
• Anti-inflammatory effects
• Immune system boost
• Preventing wrinkles and reducing puffiness
• Source of Vitamin E and Omega-3

Castor Oil for Skin

Suffering from dry skin? No problem. Castor oil is rich in ricinoleic acid, a monounsaturated fatty acid known for its moisturizing properties. It can be coated anywhere in the body, a natural alternative to store-bought lotion. Because it can potentially be irritating to sensitive skin, it works best when diluted alongside another neutral oil like coconut oil, almond oil or olive oil, or simply patch tested in smaller quantities.

Castor oil’s antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects can also help fight stubborn acne, reducing pores and preventing clogging. Its range of antioxidants helps to fight the free radicals responsible for accelerating the aging process as well.

Castor Oil for Black Hair

A product commonly used for moisture retention, castor oil can lubricate any damaged hair shaft, increasing flexibility and decreasing the chance of breakage. It can treat dandruff and dry scalp, though it should only be used in small quantities to avoid potential acute felting.

Besides strengthening thin hair and healing split ends, it’s also common practice to utilize castor oil for hair growth, including eyelashes. For those trying to regain some inches after stunted growth from chemical treatments, castor oil is an age-old remedy within the Black and African community. The ricinoleic acid in castor oil can reactivate inactive hair follicles and increase blood circulation, which will jumpstart new growth.

Castor Oil Pack Benefits

Castor oil packs are pieces of fabric soaked in castor oil and wrapped around specific parts of the body. They have long been used to help women treat cramps, fibroids , arthritis and any hormonal imbalance. You apply a pack to your skin with or without a heating pad and even sleep with it as it absorbs into the body and works its magic.

To make your own castor oil pack:

1. Cut wool or cotton flannel into rectangular pieces, about 12 inches by 10 inches.
2. Use at least three to four pieces of cloth to make a pack.
3. Pour castor oil into a container. You should be able to completely soak a piece of the wool or cotton flannel in the castor oil.
4. Drop one piece of the cloth into the oil until it’s completely soaked.
5. Use the tongs to pick up the cloth in the container. It should be dripping with castor oil.
6. Lay the soaked cloth flat on the plastic sheet.
7. Soak the other two or more pieces of cloth in the same way.
8. Add the oil-soaked cloths flat on top of the first one.
9. Once you’ve soaked and layered each cloth, you’ve made a castor oil pack.

From there, you rest or sleep with the castor oil pack over the area you intend to have treated depending on your issue. For example, for constipation or digestive problems, you’ll likely place it over your stomach. For liver detox, on the side stomach, and for hormonal issues over your ovaries. A common alternative in Ayurvedic practice, the benefits of a castor oil pack can also be felt when it is poured into the belly button for effective absorption through the pechoti gland.

Castor Oil Is Your New Holy Grail

All in all, there’s not much that castor oil can’t help your body process, heal or expel. It’s a vegetable oil that’s been passed down generations and has certainly not lost its potency. A patch test on sensitive skin and using high-quality castor oil can make or break your experience, so proceed with caution and let the healing begin.

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