Castor oil: What is it and why is it good for your hair?

There are numerous oil that are used to nourish your skin and hair. In this blog post I will be talking about castor oil in particular. What are the advantages, disadvantages and how does it work for your skin and hair?

Castor oil is an ingredient that you will see in many ingredient lists of hair and cosmetic products. The oil is made out of the beans and seeds of the castor plant. In Latin it is called Ricinus Communis and sometimes that's what you need to look for in an ingredient list. These seeds are heated and pressed. This oil is not only used for cosmetic products, but it is also used in the process of nylon, surface coatings, textiles and even biofuel. [1]

India is the country that produces the most castor oil in the world, but it even has been found in Egyptian graves of 4000 years old[2]. In Ancient Egypt women used it to nourish their hair in combination with other herbs and spices.[3].

You cannot consume castor oil[4].

Properties of castor oil

Castor oil is a fatty oil that contains a lot of vitamin E. That is why this is such an interesting ingredient, because vitamin E keeps your skin tissues healthy.

I am talking about skin tissue, but also hair tissue.

Plenty of reasons to have a closer look at castor oil.

Castor oil and your hair

One of the good properties of castor oil is that it can withstand high temperatures before the molecular structure changes. That is why you can use castor oil in hair products to protect your hair against the blow-dryer or other heat-stylers.

You do need to be careful with castor oil though, because it can cause hair entanglement. Your hair can instantly get entangled[5]. That is why you should not use 100% castor oil to treat your hair.

But it is an ingredient that promotes your natural hair growth and it hydrates your hair. It also adds shine to your hair.[6].

Because of its properties, it can also be used in soaps. It has antibacterial properties as well.[7]. Because of these antibacterial properties, you can also use it to treat dandruff. Dandruff is a skin condition caused by an bacterial and fungi imbalance on your scalp.

Castor oil also hydrates your hair, because it helps to "trap" moisture in the hair follicle. That is why it helps to prevent split ends.

You can also use castor oil to stimulate the natural hair growth. Research showed that castor oil can do this when it is mixed with other important ingredients. So, always use castor oil in combination with other important ingredients.

A great shampoo in the Moquer shop that contains castor oil is the V76 by Vaughn Energizing Shampoo. It is a light and daily to use shampoo for men. This revitalizing product will cleanse your hair without stripping it of its natural oils. That why you hair stays clean and gets a healthy shine (because of the castor oil).

Click here for more info about this shampoo.

Castor oil and hair styling

Castor oil and ingredients derived of castor oil can be used in styling products. Research shows that polyurethan, made of castor oil, provides hair products with hold and it prolongs the shelf-life.[8]

Bumble and Bumble SumoTech is a styling product that is made with these castor oil derived elements. Experience shows that it provides a medium hold and adds more texture in the hair.

Rob said the following about this styling product (on Moquer.nl):

"Bought the SumoTech for the moments I like more texture. It works perfect in combination with a sea salt spray to create a beachy look. Hold is exactly right and it provides texture."

Click here for more info about the Bumble and Bumble SumoTech

Castor oil can also be used in products to tame facial hair. That is why beard oil or beard balm usually contains castor oil to soften your beard hairs and improve the natural hair growth. Convenient when you want to go for a long beard.

The O'douds Beard Balm is a beard balms, but it includes castor oil. That is a great product to use when you are looking for something more to tame your beard than just beard oil. This beard balm is easy to apply and it provides a lot of control It is healthy for your beard and this beard balm does not feel unnecessarily greasy or sticky.

O'douds Beard Balm provides a medium hold with a healthy shine. Hard beard hairs will be softened and flyaway's will be controlled. The formula does not contain any parabens or sulfates and it has a piny scent.

Click here for more info about this beard balm.

Castor oil and skincare

Because of its antibacterial properties and the ability to "lock-in" moisture, it can also be used for skincare. It helps to hydrate your skin and it will help against bacterial infections.

That is why it can help to reduce acne and repair little nicks and cuts when you cut yourself shaving.

You can usually find it in products that hydrate your hands or legs and as a way to improve the look of scars.

But you have to be careful, because in some cases you can experience an allergic reaction. There are reports that in make-up removers and lip sticks it can lead to contact dermatitis[9].

They also looked into the relation between castor oil and the regeneration of skin tissue. Research shows that castor oil has a certain effect on it.[10]. When your skin is damaged, like because acne or other problems, you can use castor oil to repair your skin.

Do you experience a dry skin? In that case a cream with castor oil can be something to consider. Coconut oil is also a good ingredient for this.[11].

And then this...

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Sources:

[1] https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/0471238961.0301192014012107.a01.pub2

[2] https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.1201/9780203748848-31/products-castor-oil-henri-jean-caupin

[3] https://scholar.google.nl/scholar?hl=nl&as_sdt=0%2C5&q=Physicochemical+Characterization+and+Evaluation+of+Castor+Oil+%28R.+communis%29+for+Hair+Biocosmetics+&btnG= (pag. 111)

[4] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0960852405002026

[5] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5596646/

[6] https://europepmc.org/article/med/14528387

[7] https://scholar.google.nl/scholar?hl=nl&as_sdt=0%2C5&q=Physicochemical+Characterization+and+Evaluation+of+Castor+Oil+%28R.+communis%29+for+Hair+Biocosmetics+&btnG=

[8] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0300944019315541

[9] https://scholar.google.nl/scholar?hl=nl&as_sdt=0%2C5&q=Physicochemical+Characterization+and+Evaluation+of+Castor+Oil+%28R.+communis%29+for+Hair+Biocosmetics+&btnG= (pag. 112)

[10] https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00914037.2020.1740986

[11] https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1742-6596/1402/2/022093/meta