Natural hair oils are humans’ oldest hair care products since ancient times.
All of the modern hair products need to match the quality and effectiveness of natural hair oils. Most importantly, natural oils are primarily free of any side effects.
Among the many hair oils, coconut, and castor are the two most effective for hair growth; jojoba and olive oils are the best options.
This article will show the benefits of using castor oil for hair growth.
I have used this oil for a long time, and now I also use it occasionally for my hair and skin. I mainly use oil for my eyebrows. It is perfect for growing eyebrow hairs and straightening eyelashes.
I saw in my younger days that my grandmother’s only remedy for skin problems and all types of external body pain relief was the use of castor oil pack therapy.
Now, let us examine how castor oil works for hair growth and its other health benefits.
What is Castor Oil?
“Ricinus communis, the castor oil plant, is a species of flowering plant in the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae.”
Castor is naturally grown in Eastern Africa, the southeastern Mediterranean Basin, and India… primarily in tropical regions.
Castor oil is obtained from the castor seeds (beans). The castor seeds contain about 40-60% oil rich in triglycerides, mainly ricinolein.
This oil, in liquid form, usually has a pale yellow color, turning white when solidified.
Traditionally, this oil is mostly used as an ingredient in various herbal medicines…it has the right ingredients that can relieve various diseases and physical injuries. Of course, castor oil for hair treatments has been well-known since old times.
One of the most popular hair treatment solutions with this oil is Caribbean black castor oil…a mixture of Castor Oil, Jojoba Oil, and Peppermint.
Castor Oil Benefits for Hair, Health, and Beauty
Castor oil is one of the best natural beauty solutions with the sound effects of the costly beauty products you might be buying.
This oil has antifungal and antibacterial properties that can cure many skin diseases and infections.
This oil is also rich in Vitamin E, Omega 6, Fatty Acids, protein, and minerals. It is the ricinoleic acid found in this oil that makes it very valuable for the treatment of hair and skin.
It is one of the most famous traditional treatments for acne. Besides these, certain types of psoriasis, skin rashes, osteoarthritis, and hair loss are curable with castor oil.
It is also often a laxative to loosen stools and increase bowel movements.
The oil from the castor seeds is also suitable for colon cleansing and a natural remedy for constipation.
This natural oil is an excellent facial cleansing oil and is also suitable for oil hair mask treatment and reduction of stretch marks, dark spots, and skin wrinkles.
Castor oil is also an excellent natural moisturizer to treat dry skin on the legs and arms.
Castor Oil for Hair Growth
Let us get back to our main discussion on the benefits of castor oil, especially for hair growth and thickening.
This oil is best known for its effectiveness in a wide range of hair treatments than all the rest we discussed above. Here are some of the significant benefits of castor oil for hair:-
1. Fights Hair Loss
Various reasons like vitamin deficiency, diseases, side effects of medication, hereditary reasons, fungal infections, etc cause hair loss. Even hormonal changes due to excess tension and stress can lead to abnormal hair fall.
Castor oil treatment will help hair grow strong and thick as this oil contains the nutrients required.
This oil’s antifungal and antibacterial properties effectively remove the hair loss caused by ringworm, piedra, folliculitis, etc.
This oil penetrates hair follicles and resists the effects of a fungal or bacterial infection within the hair roots.
As a treatment for hair loss, you could gently massage the castor oil onto your scalp and hair for a few minutes … Preferably do it 30-40 minutes before the shower bath. Do it 4 to 5 times weekly to get the best result from this natural hair loss treatment.
2. Helps in Moisturizing and Thickening the Hair
Another primary reason for hair breakage and stunted growth is the excessive dryness of hair. The hair usually turns dry and dull due to a lack of sufficient hair vitamins and fatty acids in the diet. Some harsh shampoos and bathing bars can also dull your hair.
The omega-6 fatty acids in castor oil add moisture and shine to the hair.
Regularly applying a thin layer of this oil on your hair and scalp will soon make the hair thicker and more robust.
As you are treating the dryness of the hair, make sure to rub this oil all over your scalp, as it will also help the hair grow faster and healthier.
You can apply it 30 minutes before the bath, or for a profound treatment, leave the oil application on the hair and scalp to stay there overnight and wash it off in the morning. ‘Overnight oil curing’ is incredibly effective when limiting this treatment to once or twice a week.
3. Benefits of Castor Oil for Hair Regrowth
In most cases, the hair will grow faster if it is stimulated with natural oils containing hair growth nutrients.
The protein and Omega-6 fatty acids in castor oil help stimulate hair regrowth. Massaging the scalp with this oil also increases blood circulation to the scalp and opens up the clogged skin pores to oxidize the hair follicles.
The hair follicles receive sufficient hair growth nutrients through increased blood circulation and absorb the soluble nutrients directly from the castor oil.
As castor oil has a comparatively thicker consistency, it may not penetrate deep into the hair follicles; for this reason, it is found to be good to mix a 50/50 ratio of coconut oil or jojoba oil into it. This mixture also helps improve the growth of hair.
If you have long hair, you must part the hair into a small section as you apply this oil mixture evenly to every part of the hair and scalp.
4. Castor Oil for Hair Darkening
The hair-darkening properties in castor oil work well. Even if you have gray hair issues, it will gradually turn dark with regular application of this oil.
The humectant substance in this oil removes the dullness of the hair and brings back the natural shine to the hair. The Jamaican black castor oil is primarily known for its effectiveness in darkening hair and reversing gray hairs.
5. Castor Oil Removes Dandruff
One of the primary reasons for hair loss is dandruff infection. It is the deficiency of B vitamins that is primarily responsible for dandruff.
The castor oil, with excellent antifungal properties, is suitable for removing dandruff.
The regular application of this oil on the scalp will help in the eradication of dandruff within a few weeks. This oil is also an excellent preventive solution against dandruff.
6. Hair Conditioning and Styling with Castor Oil
Castor oil is an excellent natural hair conditioner. The Omega-6 fatty acids in this oil form a protective layer over the hair strands.
Conditioning the hair with this oil removes the dryness and dullness from the hair and makes the hair appear shiny.
7. Stops Split Ends
The hair growth becomes stunted because of the hair split ends. If you already have the split ends, trim them off evenly and begin to treat your hair ends with castor oil – regularly apply a thin layer of castor oil on hair ends.
Even castor oil to condition the hair will help stop split ends. It strengthens the hair and removes the dryness that leads to split ends in the hair.
How Do You Use Castor Oil Treatments on Hair?
There are a couple of convenient methods that you can adopt for castor oil hair treatment.
You can use this oil as a hair mask for a profound treatment. This method works well for hair regrowth and adds moisture and shine to the hair.
Mixing castor oil with coconut or jojoba oil is always good as it will make castor oil light (thinner) with its deep penetration to the hair follicles and help evenly spread the oil on all hair strands.
This treatment receives maximum effect if the oil application stays on the hair and scalp for 3 to 7 hours (overnight is best). If leaving it overnight, you can use a shower cap or cover to prevent the oil from spreading over your pillow and clothing.
You should gently rinse off the oil in the morning and also use a natural hair conditioner after this treatment to retain moisture and shine. This application procedure could be repeated twice or thrice weekly for the best results.
Another method for applying the oil is to massage your scalp and hair regularly with this oil 30-40 minutes before the shower and then wash it off. The effectiveness of this method is comparatively less and needs to be repeated daily.
For split ends treatment, after the shower, you can regularly apply a thin layer of castor oil exclusively on your hair ends.
You can also use castor oil for conditioning the hair, just like any other hair conditioner.
What Type of Castor Oil Is Best?
Several castor oil hair treatment realities are available in herbal stores or online.
You can also quickly do the oil mixtures by yourself at home. It is always better to prepare the treatment solution with castor oil at home…it would ensure that you are using genuine products. Secondly, you can save a few bugs on the product’s price.
If you prepare the various castor oil treatments yourself, you only need to learn the details of the required oil mixtures and other ingredients.
As for me, I always love to prepare all my hair care products by myself.
For hair treatments with castor oil…the other oils that could be added are coconut oil or jojoba. It is also good to gently warm the oil mixture to dilute them properly.
Suppose you would like to buy ready-made castor oil for hair treatment. In that case, you can probably purchase it online at amazon.com… one of the most popular brands with maximum positive reviews is Tropic Isle Living Jamaican Black Castor Oil. Once I tried it, it was ideally a good product that lived up to the promise.
Castor Oil Pack Therapy
I hope you already have some idea about castor oil pack therapy.
This oil pack therapy usually consists of herbal ingredients for treating various ailments. The items in the pack have castor oil as the base ingredient, but the other ingredients may vary according to the treatment required for a specific ailment.
The Castrol oil pack is generally used for treating ailments such as arthritis, kidney disease, hair loss, hair growth solutions, congestion, toxemia, appendicitis, intestinal disorders, liver conditions, etc.
Usually, the oil pack comes with a detailed user manual on using the Castrol oil pack for various treatments.
All of the treatment solutions included in Castrol Oil Pack therapy are time-tested, proven natural remedies with castor oil that have been practiced for centuries.
Ultimately, all the best for your castor oil for hair growth treatment.