Benefits and Uses of Castor Oil

 

Castor oil is a vegetable oil derived from the seeds of the castor oil plant Ricinus communis. The castor oil plant is primarily grown in Africa, South America and India.

Castor oil is produced by cold-pressing castor seeds and then applying heat. A heating process deactivates its toxic enzyme, ricin, making it safe to use.

Today, castor oil is widely used as an ingredient in cosmetics. According to a safety review for castor oil, castor oil was used in over 900 cosmetic products in 2002.

Here are some potential benefits and uses of castor oil:

1. A natural moisturizer

As castor oil is full of healthy fatty acids, which are essential to maintaining good skin health.

Castor oil is rich in ricinoleic acid, a monounsaturated fatty acid known for its moisturizing properties.

Moisture keeps your skin looking young, shiny and healthy. Moisture also prevents wrinkles. Castor oil also contains antioxidants that fight free radicals in your body. Free radicals are responsible for accelerating the aging process, making wrinkles appear sooner.

However, it may cause allergic reactions in some individuals, so always dilute it with a carrier oil like coconut oil, almond oil or olive oil before using it, and do a small skin patch test first before using it on larger skin areas.

Besides, castor oil is also a very common ingredient in both lipstick and lip gloss to fight dry lips.

2. Wound healing

Castor oil can help promote wound healing by creating a moist environment that promotes healing and prevents wound cracking.

Additionally, ricinoleic acid may help reduce skin inflammation, support healing and aid in pain reduction in people with wounds.

3. Reducing puffiness

Castor oil has anti-inflammatory properties, which can help reduce swelling and puffiness. It could reduce the size of inflamed pimples or eye bags as well. 

Due to its anti-inflammatory properties, castor oil may ease the pain associated with sunburn. Its moisturizing qualities may also reduce peeling.

4. A powerful laxative

Castor oil is well-known for its use as a natural laxative. It works quickly by stimulating muscle movement in the intestines, making it effective for temporary constipation relief or bowel cleansing before medical procedures, such as a colonoscopy.

However, using too much castor oil can have negative side effects like abdominal cramping, diarrhea, vomiting, cramping and bloating. It may also cause dizziness. 

People with certain health conditions — including appendicitis, gastrointestinal obstruction, bowel perforation, and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) — should avoid it as it could cause serious side effects. Thus only use it for constipation under medical supervision.

5. Antibacterial properties

• Castor oil has antibacterial properties and so can fight acne.
• Cleaning dentures with castor oil may help reduce the risk of developing denture stomatitis.

6. Treating certain eye conditions

Some evidence suggests that castor oil may be an effective treatment for certain eye conditions, such as blepharitis. And castor oil is also an ingredient in eye drops that treat dry eyes, such as Restasis (cyclosporine). 

Do not put castor oil directly into your eye. Only use the oil as prescribed by a healthcare provider.

7. A natural hair treatment

Many people use castor oil as a natural hair treatment. This is because castor oil has moisturizing properties, which could help lubricate the hair shaft, increasing flexibility and decreasing the chance of breakage.

But there is no scientific evidence that castor oil helps promote hair health, stimulates hair growth or reduces hair loss.

The same goes for using castor oil on your eyelashes or for treating dandruff.

In fact, castor oil could lead to a condition called acute hair felting in people with long hair, which causes the hair to become twisted and tangled.

Even though this condition is rare, people with long hair should be cautious when using castor oil as a hair treatment.

Though many people use castor oil as a treatment for dry or thinning hair, there is no evidence that castor oil is effective for improving hair health or stimulating hair growth when used on its own.

8. Inducing labor

Medical professionals sometimes use castor oil to induce labor in pregnant people. For this reason, people at all stages of pregnancy should avoid consuming castor oil.