What is this? The Egyptians used it as part of their beauty arsenal. It comes up in old movies or advertisements where some ailing child is given a big spoonful of the stuff as a cure and they grimace as they force down the vile-tasting liquid. Some people use it as a natural treatment for constipation. Also, you can often find it in a wide range of natural beauty products. Did you guess it? Yep, that’s right. It’s castor oil.
In the recent years, people have been turning more and more to natural and plant-based beauty. And with this obsession, we looked at what our grandmas swear by. And see here, what was new becomes new and trendy again. Just as this pale yellow oil.
What is castor oil
Just like olive oil comes from the seeds of olives, castor oil is pressed from the seeds of the castor bean. Castor oil plant (Ricinus communis) is commonly called castor bean. It’s a perennial flowering plant belonging to the spurge (or Euphorbiaceae) family.
You can find the castor plant going throughout warm areas of the world. It’s mainly cultivated as a source of castor oil in India, China, and Brazil.
Although its seed is called castor bean, it’s not a bean. You know like chickpeas or the bean of “Jack and the beanstalk”. These belong to the family of Fabaceae.
The oil extracted from the seeds of the castor plant is a translucent liquid with a yellow tint.
Uses
Castor oil has many uses. Is found as an additive in foods, medications, and skin care products. Wether it’s blended, chemcially altered, or in its natural state, it’s important as an antifreeze and antimicrobial. It also acts as an industrial lubricant. It’s used as a component in paintings, coatings, and cold-resistant plastics.
Castor oil was long used in the Indian Traditional Medicine to treat inflammation (including arthritis).
In ancient Egypt, castor oil was valued since it could be used as fuel in lamps but also as moisturiser (of course!). Did you know the beauty icon of the ancient world, Cleopatra used it to brighten the whites of her eyes? Talk about everything old becomes new again!
Content
In contrast to other oils that are mainly made up of linoleic and oleic acids, castor oil contains about
- 85-95 % ricinoleic acid
- 2-6 % oleic acid
- 1-5 % linoleic acid
- 0.5 – 1 % stearic acid
- 0.5 – 1 % palmitic acid
Ricinoleic acid
Castor oil is an important and well known source of ricinoleic acid. This is an unusually fatty acid. This monounsaturated fatty acid makes it so that castor oil has water-binding properties.
It’s this particular fatty acid that gives castor oil its health and skin benefits. It’s considered as
- Analgesic (pain-reducing)
- Antibacterial
- Humectant (water-binding)
- Anti-inflammatory
- Penetration-enhancing
Oleic acid
Oleic acid – omega 9 – is also a monounsaturated fatty acid and the most widely distributed of all the fatty acids. It occurs to some extent in natural oils and fats.
It’s infamous for being the element in an oil that causes it to be comedogenic. That is, how much oleic in proportion to linoleic oil there is. The higher the oleic portion, the more comedogenic.
It’s not all bad though. Oleic is famously good at keeping skin moisturised and lubricated. It’s also known as an antioxidant agent.
Linoleic acid
Linoleic acid is a polyunsaturated fatty acid. Research points to linoleic acid, or omega 6, having many beneficial effects for skin such as being anti-inflammatory, acne reductive, skin-lightening. Of course it’s also good at moisturising yourskin.
Benefits
Castor oil is a natural moisturiser. It has all 3 pillars in what makes a good moisturiser
- Humectant
- Emollient
- Occlusive
This thick and viscous oil forms a protective layer on your skin (occlusive) and locks in moisture. Thanks to the fatty acids, it’s emollient. It makes your skin soft by filling in the cracks on the surface of your skin. Thanks to the fatty acids, it replenishes the lipids in your skin barrier. When it dries down it forms a solid film with water-binding qualities (humectant).
Wait there’s more: It’s acanthotic. Ok, let’s backtrack a bit: Even if it sounds gruesome, we want tough, thick skin. Even though we associate tough with leathery and rugged skin, it’s the inverse. Delicate skin is thin. It’s much more likely to crease and sag because it’s lost its toughness, elasticity, and durability. So, having something in your skin care that’s acanthotic means that it can help increase the thickness of your skin and make it healthier, more resilient.
As if that’s not enough, castor oil
- Helps you fight skin infections as an antibacterial agent
- Reduces and heals irritated and inflamed skin
- Reduces wrinkles – really! Because it’s acanthotic and helps improve the thickness of your skin
- Helps other ingredients go where they can do their job in your skin as penetration enhancer
- Improves skin texture thanks to the fatty acids
Who should use it
Castor oil isn’t for everyone. It’s a thick oil that can leave a sticky feeling on your skin. It isn’t suited for everyone, especially if you’re prone to breakouts. Castor oil is gloopy and thick and so tends to block pores.
For that reason, some people dilute castor oil with a light, non-comedogenic (non-pore-blocking) oil such as grape seed or candlenut oil. Or you can also wash off the layer of oil after a few hours.
Otherwise, castor oil may be particularly beneficial for people with dry skin or an excellent moisturiser if you prefer natural ingredients. If your skin tends to be finicky, castor oil has a gentle effect on the skin. But as always, it’s best to first patch-test before you use it on larger areas.
How to use
Castor oil can take time for it to penetrate fully into your skin. For that and because it’s so gloopy, it’s best to dilute it. The recommended ratio is 1:1. Opt for a light carrier oil with a higher linoleic to oleic ratio such as
Walnut oil
Flaxseed oil
Candlenut oil
Rosehip oil
Most likely, you’re already using a few products with castor oil without realising it. It is compatible with beeswax, and most likely, some of your lipsticks and balms contain it. Combined, both beeswax and castor oil keeps the oil and pigments on your lips, preventing them from feathering into fine lines.
Have hard and peeling cuticles? Massage the undiluted castor oil into your fingernails and cuticles before bed. Thanks to the fatty acids, you’ll wake up in the morning with strengthened nails and cuticles that don’t peel.
Closing words
Castor oil has been used for thousands of years as a natural treatment for beauty and health issues. It’s a useful and inexpensive way to up your skin care game but isn’t for everyone.
It’s thick and gloopy. Needless to say it can jam up your pore and all that comes with it. It’s great for people with dry skin as it can not only smooth skin texture and moisturise your skin, it’s anti-ageing at the same time.
