Castor oil has many benefits. It is used in its pure form, added to lotions and moisturizers, and even taken orally. Together with your doctor, we’ll figure out why it’s useful and how it works.
Castor oil is one of the most popular and valuable vegetable oils. The ancient Egyptians began using it as a laxative and to induce labor. Today, castor oil is included in many cosmetic products: from mascara and hair care products to scrubs. In addition, you can add it to your favorite cream or make a homemade mask from it. A nice bonus: this universal beauty product is sold in almost every pharmacy.
Benefits of castor oil for hair
Castor oil is widely available, so it can be easily used at home.
The product has many beneficial properties for hair:
- glues hair scales together, strengthening the structure (fragility disappears);
- promotes growth;
- makes hair shiny, removing dullness;
- nourishes the follicle, introducing vitamins and microelements.
You can use it without additives or as part of masks, supplementing with other ingredients.
Reviews
Women who have tried to take care of their face with castor oil leave mostly positive reviews, pointing out the safety and effectiveness of the product, and the quick and noticeable results. There are few negative reviews, and they are left mainly by women who used the masks incorrectly, without following the rules and recommendations.
- Anna, 25 years old: “I used to use castor oil only for hair and eyelashes. I couldn’t even think that the product was added to face masks. I also tried it to remove oily shine. After a month of use, my skin became drier and cleaner. I heat the castor oil a little and mix it with olive oil. Just don’t overuse it, otherwise you’ll dry out your skin.”
- Karina, 33 years old: “I only apply castor oil to my eyelashes and hair. I can’t use it on my face; I get a nasty sticky feeling. Moreover, after castor oil, my face does not cleanse, but, on the contrary, my pores become clogged. Maybe I'm doing something wrong. But for eyelashes the product is just right.”
- Olga, 21 years old: “I fought acne not with masks, but with pure oil. I applied it directly to each pimple. The result is excellent, I didn’t even expect it to be like this. The inflammations dried up, after three days they became covered with crusts, which quickly went away. Now my face is clean and beautiful.”
Castor oil is a unique remedy suitable for skin of all types and ages, helping to fight wrinkles and inflammation. For the results of using masks to be positive, you need to buy a high-quality pharmacy product.
Rating
Rules for the procedure
The effects of castor oil depend on how it is used. When using castor oil without additives, allergic reactions are rarely observed.
Recommendations:
- You should not wash your hair before the procedure.
- For greater effectiveness, slightly warm the oil before use.
- Using film will enhance the effect.
- The effectiveness will also increase if you do a head massage before the procedure.
- The oil should be distributed evenly along the entire length of the hair.
- When removing oil, it is recommended not to wet your hair before applying shampoo. You need to wash your hair 2-3 times to completely wash out the oil.
- Using a hairdryer after the procedure is not recommended.
- If the hair remains greasy after several soapings, this means that castor oil is not recommended for use in its pure form in this case. For such hair, you should combine the ingredients, choosing the appropriate composition.
- Masks with castor oil and various additives at home are used for any hair type.
Don't miss the most popular article in the column: Fashionable hair colors this year. Photos and trends in hairdressing.
Features of application
Castor oil copes with any problems related to hair health:
- it is applied to the ends of the hair to prevent splitting and fragility;
- the oil is distributed along the entire length to improve the structure of the hair;
- The product is rubbed into the roots to get rid of dandruff and against hair loss.
To strengthen hair, castor oil is used in the form of a solution - 10 g of the product is diluted in 100 ml of ethyl alcohol (96%). But this remedy should be used with caution:
- when breastfeeding;
- children under 12 years old;
- persons with individual intolerance.
Castor oil should not be used during pregnancy because it causes uterine contractions.
Masks with castor oil for hair
Firming mask with vitamin E
This mask nourishes the hair follicles, strengthens the curls and gives them shine, makes the hair strong and elastic.
Mask for weak hair: mix heated oils (burdock seeds and castor oil, 16 ml each), add 5 ml vitamin E, A and 3-4 drops of Dimexide. Distribute the composition over the entire length of the hair and leave under a plastic cap for 1 hour. The procedure is performed once every 7 days.
Hair growth mask with egg
Add 2 chicken yolks to the heated oil and grind until smooth. Rub the composition into the hair roots and distribute to the ends. The mixture will be absorbed into the hair, which will promote active growth. You need to keep the composition on your hair for at least 1 hour. A mask for activating growth with honey is more effective, but it has a slight lightening effect.
With kefir for dry hair
Prepare a composition of 15 ml of heated butter, yolk and 20 ml of fermented milk product with a fat content of no more than 2.5%.
After application, wrap with film and leave for an hour.
With lemon for oily hair
Mix vodka, warm oil and lemon juice in equal proportions. Leave on hair for 40-60 minutes.
With cognac for shine
Mix oil and cognac in a 1:1 ratio and apply to hair for 30-50 minutes. A more effective mask that affects shine and growth rate has the same composition, only with the addition of 1 yolk.
With olive oil against split ends
Keep an equal amount of heated oils (olive and castor) on your head under a film for 1 hour.
With yeast and onions for hair loss
Dissolve 8 grams of dry yeast in warm water, add the same amount of onion juice and castor oil. Rub the mixture into the roots and keep under a cap for an hour.
With burdock oil
Burdock (burdock) and castor oil are two “magic” remedies that affect the speed of hair growth and its volume.
At home, it’s easy to make a restorative hair mask from a mixture of castor and burdock oils with the addition of vitamin A
The ratio of these oils in hair masks at home:
- 1:1 - restore damaged hair, add elasticity to brittle curls and volume to the roots.
- 2:1 - burdock and castor oil in this ratio and in a heated state can be easily removed from the head. The composition will add shine to the hair and strengthen the roots.
- 1:2 - used for dry scalp prone to flaking.
Composition for damaged and dull hair: mix 15 ml of oil (burdock and castor) and hot pepper tincture, apply to hair for 30-40 minutes. Softening and restoring mask: mix olive, burdock and castor oils in equal proportions and apply to hair for 2 hours.
With honey
Mix 40 grams of butter, 20 grams of warm honey and 1 egg.
The mixture can be whisked. Distribute the mixture over your curls and leave for 15 minutes under a cap.
With mustard
Mustard powder dries out hair, but this deficiency is compensated for by castor oil, which, in tandem with dry mustard, strengthens and nourishes the hair roots. Mask to accelerate growth: mix castor oil, mustard and warm water, 2 tablespoons each, add the yolk of one egg and 25 grams of sugar. Leave on hair for 25 minutes.
Mustard powder and tincture of red hot pepper have a similar effect on hair, so these two components are interchangeable when preparing masks. To make it easier to wash off a mask with mustard powder, add yolk or a small amount of grape oil to it.
Before rinsing off this composition, it is recommended to pour hot water over your hair and only then use shampoo.
With glycerin
- Mask with lamination effect: prepare a composition of ½ tsp. apple cider vinegar, 5 ml glycerin, 35 ml castor oil and 15 ml argan oil, apply to hair for 1 hour.
- Moisturizing and nourishing mask: mix warm oils (burdock and castor, 40 g each) with yolk and 15 ml of glycerin. Leave on hair under film for 40-50 minutes.
Don't miss the most popular article in the section: Fashionable bob haircut for medium hair. Photo, front and back views.
With Dimexide
The drug helps the hair absorb beneficial elements. It strengthens hair and promotes accelerated growth.
Recommendations for using the medicine in masks:
- the effect of use will only be in the absence of vitamin deficiency and fungal diseases;
- Use is recommended only on clean, dry hair;
- when working with Dimexide, you must use gloves;
- It is not recommended to carry out procedures more often than once a day for 7 days, then take a break of 4 months.
How to prepare and use masks:
- Growth stimulator : mix castor oil (50 ml) with Dimexide (16 ml). Keep under the film for 1.5 hours.
- Firming mask : add Dimexide (16 ml) to heated oils (burdock and castor, 25 ml each). Apply the composition to the roots for 40 minutes.
- Restoring damaged hair: combine warm essence of vitamins A and E (16 ml each) with yolk and vitamin B6 (16 ml), then add Dimexide (16 ml). Apply for approximately 40-50 minutes.
With avocado
Only very ripe fruit should be used, pureed in a blender or with a fork.
Hair nutrition: leave a mixture of castor oil (10 ml), honey (1 tsp) and one avocado puree on your hair for 30 minutes.
With red pepper
Burning red pepper accelerates hair growth. However, it is worth considering that this ingredient is highly allergenic. Excessive use of pepper can cause hair weakening and loss. It is not recommended to keep the mixture for more than half an hour.
How to prepare and use masks:
- Growth and shine stimulator: 1 tsp. combine ground pepper and mustard with 2 tbsp. warm water and 10 grams of sugar, 35 ml of castor oil and yolk.
- Strengthening mask: freshly ground pepper (1 tsp), oil (35 ml), liquid honey (1 tsp) mix and distribute evenly on the hair.
With parsley
Parsley is suitable for all hair types, it reduces oily skin, restores hair and treats seborrhea.
Mask recipe: place finely chopped parsley (3 tbsp) in oil (15 ml), add fireweed extract (10 ml) and vodka (5 ml). Leave under polyethylene for half an hour.
With parsley seeds
Mask against split ends: mix parsley seed infusion (2 tbsp) and castor oil (160 ml), heating over low heat for half an hour. Keep the resulting composition on the strands for 30 minutes.
With yolk
Treatment of weak damaged hair: prepare a mixture of warm oil (35 ml), 1 yolk, acetic acid (1 tsp) and glycerin (1 tsp). Distribute on hair for 40 minutes. Mask for moisturizing hair and scalp: mix heated castor oil (20 g) and 3 yolks and apply for 1 hour.
With seaweed
In cosmetology, seaweed is used in dry form. You can buy it at the pharmacy.
Mask for shine and hair growth: use a porridge of seaweed powder (50 g) and water with the addition of warm castor oil (35 ml) for 40 minutes.
With sea salt and banana
Nourishing mask: mix 1 banana puree, castor oil (16 ml) and sea salt (25 g) and apply to hair for 50-60 minutes.
With dandelion root
Moisturizing mask for dry ends: mix infusions of chamomile, dandelion root and mallow in equal proportions with castor oil (1/2 tbsp.). Leave on ends for about an hour. Repeat the procedure every other day.
With pepper tincture
- Nourish hair and accelerate its growth: apply a mixture of pepper infusion (1 tbsp) and oil (35 ml) to the hair roots and scalp under plastic for 40 minutes.
- Composition for hair growth: prepare a mixture of pepper tincture (1 tbsp), oil (35 ml) and shampoo (2 tbsp), leave on hair for an hour.
- Strengthening hair: mix pepper tincture (1 tbsp) with oils (castor and burdock, 5 ml each), place on hair under plastic for an hour.
With vodka
Strengthening mask: distribute an equal amount of vodka and castor oil evenly on the hair and leave for 2.5 hours.
Useful properties of castor oil
Castor oil is a product of processing castor bean seed pods, which benefits not only the skin, but also hair, eyelashes, and eyebrows. With regular use, it softens epidermal tissues, destroys pathogenic microflora, due to which inflammatory reactions extinguish and acne disappears. The skin becomes elastic and less susceptible to negative factors.
Castor oil is primarily a remedy for wrinkles. However, you need to understand that it is not able to completely smooth out the surface of the face or eliminate deep age-related folds. With the help of castor oil, they get rid of barely noticeable facial wrinkles and prevent premature skin aging.
The benefits of castor oil for skin are due to the presence of the following substances:
- Oleic acid is a metabolism stimulant. Maintains a sufficient degree of hydration of skin tissue, protects the epidermis from the negative influence of environmental factors.
- Linoleic acid is an intense moisturizer. Makes the skin soft and fresh, improves the saturation of cells with nutrients.
- Octadecanoic acid is a fighter against age-related degeneration of skin tissue. Normalizes the condition of dry and flaky skin.
- Palmitic acid helps nutrients be absorbed as deeply as possible into the skin layers.
- Ricinoleic acid has an antibacterial effect.
- Retinol and tocopherol - these vitamins make the epidermis firm, elastic, accelerate regenerative processes, and stimulate collagen synthesis.
How to remove castor oil from hair
It is quite difficult to remove oil, since it practically does not mix with water. To quickly remove oil from hair, it is recommended to rinse it off with as hot water as possible, then wash your hair with shampoo 2-3 times.
Tips for washing off castor oil:
- Egg yolk will make it easier to wash off castor oil after using a hair mask at home. Do not rinse your hair with hot water if you are using yolk, as it may curdle and make it much more difficult to rinse out of your hair.
- It is strictly not recommended to use soap, otherwise it will negate the entire recovery procedure, since it has a pronounced drying effect.
- Easier rinsing of castor oil is provided by essential oils in masks (grape, almond, etc.).
Don't miss the most popular article in the section: Fashionable bob haircut for short hair. Photo, front and back views.
Interaction
Castor oil reduces the absorption of vitamins A, D, K. The medication in a dosage of up to 4 g/day enhances the absorption of fat-soluble drugs - male fern extract, mebendazole, griseofulvin, probucol. The combination of oily liquid and other constipation remedies leads to an increased laxative effect.
The effect of castor oil is suppressed by:
- m-cholinergic receptor blockers;
- antispasmodics;
- allergy medications.
Castor oil increases the effectiveness of treatment of methylergometrine, ergometrine, oxytocin, prostaglandins. It is even possible that the uterus may rupture during childbirth.
If you use the drug for a long time, calcium deficiency may develop. Hypocalcemia can enhance the effect of cardiac glycosides and antiarrhythmic drugs.
If the oily liquid is used together with diuretics, it is possible to increase the excretion of calcium and electrolytes. Concomitant use with glucocorticosteroid hormones and licorice root leads to hypocalcemia.
Attention! Any combination of castor oil with other medications should be discussed with your doctor. You should not combine medications on your own.
Expert advice
- If it is not possible to heat castor oil, you should add peach or almond oil to the mask.
- Preference should be given to cold-pressed oil with a rich yellow color.
- Castor oil should be in a dark glass bottle.
- The oil storage period should not exceed 2 years.
- The opened bottle should be stored in the refrigerator.
- A spray of castor oil, mineral water and ylang-ylang ether can be sprayed on your hair every day.
- It is advisable to carry out procedures with hair masks based on castor oil at home every other day for 3 months, for prevention - once a month.
- Skin blood circulation will improve if you massage with a mixture of castor and lavender oils once a week.
Indications and contraindications
Castor oil for the face is used for:
- the appearance of facial folds;
- peeling dry skin;
- excessive pigmentation;
- the formation of warts;
- inflammatory processes and skin irritation;
- acne, pimples;
- scars and other defects.
Castor oil should not be used as a treatment for:
- tendency to skin allergies;
- dermatitis;
- psoriasis;
- neurodermatitis;
- open skin injuries.
To check whether castor oil is an allergen for the skin, an allergy test is carried out: spread a small amount of the composition on the elbow and leave for 15–20 minutes. If during this time a skin reaction does not begin, accompanied by itching, redness and irritation, then you can safely use the oil for skin care.
Times change
The older a person gets, the more, unfortunately, he develops chronic diseases, which also affect the health of the hair. In addition, each age has its own characteristics. For example, a premenopausal woman's hormonal levels change, the amount of female hormones estrogen decreases, and even if she has never had problems with hair, hair loss and a decrease in its density become a fairly common complaint at this time. This is typical for hormonal changes. For this case, there is hormone replacement therapy. But it should be prescribed by a trichologist together with a gynecologist-endocrinologist.
Regardless of gender, the older the patients, the more diseases they develop: type 2 diabetes, atherosclerosis, hypertension. They may not directly, but indirectly affect the condition of the hair.
Any disease, of course, affects the health of the whole body. The problem can appear at any age, so you need to be examined and treated promptly.
Diagnostics
At the first consultation, the trichologist collects a thorough medical history. He must question the patient in detail, including about lifestyle and concomitant diseases, and he, in turn, must answer him fully and reliably. On this basis, the specialist makes a conclusion whether blood tests, ultrasound, or consultations with other specialists are needed. The consultation also includes a mandatory trichoscopy: the doctor examines the scalp using a trichoscope - a device that makes it possible to assess hair density, thickness, condition of the scalp and sebaceous glands. Having received all the necessary information, he builds a therapy program.
