Castor oil scrub is a safe, natural, non-toxic way to both cleanse and moisturize skin—learn How to Make and Use Your Own Castor Oil Scrub today.
Castor oil is great for skin and DIY castor oil scrubs make excellent, natural skin treatments that are spa quality without the spa price.
As an antibacterial and antifungal, castor oil provides relief for acne sufferers and helps treat skin infections. Its chemical composition and the abundance of a unique fatty acid, ricinoleic acid, makes castor oil great not just for cleansing the skin of impurities, but also deeply penetrating the skin with restorative moisture.
The oil cleansing method is catching on like wildfire, although some people-—especially those who are already prone to oily skin—are anxious about adding more oil to their skincare routine. It is important to remember that oil alone is not responsible for acne and blemishes. Rather, common skin conditions like acne are caused by other factors, including hormones, bacteria, and trapped dead skin cells.
The body naturally produces oil as a protectant, and consistently drying up your skin to rid it of its natural defenses will cause your skin to produce even more oil. So, it may seem counterintuitive, but including a castor oil scrub in your normal skincare routine will actually reduce the excess oil that your body is producing!
Castor Oil Scrub Recipe for the Face
Castor oil scrub for the face is an excellent tool. It requires no other washing, so you can avoid harsh, drying chemicals that may be in your typical face wash products.
You’ll need:
- Castor oil
- Another, thinner oil of your choice (we recommend sunflower oil or olive oil)
- Wash cloth
- Water
At bedtime, combine a small amount of castor oil with your secondary oil, rub the oils together in your hands to warm them, and scrub the mixture gently onto your face with circular motions. These oils are excellent natural makeup removers, including eye makeup, so removing your makeup prior to the oil cleansing scrub is not even necessary.
Plan to spend a couple of minutes gently rubbing the oils into your face until you feel that the oils have penetrated and saturated your skin. Then, warm a washcloth with hot water and place it over your face to warm and open up your pores. When the washcloth begins to cool, very gently remove the excess oil from your face using the cloth. Repeat if necessary, until the excess oil has been removed. Fight the urge to rub your skin roughly with the wash cloth! Your skin is delicate and fragile, especially on your face, so there is no need to use any force here.
Because this is such a powerful cleansing tool, you will not need to wash your face in the morning—just splash it with warm water. Over-cleansing is the cause of much facial irritation and dryness. You want to give your skin space to breathe.
We recommend this oil cleansing 2-3 times a week, depending on how your skin responds. Your skin may take a couple of treatments to respond. It is not abnormal to see a small increase in oil production after the first treatment. This is normal. This is your body’s way of regulating its oil production so it can better protect your skin.
A quick note on the ratio of oils
It will take a little bit of trial and error to find the right ratio of oils.
The thinner oil (such as sunflower oil or olive oil) is meant to dilute the castor oil, as castor oil is incredibly thick and viscous. Dry skin will typically respond better to a ratio that includes less castor oil and more of your thinner, secondary oil; oily skin will respond better to more castor oil and less of your secondary oil. This will depend on your skin type, so don’t be discouraged!
Castor Oil Scrub Recipe for the Body
Your face is not the only part of your body that can benefit from castor oil scrub! We recommend both salt or sugar scrubs for the body, which are excellent for exfoliation and leave your skin feeling soft and smooth. Sugar scrubs have smaller granules and tend to be gentler on the skin, which is great for people suffering from sensitive skin. Salt is recommended for rougher patches of skin, like knees, feet, callouses, and elbows.
You’ll need:
- Castor oil
- Sugar (we recommend brown sugar)
- Essential oils of your choosing (we recommend soothing oils like lavender or chamomile, although this step is completely optional)
Simply create a mixture that is 75% sugar and 25% oil and rub into skin at the end of your shower or bath. Rinse off excess scrub and gently pat dry.
To modify this scrub for rough skin, swap out the sugar with salt, and consider choosing a citrusy essential oil like sweet orange or grapefruit, rather than lavender or chamomile. Sea salt is a great option because it contains no additional additives. Pink himalayan salt is rich in minerals and improves circulation. Many claim that salt scrubs help reduce the appearance of cellulite. Experiment with different salts to see works best for you!
Castor Oil Scrub: The Bottom Line
Castor oil scrub is great for the face, body, mind, and soul!
Creating your own castor oil face scrub is a fantastic, nontoxic way to manage skin. From oily to sensitive to dry, and everywhere in between—just spend time listening to your skin and learning what oil ratios work best for you! Extra exfoliation is possible by adding either salt or sugar to the scrub, but because the face is so delicate, we only recommend adding sugar or salt to body scrubs.
Happy scrubbing!)