Are you ready?! Because you’re about to delve deep into the natural and beautiful world of castor oil. If you are looking for a natural beauty product that will save you tons of money, tons of time, and tons of stress, then this castor oil guide is just for you.  Discover the natural goodness of castor oil and how it can help YOU in your daily life.
Castor Oil: Introduction
If castor oil (CO) has known such success in both the beauty and health world, it’s definitely not by mistake. Â Castor oil has been used by man for centuries, and for good reason!
Principally the most striking aspect of CO is its healthy, beautifying virtues that naturally take care of your body and your overall well-being.
Its rich composition makes castor oil one of the most nourishing oils out there on the market; from your hair, skin, eyelashes, nails (and more), castor oil provides your body the reinforcement and revitalization it needs to be beautiful, naturally.
Cut out the harmful chemical products that make up your shampoos, conditioners, skin lotions and replace them with natural home remedies by using castor oil.
In fact, castor oil can provide you more than any commercial product can. Your body will thank you for the transition, and so will the environment! Together we can #saveourplanet by minimizing our waste where possible.
Try starting by replacing plastic bottles with reusable glass bottles in your bathroom! Learn how to make your own homemade shampoo with castor oil and more ways to reduce the use of plastic in your home.
Brief History of Castor Oil (Ricinus communis)Â
Castor oil is first and foremost a vegetable oil that comes from the castor grains or “bean” itself. We can find these grains on the plant that carries the same name – castor. Â The castor plant is an annual flowering plant that shows variety in its growth and appearance.
Its history begins nearly 6,000 years ago when the first castor seeds were found in Egyptian tombs that date back 4,000 years B.C. Wow!
At that time, the oil was presumably used as “fuel” for lamps and also for its medical benefits on the body. The Ebers papyrus, which is known today as one of the oldest scrolls (dating back 1550 BC. in ancient Egypt)Â that already highlights the natural healing properties in CO.
In India around 2,000 years B.C, castor oil was also believed to be used for lighting, but it was then thought that castor oil was useful as a laxative, purgative, or a cathartic. Â Even today, Ayurvedic practices (which are native to India) considers CO as the queen of medicinal plants to cure arthritic diseases.
Castor oil has also been used in China for centuries and for many of the same reasons as aforementioned.
More recently, but still before our era (B.C), Herodotus and other Greek historians and travelers utilized CO for lighting but more prominently for improving the thickness and texture of hair and hair growth as well as general care of the body.
Today, CO is used widely in cosmetics for it’s nourishing properties for hair, skin, eyelashes, eyebrows, nails, etc., but its use goes beyond that of physical appearances.
Castor oil is notably used to cure several ailments and thus has countless positive health benefits other than just making our hair look fabulous.
Choosing the Best Oil: My Recommendation
My advice is simple. Few companies produce an outstanding product. I select for you the best CO for a decent price.
You will find them in the following chart. No need to spend a fortune to find a good product as it’s often the case in pharmacies or even online.
Price range for a good castor oil is between 10 to 15 dollars for 16 fluid oz (also depending on shipping fees).
Some companies will try to sell you products that are way too expensive (i.e. eyelash serums that are 2 oz. but cost the same price as 16 oz bottle).
[table id=12 responsive=scroll /]
As for most products, it is always more interesting (financially speaking) to buy in bigger quantities, especially if you want to use your CO on a regular basis.
But for a first test, I suggest buying a smaller bottle. But as you get deeper into the CO world, you will probably want to invest in a bigger bottle.
Every product in my chart above has been carefully selected. Feel free to choose your favorite! You’ll notice they are ALL organic versions. Don’t waste your money on non-organic castor oil. Organic castor oil is made with great care and respectful of the people who make it and of the environment.
Read my detailed article on where to buy castor oil!
Castor Oil Main Uses
CO is just incredible! It has so many virtues it is hard to sum it up in a few lines (check out my cute CO infographic here).
First of all, you can start using it as a natural beauty remedy for:
- Your hair, eyelashes, eyebrows: hydration, texture, growth
- Nails: cuticles, hardness, brittle nails
- Skin: hydration, regeneration, purification
What’s even better is that castor oil also acts directly on your health. It appeases severe pain where modern medicine cannot always do something. Want to know more? Try a CO massage.
Castor oil can also be combined with other vegetal oils (Coco, Argan, Jojoba…) or even essential oils. This will reinforce its action and will create new healing possibilities.
HOWEVER, and I need to insist on that point, I strongly advise not to swallow CO as it is a very powerful laxative. It is too powerful to use without receiving medical advice. This is also why I do not recommend it for inducing labor.
Jamaican Black Castor Oil: An Interesting Alternative
This “darker” version is a cousin of the traditional CO. Those two are very close in composition, the difference is all in the making.
Black castor oil is widely used in the west Caribbean. Black castor oil uses are similar to regular castor oil but aficionados believe it to be even more efficient!  This oil is terrific for your skin or your hair. It is definitely a “must have” for those who choose to take care of them with natural products.
Learn more about black castor oil here on my infographic. You will discover in the glimpse of an eye the manufacturing process and its main uses. You can also discover the differences between CO and Jamaican black CO.
Learn More: Become an Expert!
Doctor William A. McGarey, author of the book “The Oil that Heals” and co-founder of the A.R.E in Phoenix Arizona, will take you even further in the multiple uses of this magical oil.
He identifies many different uses related to health improvement:
- Relieving dry skin
- The disappearance of eyelid growths
- Reduction of stretch marks due to pregnancy
- Reduction of joint pain (arthritis…)
- The disappearance of lymph nodes
- Significant effects on insomnia
- Treatment of ear infections
- Accelerated healing for crushed fingers, returned nails, ingrown toenails
- Various healing (corns, onions, cysts, cholecystitis, various liver diseases, headaches, intestinal disorders, neuritis, toxemia, toothache, etc).