Castor oil is a plant-based oil that is extracted from Ricinus communis. It is used topically to achieve moisturizing and analgesic benefits, and can therefore be used to relieve arthritis symptoms or hydrate your skin and hair.
Castor oil also has a laxative effect and may be taken orally to treat constipation. Ingesting castor oil should be only be done as approved by a doctor, as large quantities can lead to serious side effects or poisoning.
Castor oil can be purchased in health food stores, grocery stores or compounding pharmacies. It should be used as directed by a doctor or qualifies health care professional.
Uses and benefits
Castor oil is commonly indicated for:
- Preventing or treating dry skin
- Increasing skin elasticity and softness
- Hydrating hair, increasing shine and improving the health of hair follicles
- Sealing the cuticles of hair strands, which can reduce breakage and split ends
- Moisturizing and nourish the scalp to reduce dryness
- Helping to fight dandruff
- Nourishing and strengthening eyelashes, beard and eyebrows
- Healing the skin or preventing and combating inflammation or skin infections
- Relieving itching and rashes on the skin
- Relieving muscle or back pain
- Managing pain related to arthritis or rheumatism
The benefits of castor oil on the skin are mainly due to the substances present in its composition, such as ricinoleic acid, vitamin E, fatty acids and mineral salts. It contains humectant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and antioxidant properties, which help maintain skin tone, hydrate the skin, preventing fluid loss, nourish the skin and reduce inflammation.
Furthermore, due to its laxative properties, castor oil can be indicated in traditional medicine for the treatment of occasional constipation.
Can castor oil be used for hair growth?
Castor oil can be used to improve the overall health of your hair, as it can strengthen strands, reduce breakage and keep your hair hydrated. However, there are no scientific studies that support its use for combating hair loss and promoting hair growth.
However, it can help to hydrate the scalp, which can indirectly promote hair growth.
How to use it
Castor oil is extracted from castor plant leaves and seeds. Its use will depend on what you are aiming to achieve:
- To hydrate your hair: Apply the oil directly to the scalp, or add it to a hair mask
- To hydrate your skin: You can massage it directly into the skin
- To relieve back, muscle, arthritis or rheumatism pain: apply castor oil directly to the affected area, massaging it gently into the skin, and then apply a warm compress over the area, for 20 to 30 minutes, once a day;
- To treat constipation: Take one tablespoon of it per day
Castor oil can also be used for the treatment of gallbladder stones, although you should consult your gastroenterologist or a healthcare professional with experience in medicinal plants before using it. Learn more about how gallstones are treated.
Possible side effects
Ingesting excessive quantities of castor oil can cause side effects, such as abdominal pain, bloating, nausea, vomiting with blood, diarrhea or blood in the stool.
Furthermore, taking castor oil without medical advice can lead to poisoning, which can present with symptoms like intense cramps, dizziness, hallucinations, fainting, chest pain, difficulty breathing, shortness of breath or a lump in the throat. .
In these cases, you should proceed to the nearest emergency room immediately.
Castor oil, when applied in large quantities to the skin or scalp, can cause skin irritation, contact dermatitis or lead to the appearance of blemishes if the area is exposed to the sun for a long time.
Contraindications
Castor oil should not be used by children, breastfeeding women or pregnant women, as this oil can induce labor.
Additionally, castor oil should not be used by people who have suspected or confirmed appendicitis, a bowel obstruction or perforation, or irritable bowel syndrome.
Castor oil should also not be used by people taking diuretics or corticosteroids, as it can greatly reduce potassium levels, leading to serious side effects like weakness, fatigue, muscle cramps, tingling, numbness, cardiac arrhythmia and abdominal distension.
Castor seeds are toxic, due to the presence of ricin in their composition, and should not be consumed, applied to the skin or inhaled. This toxin is not present in castor oil, as it is filtered during the extraction of the oil from the seeds. However, castor oil should only be used as approved by your doctor. You should not attempt to extract oil from castor seeds at home.