Castor Oil For Your Hair?
When I was a teen I had a horrendous hair experience with Castor oil. I used the old fashioned kind you buy at the corner drug store. It cane complete with a little cross on it because Castor oil can actually be poisonous if not consumed appropriately.
(Image of Heritage Castor Oil - Available From Amazon.com - All Rights Reserved).
For me the Castor oil turned my naturally wavy hair into a major oil slick. It took many days to finally get the slick oily mess out of my hair.
Although I never tried Castor oil on the bulk of my hair, I did play with applying it to the ends of my hair. Used very sparingly it did work to temporarily bind any split ends together.
Heritage Products Castor Oil Cold Pressed
The biggest problem I had with Castor oil is how thick, sticky and slimy it is. Some of hair consumers, especially those with very dry hair or those transitioning to “natural” are using what is known as Jamaican Black Castor Oil (JBCO).
The reason for the new popularity of the Black Castor oil is that it is completely unrefined. The good news is that it contains virtually no chemicals of any kind but it does have a very pungent aroma.
Heritage Store - Organic Castor Oil 16 oz - Castor Oil
If you want a special type of Castor oil and don’t want to go as far as the Jamaican Black, opt for an organic Castor oil. Heritage is considered to be one of the very highest quality Castor oils.
Castor oil is a thick oil. Hair does not absorb thick oils like Castor Oil which is why it’s used as a sealant. If you wish to use Castor oil it’s best when blended with other oils which are designed to penetrate into the hair.
What Is Castor Oil?
Castor oil is a vegetable oil obtained from the castor bean (technically castor seed as the castor plant, Ricinus communis, is not a member of the bean family).
Castor oil (CAS number 8001-79-4) is a colorless to very pale yellow liquid with mild or no odor or taste. Its boiling point is 313 °C (595 °F) and its density is 961 kg·m-3.
It’s a triglyceride in which approximately ninety percent of fatty acid chains are ricinoleic acid. Oleic and linoleic acids are the other significant components.
Advantages To Using Castor Oil On Your Hair
Although the jury is out and there is no scientific proof, some users of Castor oil claim it will help to encourage hair to grow. To encourage hair growth the Castor oil would need to be applied on or near the roots and this would potentially clog the roots. Therefore, its unknown whether this belief has any validity or not.
There is lots of indications that Castor oil does help to soften new growth, especially on “natural” hair that is wiry, kinky or exceptionally coarse. Many swear to the benefits of Castor oil helping to keep their hair soft and moist. Would this work for all types of hair? Definitely not.
I would never recommend Castor oil for fine, thin or even medium hair but then some hair consumers with that type of hair might find it helpful for them. Anyone wanting to experiment with Castor oil should go slowly unlike my original and disastrous attempts to slather it all over my head.
Should you use regular Castor oil or the Black variety? It’s a matter of personal preference that only the individual hair consumer can decide how to select.
Although Castor oil is advertised to cleanse toxins from the scalp, again this is open to interpretation. Will it nourish and thicken the hair?
All Ways Natural Castor Oil Conditioning Hair Dress 5.5 oz
Again, no proven claims. However, it definitely does work to add moisture and to help repair slit ends. Depending on the type and texture of hair it could definitely provide more body and bounce.
Castor Oil And Hair Myths? - Can Castor Oil Help Grow Hair?
There is a lot of misinformation regarding Castor oil. Some people swear that Castor oil will help grow back lost hair or thinning hair. There is not proof of this. In fact, because Castor oil can be so heavy and thick, it’s dubious whether or not it can actually even penetrate the hair roots to encourage growth.
If you believe Castor oil can help regrow lost hair, improve thinning hair or add thickness and body, there’s no harm in experimenting with the mixture to determine your own results. If you decide to test the treatment be sure to follow uniform testing methods and keep careful notes.
While some people swear by Castor oil treatments for helping to generate growth and thickness, others see no results. If you decide to try the treatment consider doing a challenge with some of your friends to determine the pros and cons of using this oil.
AFRICAN PRIDE African Miracle Castor & Mink Oil Protects Hair & Moisturizer
Some of the most common uses of Castor oil include:
1. Applying it to the scalp or around the hairline before applying chemicals such as relaxers, straighteners or hair color.
2. To seal the ends to help hair retain moisture and/or temporarily bind split ends.
3. As a special sealer to help hold moisture on relaxed or chemically straightened strands.
4. As a heavy scalp massage oil and moisturizer.
5. Combined with white or brown sugar as a scalp scrub.
6. Added to normal rinse-out, deep, or leave-in conditioners to amp up moisture.
7. As a hair mask used with a heating cap.
8. Mixed with honey or other deep conditioning ingredients to form a hair conditioner.
9. As a pre-treatment conditioning pack to soften strands.
10. Mixed with hair oils such as jojoba, coconut, Extra Virgin Olive Oil or others.
11. As a post conditioning oil applied to damp tresses.
Castor oil is definitely a matter or personal taste and preference. Some people love it and others don’t see the desired results.
More Information
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October 31st, 2009 at 1:14 pm
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