Oils are essential in many people’s beauty regimens for years, but one that is often overlooked is castor oil. Castor oil is a vegetable oil from the plant ricinus communis and has anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-inflammatory properties, making it a wonder treatment for any beauty routine. The main benefit of castor oil is the stimulation and promotion of hair growth — and this includes on your head, eyebrows, and lashes. The fact, there are plenty of positive effects it can have in your beauty routine when applied topically. Castor oil’s benefits for skin target a range of concerns and goals, despite hair growth being the most widely known.
“It is commonly taken orally as a laxative,” dermatologist Purvisha Patel previously told PS. “It is also found in soaps and used directly on the skin to help inflammatory conditions such as eczema and psoriasis. It is used to stimulate hair growth and moisturize hair as well.”
Read on to learn more about castor oil benefits for skin, as well as to find out how to use castor oil in your beauty routine.
Experts Featured in This Article
Purvisha Patel, MD, is a dermatologist and cosmetic surgeon in Tennessee.
Kunal Malik, MD, FAAD, is a dermatologist based in New York City.
How to Use Castor Oil For Hair
As the winter closes in, your skin may suffer from the harsher weather. It isn’t uncommon for scalps to get flaky. The fatty acids in castor oil can penetrate hair follicles and moisturize deep into the scalp, preventing flaking skin. “It has ricinoleic acid, which has anti-inflammatory properties that can help soothe an irritated scalp,” Dr. Malik says. “I would advise applying it as a pre-shampoo treatment, massaging into the scalp for 10-15 minutes before washing with shampoo.”
Castor oil can be difficult to work with as it is very thick, so if you’re having difficulty using it on its own, try adding other oils, such as jojoba oil and coconut oil to get the best benefits from the oils and create an easy-to-use mask. Due to the anti-fungal properties of castor oil, it can also be used to treat minor fungal infections, like dandruff. Dandruff is effectively treated because of the anti-bacterial property of ricinoleic acid, which kills the bacteria causing the flakes.
Castor oil is most widely used in a beauty regimen to promote growth for eyebrows and eyelashes. The ricinoleic acid and omega 6 present in the oil is great for promoting circulation “In skin care, castor oil can be beneficial as an occlusive ingredient, particularly for eyebrows and eyelashes,” Dr. Malik says. “Its thick consistency helps lock in moisture and can protect these delicate areas. I think it’s important to note that claims about castor oil stimulating hair growth lack strong scientific evidence.”
If you do want to try using castor oil for hair growth on the eyebrows and eyelashes, after cleansing and moisturizing skin, apply a small amount directly onto the eyebrows and eyelashes before going to bed. Using a clean spoolie/mascara wand may help with application. At the very least, the ingredient will help condition the hair so it’s soft and more manageable.
How to Use Castor Oil on the Face
The entirely natural properties of castor oil make a great DIY face mask at home to deeply moisturize the skin. Ensure you create a mask with other oils, such as jojoba and almond oil, containing lots of vitamin E to nourish the skin.
While castor oil is not an acne treatment, it can aid in the repair of spots and scars due to the anti-inflammatory properties in the oil, and the anti-bacterial properties can help kill bacteria found in the skin causing the breakout.
Additionally, castor oil has recently been found to help with dark circles. In a single-arm clinical trial by the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology conducted in 2021 and 2022, patients who applied a topical castor oil cream twice daily for two months noticed “reduced melanin levels, wrinkles, and skin laxity in the infraorbital region. However, Dr. Malik notes that if you do plan to incorporate castor oil into your skin-care routine, due to the thick nature of the ingredient, he suggests applying it at night.
All of this said, precautions must be taken before incorporating castor oil into your beauty regimen. As with any new product you plan on incorporating into your routine, always do a skin test beforehand to ensure you have no allergies. Don’t ingest castor oil unless directed to do so by a health professional.
– Additional reporting by Renee Rodriguez
Tori Crowther is a freelance beauty journalist and former PS UK editor..
Renee Rodriguez (she/her) is a staff writer and social producer for PS. She writes across all verticals, but her main areas of expertise focus on fashion and beauty content with an emphasis on reviews and editor experiments. She also produces social content for the PS TikTok and Instagram accounts.
