Essential Oils VS Carrier Oils Series: CASTOR OIL

Hello everyone,

About 4 or 5 weeks ago, I featured a post on the differences between Essential Oils and Carrier Oils. I thought it would be good to make a series out of the post and highlight some of the more popular oils. And so, I began with Olive Oil due to its popularity and being EVERYWHERE! This time around, I want to go with CASTOR OIL!

Castor Oil and Natural Hair

If you're into researching natural hair care and tips, I'm sure you've definitely come across Castor Oil and its hair growth abilities. Before we delve into the benefits and uses, let's answer this question... What is Castor oil? Castor oil is a vegetable oil derived from pressing the seeds of the castor plant. It is typically colorless or pale yellow and has no odor.* It is a CARRIER OIL, which we all know means that it can be applied directly to hair. However, it can be a little heavy and leave your hair feeling sticky, so it should be used in moderation and mixed with lighter oils like coconut or olive oil.

Benefits of Castor Oil use on Natural Hair

• Growth!!! Ever heard of the Castor Oil Challenge? What, have you been sleeping under a rock? Even if you haven't participated, you might have seen it mentioned here or here. Several natural hair gurus routinely do Castor Oil Challenges, which consists of routinely using castor oil in your hair care regimen (massage, DC, hot oil treatments, etc) a few times a week, typically for a period of 3 months. Maybe we should have an AN Castor Oil Challenge?!?!?!?! Castor oil is also said to show significant improvement in hair edges (and eyebrows too!). So if you've had a rough time with your edges or suffered hair loss, go get some castor oil NOW!
• Scalp health - Castor oil has antiviral, antifungal and antibacterial qualities that make it great to treat scalp issues, such as dandruff or even ringworm. It also prevents dry, itchy scalp.
• Moisturizes/conditions hair - Castor oil is a humectant and absorbs moisture, so it's a great oil to use for moisturizing and conditioning your hair.

Uses in your Hair Care Regimen

• Scalp Massage
• Conditioning/Deep Conditioning
• Hot Oil Treatment
• Moisturizer (in your Spray Bottle)

I only recently started using Castor oil in my spray bottle. I had wanted to try a mini Castor Oil Challenge though (especially before my wedding). I'm still thinking about it. Do you use castor oil in your hair care regimen, and how? See AN's experience with Castor Oil here.

You can also purchase the African Naturalistas Castor Oil from the shop.

*Information culled from - Wikipedia: Castor Oil

Berry Dakara

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