Benefits of Using Castor Oil for Hair Care
As a nutrient-rich essential oil, castor oil definitely comes with a punch of special benefits for hair. Make it a part of your regular hair care routine to experience these fabulous hair benefits:
Promotes Hair Growth
Every hair strand on our head is attached to a hair bulb. Blood vessels at the hair bulb nourish the hair to enable growth. Applying and massaging castor oil to the scalp boosts blood circulation, which in turn encourages hair growth. You get thicker hair with regular use of castor oil for hair care.
Controls Hair Loss
Hair loss could sometimes be due to your hair’s deficiency in essential nutrients and vitamins. Through time, chemical stress and hair styling could weaken hair and cause hair fall. Using castor oil combats hair loss by providing hair with vitamin E, protein, and fatty acids that keep hair healthy and strong always.
Relieves Dry Itchy Scalp
Dry scalp could be itchy and lead to the presence of nasty flakes. With castor oil’s high moisture content, it relieves dryness to keep scalp balanced. Many castor oil users mix castor oil with coconut oil for an effective oil blend to treat dandruff.
Tames Frizz and Split Ends
You can get rid of frizz and split ends with a few drops of castor oil. It naturally repairs damaged strands so hair stays smooth and beautiful. You can simply put a few drops on your palm and rub them together to spread. Apply it by running your fingers through your hair and style as usual.
Conditions and Moisturizes Hair
End your everyday hair struggle and make hair extra soft and silky with castor oil. It provides a thin coat that gives hair shine and body that follows your every move. It relieves dry hair to keep it healthy and more manageable.
Thickens Eyelashes and Eyebrows
Just as castor oil grows thicker hair on top of your head, it also makes your eyelashes and eyebrows fiercely thicker! Bolder eyebrows are super trendy and longer eyelashes are sexy. Together, they create a gorgeous look that gets you noticed.
How Castor Oil Works for Hair
You can definitely have tons of great reasons why using castor oil for hair care is a must-try. It is one of those natural hair remedies you will love using for its rich texture. It holds hair nicely when you apply it. That’s when the oil’s magic starts working as it stays on your hair.
Castor oil provides the nourishment your hair needs such as vitamin E, protein, and fatty acids. It restores damaged hair and strengthens it. It leaves hair a thin coating that helps lock the moisture in. Your hair stays smooth and hydrated.
Castor oil contains a high amount of ricinoleic acid, an omega-9 fatty acid that is uniquely found in castor oil. In fact, castor oil is about 90 percent ricinoleic acid. What makes this component really important? It is the major component that works on your hair for those fabulous hair benefits. It promotes blood circulation to boost hair growth. It also carries anti-inflammatory and antibacterial property that helps relieve scalp irritation and prevents scalp infections.
This amazing oil suits all types of hair so you can definitely use it. Whether straight, wavy, curly, or kinky hair, castor oil is for you!
While castor oil works extremely well for your hair, using it for skin and body have awesome benefits you also want to get. It moisturizes skin and relieves body pains.
Want to find out more about essential oil uses? Learn the various ways of using essential oils for topical application, internal use, and aromatherapy. You can even use them for household and culinary purposes!
How to Use Castor Oil for Hair
Using castor oil for hair is really nice and simple yet a few effective tips can make a difference. Remember, castor oil’s nourishing properties won’t do much for you if not used correctly. Two of the best ways to use castor oil for hair is to add it on regular hair products and to apply it directly to hair by creating oil blends or DIY recipes.
Add to Hair Products
Adding castor oil to hair products is very easy and convenient. Simply put a few drops of castor oil to your regular hair products such as shampoos, hair conditioner, and serums. Shake the bottle to mix well. About 18 drops per ounce of a product would be perfect. This makes your everyday hair care products more nourishing and exciting to use.
Create Oil Blends and DIY Recipes
Castor oil is one the best essential oils used for hair care because it blends well with other oils. You can create various oil blends for specific hair needs. You can solve major hair problems such as dryness, split ends, hair loss, and dandruff with castor oil. Blending castor oil with other essential oils also comes with benefits.
Castor oil being naturally thick is good because it means the product is pure. However, blending it with other essential oils enhances its texture, making it easier to apply to hair. Many DIY recipes use one part castor oil for one part of coconut, jojoba, olive, almond, or argan oil.
Looking for the best essential oil to blend with castor oil? Check out our most comprehensive essential oils guide. Discover other essential oils with amazing benefits and find out how to use them for holistic wellness.
Applying Castor Oil for Hair
A regular hair care routine with castor oil is very easy to do especially if you know how to apply it properly. Here are tips to make application of castor oil for hair more effective and hassle-free!
Step by Step Procedure
- Put oil in a shallow container – Taking castor oil directly from the bottle multiple times during a hair treatment may cause product contamination. The best thing to do is take an ample amount of oil you need and put it in a shallow container. The same thing applies when you are using castor oil for an oil blend. You can easily dip your fingers in it to take oil.
- Cover your shoulders with a towel – To avoid any oil stains on your clothes, make sure to cover your shoulders with a towel. Otherwise, you can benefit from using a spare old T-shirt.
- Dampen your hair – Sprits some water on hair using a spray bottle. Castor oil works better with damp hair. It locks in the little water you put to keep hair moisturized and hydrated. A caution though: Make sure that your hair is damp and not soaking wet!
- Apply using a glass dropper – To put oil on various spots of your scalp effectively, use a glass dropper. Target those thinning areas where it some new hair needs to grow.
- Massage your scalp – Massage your scalp in a circular motion to stimulate blood circulation. A better flow of blood helps deliver essential nutrients to your hair bulb and enables hair growth. This also helps spread the oil throughout the entire scalp.
- Spread the oil throughout your hair – Provide the rest of your hair with the benefits of castor oil. Scoop some oil from the container with your hands. Rub them together then run your palms across the length of your hair from roots to tips. Use the appropriate size of comb to distribute oil evenly.
- Cover hair with a shower cap – If you have really long hair already, wrap it loose on top of your head. You can use a hair clip to keep it in place. Wear a shower cap to protect furniture and pillows from oil stains.
- Leave overnight – Let the oil sit overnight. Leaving it on hair allows enough time for the oil’s nourishing value to absorb and work on your hair.
- Rinse off – Use warm water to help rinse off the oil more effectively. Dampen your hair and apply a mild shampoo to pre-wash your hair. Rinse it off. Apply a conditioner to help break down the excess oil so it effectively washes off your hair and scalp. Then make a final round of shampoo and rinse with lukewarm water thoroughly.
When to Apply Castor Oil on Your Hair
Like any other hair care products, castor oil needs a little patience and devotion from you. All you need is to apply it regularly as part of a routine. But, when is the best time to apply it and how often should you do it?
Use castor oil for hair care at least once or twice a week. It works better when hair is damp. It is ideal to use as a hair serum or leave in conditioner right after towel drying. This helps keep your hair hydrated all day long.
For maximum benefits, go for a nourishing hair treatment using castor oil or castor oil blend at least once a week. Since a hair treatment needs to be left for several hours, it is best to do it before bedtime and leave the oil overnight. This allows enough time for the oil to work on your hair.
DIY Castor Oil Hair Mask Treatment
While you can try different oil blends with castor oil, finding your winning combination of oils may need some time and experimentation. For general application of castor oil for hair, here’s an awesome recipe you can try at home.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons castor oil
- 1 tablespoon jojoba oil or argan oil
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
Instructions
- Prepare the oil – Combine all ingredients in a small jar and tightly cover. Shake well to blend. Warm the oil over a large bowl with hot water. Put the jar and leave for 2 to 4 minutes. Pour castor oil blend in a shallow container or bowl for easy scooping of oil.
- Prep up yourself – Cover your shoulders with a towel or use an old T-shirt to protect clothes from oil stains. Spritz some water to dampen hair using a spray bottle.
- Apply the oil – Apply the oil evenly to scalp with your fingers or glass dropper, if available. Massage for 5 minutes to boost blood circulation. Spread the oil to the rest of your hair, from roots to tips.
- Cover your hair and leave overnight – Cover with a shower cap and leave the treatment overnight for better results.
- Rinse – Rinse the oil thoroughly the next morning. Use warm water and gentle shampoo to wash your hair. Apply a regular conditioner, and then wash with shampoo again.
- Repeat – Repeat this natural hair and scalp treatment every week. Regular use of castor oil for hair keeps it luscious and healthy.
Want to know the advantages of using essential oil products in DIY recipes like this? Find out the perks of using essential oils and get a preview of today’s best brands. Learn about the essential oil qualities you should really look for.
