Top Benefits Of Castor Oil You Need To Know

Gunjan Lal
August 17, 2016
Views : 19396
Top Benefits Of Castor Oil You Need To Know

Castor oil or Arandi oil has been widely used since a very long time for its medicinal benefits across India, Africa, and the Mediterranean basin. Did you know that it is one of the first vegetable oils to be used for industrial purposes? It is because of its high viscosity and lubricating property. It is infamous for its benefit as a laxative and its benefits for hair, but this special vegetable oil has various wonderful uses that once you'll know about it, you will definitely keep a bottle of castor oil at home

Promotes Hair Growth

Castor oil Promotes Hair Growth

The awesome ability of this warm oil to improve circulation when massaged on the scalp makes it almost like a magic portion for your hair. Castor oil can be applied in areas of your scalp that have lost hair due to the autoimmune disease known as alopecia. The anti-inflammatory property of this oil works against this disorder.

This oil can come to your rescue if you have scanty eyebrows. Just dip the tip of a cotton ear bud in castor oil and apply it to your eyebrow ridge. The hair will grow denser there and you can get it shaped as usual.

As we already know that castor oil is one of the most effective home remedies for treating dry scalp, split ends, hair thinning, and hair loss. For hair growth, you can heat the oil making sure that it is not hot to touch, and then allow it to cool for a bit. While it is still lukewarm, massage the oil nicely onto your scalp with your fingertips. If you repeat it every night, you will see the difference in as little as two weeks.

Since castor oil possesses anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, and antiviral properties, it is the perfect remedy for scalp infections and for issues such as itchy scalp and bald patches. These properties help to fight off irritating hair problem like dandruff. Split ends are another annoying problem and a natural remedy like castor oil helps to treat split ends in a way that it penetrates deep into your scalp and helps smoothen the rough hair cuticles.

Enhances Hair Color

Castor oil Enhances Hair Color

Another benefit of castor oil is that it can be used to enhance the natural color of your hair and make it look rich, lively, and thick. This oil is a humectant that means it helps to lock in moisture. When applied on the hair, it assists in preserving the moisture in your hair shaft and makes each strand darker and thicker.

This is how you can use castor on your hair - Mix a teaspoon of castor oil with an equal amount of either coconut oil, olive, or almond oil (you need to mix it with another oil because castor oil is quite viscous). Massage your scalp and with it and let it stay for 30 to 45 minutes then shampoo it off.

Another way to use it is after washing your hair, dry it with a towel. Slightly warm one tablespoon (not too hot) of castor oil and dip your fingers in it. Run your fingers through the hair to spread the oil onto as many strands as possible. If you have long hair, it would be easier to divide it into two to three sections and nicely rub each section between your palms to coat all the hair strands. Let it stay for 30 to 45 minutes and wash it off.

Deeply Moisturizes Skin

Castor oil Deeply Moisturizes Skin

If you have dry skin then castor oil can come to your aid. It is highly viscous, the oil stays on and penetrates deep into your skin tissue and nourishes it with natural fatty acids. Many of our commercial moisturizers contain castor oil as an ingredient. I think it's awesome that you can reap all its benefits from direct application.

This oil is a little bit thick and can be tricky to apply, but don't fret, you can rub a teaspoonful of oil between your palms and rub it into your skin. This will ensure a thin and even layered application. It may seem kind of sticky initially, but once you get it on your skin in a thin layer, it gets absorbed pretty quickly, leaving no oily feel. If you still would like to lighten the texture then you can add a bit of coconut oil for easy application.

Spot Treatment for Skin Problems

Castor oil can be used to treat skin problems such as warts, acne, and skin tags that seem to appear from out of the blue. While warts are the result a viral infection, skin tags usually develop in areas where the skin is constantly rubbed. Overproduction of sebum in the skin gland results in the breakout of acne and it is often complicated by other microbial infections.

The anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties of castor oil claim the credits for this healing effect. You can apply castor oil to these irritable skin growths using a cotton swab. Most of these problems should get resolved by a regular application of castor oil for a week or two.

Relieves Muscle Soreness

Castor oil Relieves Muscle Soreness

Castor oil is considered to be a warm oil that promotes the circulation of fluids in your body. It plays an excellent role as massage oil and is able to relieve the soreness which occurs when your muscles are overworked. If you have an aching calf or thigh muscle after exercise or sports practice, you can simply apply a little castor oil on the aching area and rub it in.

Castor oil makes a good carrier oil for essential oils. You can add a few drops of peppermint oil to a tablespoon of castor oil in order to make the massage relaxing and healing.

Soothes Joint Pain

Castor oil Soothes Joint Pain

The lymphatic vessels that form a wide network all over your body collect waste from the tissues and carry it to the blood for elimination. Congestion in these vessels and building up of toxic waste is the cause of many autoimmune diseases such as arthritis (which causes pain and inflammation in your joints). Castor oil eases up that build up and gets the lymph moving freely.

Castor oil acts directly on your immune system by increasing the count of a type of white blood cells (called lymphocytes) and stimulating the thymus gland. The best thing about castor oil is that if you just apply it topically it brings about these internal changes.

Safe & Natural Laxative

Safe & Natural Laxative

Castor oil is widely known and is used for its natural laxative quality. It has been characterized by big pharmaceuticals as not being safe to be ingested for its laxative effect. But that's a popularized myth, it is not only safe but is also suitable for small children.

The castor oil plant and the castor bean contain a highly powerful toxin known as ricin which it is deactivated during the process of oil extraction.

When you use the oil as a laxative, the dosage can be adjusted. Its effect is directly proportional to how much oil you are using (but don't have it all at once!). The usual dosage differs from 1 to 2 tablespoons for adults and 1 to 2 teaspoons for 2 to 12 year old children. Children under 2 years should not be given more than a teaspoonful at one time. You can mix this oil with juices such as orange juice to make it more drinkable.

Usually, whereas other laxatives act in the colon, the laxative action of castor oil starts in the small intestine. You can await a thorough cleansing of your bowels within 2 to 5 hours of taking the oil.

Treats Fungal Infections

Castor oil has a strong antifungal property and its credit goes to undecylenic acid. It is basically formed by the breakdown of the ricinoleic fatty acid which is found abundantly in this oil. You can use it to treat common fungal infections or diseases such as ringworm, tinea cruris, and athlete's foot.

You can simply heat some castor oil in the microwave for 20 to 30 seconds and if it's too hot then let it cool until it is just warm to touch. Apply it over the affected area before you go to bed and leave it on overnight. Repeat it for a week, you'll surely see significant improvement and continue the treatment until your infection completely disappears.

Homemade Natural Mascara

Homemade Natural Mascara

That's right! If you want to make mascara at home you can easily make it with a bit of castor oil and beeswax, add charcoal powder for black color (or cocoa powder for brown). What you have to do is melt one tablespoon beeswax in a double boiler, add 2 tablespoons of castor oil into it, mix in charcoal powder (or cocoa powder) to get the desired color and consistency.

If you want thicker and darker eyelashes, you can even apply castor oil on your eyelashes with a mascara brush every night and wait till you see it work like magic.

Natural Sleep Aid

Sleep deprivation has become a major concern for most of us these days. And though we know how important sleep is for us it still doesn't come easily to us. Castor oil can help you fall asleep without much delay and can also put you into deep slumber for an extended period.

This is an excellent remedy for people whose sleep cyclehas gone haywire. It is not clear how castor oil induces sleep, but people who use it on their hair or around the eyes affirm its effectiveness. If you have difficulty falling asleep or cannot maintain a sound sleep for more than 6 hours you can try dabbing a bit of castor oil on your eyelids. It will help you to sleep like a baby for a long period of time.

Heals Skin Ailments on Pets

If you have pets then you must also keep a bottle of castor oil at home. You must have noticed that dogs and cats have the tendency to constantly lick their wounds or places on their skin that might have become infected. This only worsens their skin condition and causes them to ingest the medication applied on the wounded spots.

Castor oil is safe to use over infected areas and minor cuts over the skin of your pets. Its anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties help in faster healing. The upside to applying this oil on your animals is that they may find the oil unpalatable and would not be inclined to lick the spots.

Castor Oil as a Preservative

The antifungal property of castor oil has been put to good use in the food industry. Many dried pulses and grain are given a coating of castor oil when they need to be preserved. Castor oil also seems to repel insect pests that spoil the grains. It will come in handy if you especially want to store organic products. Using castor oil could be the best option for you.

Castor Oil as a Lubricant

Castor Oil as a Lubricant

Castor oil works as good as grease in lubricating moving parts of machines. Did you know that the lubricant company "Castrol" coined its name from castor oil? It works well equally in both high and low temperatures and is usually used in racing cars. Castor oil (unlike other oils) does not mar the rubber, which means that it can be safely used in tools like cycle pumps that have rubber seals.

Castor oil is also safe to be used on kitchen and home appliances that need lubrication. You can use it on scissors, jammed bolts, and hand-cranked meat grinders.

A Few Things to Keep in Mind before Using Castor Oil

  • Before you use castor oil topically or internally, use a small amount of oil on your skin to make sure that you don't have any allergic reactions.
  • Use castor oil according to the instructions provided in the back packaging and use a clearly labeled measuring device to get the correct dose.
  • Castor oil is may cause strong pelvic contractions in women which may lead to miscarriage or premature birth. For this reason, it is advised that castor oil should not be used internally by pregnant women unless specifically instructed by a medical professional.
  • When ingested, castor oil can produce a very strong laxative effect. An overdose of the oil may result in severe dehydration. Therefore it is advised NOT to be ingested more than required.
  • Other possible side effects of castor oil can include skin rash, abdominal cramps, dizziness, diarrhea, fainting, nausea, throat tightness, difficulty in breathing and chest pain.
Gunjan Lal

Gunjan Lal

Hi! I’m Gunjan, a self-proclaimed tea fanatic and intrigued with alternative ways to lead a healthy life. I firmly believe that we should take care of our bodies because it’s the only place we live in.

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