10 Best Castor Oils for Hair, According to Dermatologists 2023

Table Of Content

• Versatile Uses of Castor Oil Beyond Beauty
• Natural At-Home Scar Remedies: Top Dermatologists Reveal the Safest Ones
• Can you leave castor oil in your hair overnight?
• How to Tweeze Eyebrows: Experts Share Top Tricks + Why It’s Best for Women Over 50
• What are the benefits of castor oil for hair?
• What Are Hair Oils?

Its unusually high ricinoleic acid ratio makes it beneficial to skin and hair. Without recognized clinical evidence, there is only informal anecdotal narrative to suggest that black castor oil can promote hair growth and yield other healthy hair benefits. Castor oil has hydrating and nourishing properties, helping you avoid hair breakage and damage. The fatty acids in the oil have enhanced penetration, making them able to provide a soothing, strengthening effect in the hair follicles. Explains that if you looked at the molecular structure of castor oil, you'd see that it's a glycerol with a long-chain fatty acid. The outer layer of the hair shaft is covered in tessellating, scale-like structures called cuticles, and when the hair is damaged, those become flayed and flared, resulting in frizz and dullness.

Versatile Uses of Castor Oil Beyond Beauty

This type of treatment can improve hair’s elasticity, boost shine and help to reduce frizz. Depending on your hair type and the product's directions, you can leave it on for anywhere from 20 minutes to overnight. But as with everything, you only see results if you’re using the right oils and doing it consistently. “I typically recommend it for both normal and dry scalp types and those who have damaged, dry hair that is prone to breakage,” says trichologist and hairstylist Helen Reavey, founder of haircare line Act + Acre. If you have fine hair, keeping oil on your scalp and ends for an extended period of time can possibly weigh your hair down (more on this below, though).

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I split my head open when I was younger, requiring 8 staples in my scalp. Where the scar is, I have a patch of super-curly hair that falls in a perfect ringlet, even though the rest of my hair is wavy/straight. The castor oil seemed to help make this hair patch smoother, though it grew at a faster rate than the rest of my hair. With any new oil, herb, or product, test a tiny amount on your inner arm to make sure you don’t have a reaction. While reactions are rare, some people will notice irritation from castor oil.

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Can you leave castor oil in your hair overnight?

As we get older and our hormone levels change, a few inconvenient things tend to happen. But luckily, there’s a lot that you can do to manage hair loss naturally at home — and at the top of the list, there’s castor oil. While the average human hair follicle grows just over a centimeter a month, some claim anecdotally that using castor oil once a month can spur growth three to five times the normal rate. Some people say that using castor oil on a monthly basis can cause hair to grow faster, but there is no scientific proof to back this up. Castor oil is derived from the seeds of the castor plant, which is native to India. It’s thought to be useful for everything from fighting allergic reactions on your skin to stimulating hair growth all over the body.

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So to prevent accidental dryness, make sure to hydrate your hair with a routine filled with other moisturizers, like shea butter, glycerin, and panthenol before you add castor oil. You can also incorporate castor oil into your routine with a deep conditioner (whether a formula made with castor oil, or by adding a few drops to your favorite) to keep your hair from looking dried out. One of the most popular castor oil products for hair care is Jamaican black castor oil. This variety is made with roasted castor beans and the ash the roasting process produces. Jamaican black castor oil is considered especially good for thick, dry, and/or coarse hair.

What are the benefits of castor oil for hair?

In addition to boosting overall hair hydration with this type of treatment, castor oil can be applied to hair as a detangler or frizz smoother. “I’d suggest using it on washed and conditioned hair that is still damp; you want to seal that moisture in before styling and apply heat,” Dr. Clay notes. Then, apply a small amount of castor oil to your hair by rubbing it together in your hands and distributing it evenly over the ends of your hair. Adding it to your ends will help lock in hydration and shine that you might otherwise be missing. Reviewers love this cold-pressed castor oil from Briogeo, but several warn that, as with most hair oils, a little goes a long way. This may not be a large jar, but rest assured that it will last you for months to come.

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Castor oil isn't considered an edible oil, and it has a very unpleasant taste. Katie Wells, CTNC, MCHC, Founder of Wellness Mama and Co-founder of Wellnesse, has a background in research, journalism, and nutrition. As a mom of six, she turned to research and took health into her own hands to find answers to her health problems. WellnessMama.com is the culmination of her thousands of hours of research and all posts are medically reviewed and verified by the Wellness Mama research team. Katie is also the author of the bestselling books The Wellness Mama Cookbook and The Wellness Mama 5-Step Lifestyle Detox. This article was medically reviewed by Madiha Saeed, MD, a board certified family physician.

How often should you apply castor oil?

There is also some research that the ricinoleic acid may have some anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. If you’re dealing with hair loss or thinning, the best castor oils might be the underrated hair growth product to try, especially as an alternative for pricey in-office treatments. The rich, multipurpose oil has gone viral for its ability to revive hair on the scalp, eyebrows, and lashes, with many crediting it as the catalyst for longer, fuller locks. Which raises the question, is there actual science backing up these claims or is it simply a beauty myth? With a healthy bit of skepticism, we reached out to dermatologists to find out more about castor oil’s benefits.

She's well-versed in castor oil for hair growth, thanks to information from experts, product reviews, and ratings. For a more customized treatment, you can mix castor oil with other carrier oils, like jojoba oil or coconut oil, to help dilute it and thin the consistency, suggests Burrell, which will make it easier to use, even on fine hair. On the other hand, if you want a richer formula, mix castor oil with olive oil for a major deep-conditioning hair treatment (definitely skip this one on fine or low-porosity hair, though). Castor oil can also potentially make your hair look drier if it’s already lacking moisture, because it seals off extra hydration from penetrating your hair, explains Hill.

The sudden, severe matting of a woman's hair was documented in a case report in the International Journal of Trichology in 2017. It's worth noting, though, that this is the only known case linked to castor oil to date. Plus, the woman in the case report used a combination of castor oil, coconut oil, and water, not castor oil alone.

Castor oil is derived from castor beans and is rich in protein, antioxidants, nutrients, and fatty acids, explains New York City-based board-certified dermatologist Marisa Garshick, MD. Hair oils are particularly beneficial when used as an overnight treatment for hair that is dry, over-processed, or damaged because it allows ample time for the oil to penetrate the hair shaft. “Regular use of hair oils can improve hair texture and manageability,” Friend says. Jhin explains that deciding to apply a hair oil treatment to wet or dry hair depends on personal preference and the end result.

It can be used more often, though I didn’t see any increased results with using it daily. I prefer to make my own, but there are some pre-made options (this is a good one that I’ve tried in the past). I’ve been experimenting a lot with castor oil lately as a natural beauty remedy. I already use it in my oil cleansing blend each day, and I’m enjoying the results from using castor oil packs on my skin.