Castor oil is something that has grown largely in popularity these past few years. It can be used for almost everything- from dry skin to liver healing to natural cosmetics. Today I’m going to go through my five favorite ways to use castor oil and discuss its benefits and origins.

Where Does it Come From?...

Largely cultivated in India, China, and Brazil, the Ricinus Communis plant (or the Castor Oil Plant), is truly a wonder when it comes to our health. It can reach up to 30 to 40 feet in height and grow best in tropical areas. It has bristly stalks and pointy leaves, but the part we’re going to be discussing the most today is the seeds (also referred to as beans) found inside the fruit it bears. This fruit holds a poisonous compound called ricin, which is lethal if ingested. However, castor oil itself does not contain ricin, because the heating process used to extract the oil from the seeds removes the toxins the seeds naturally contain. The seeds are pressed to extract the fatty oil they contain, which is the castor oil we buy in a bottle today.

Why Is It So Good for You?...

Castor oil contains high levels of ricinoleic acid, a fatty acid that intensely moisturizes the skin. It's also anti-inflammatory, making it an excellent option for treating joint pain, sunburns, or any other unwanted inflammation. It is also anti-bacterial, labor-inducing, can act as a laxative, and can increase blood circulation.

It's honestly a wonder-working plant. (Well, the plant itself is not wonder-working, but Yahuah definitely uses it to work wonders). One of my favorite things about castor oil is its ability to penetrate deep into your skin. This means it helps fight toxins that lie under the surface, and its benefits are soaking deep into you. Now that we understand where it comes from and how we can benefit from using it, let's talk about a few of my personal favorite ways to use it in my everyday life.

My 5 Favorite Things to Use it for…

1.    Dry Skin

Whether it be a dry face or dry hands, castor oil works absolute wonders for intensely moisturizing your skin wherever it needs a little love. If you want to have buttery soft skin, simply apply a layer of oil over your entire body after the shower, preferably before bed. Throw on some clothes that you don’t care to be potentially oil-stained, and wake in the morning to skin that is softer than it’s ever been.

If your face is dried out or has toxins exiting through it (usually in the form of acne or cysts), simply wash it with your favorite scrub to exfoliate, and add a layer of castor oil once you’ve dried your face with a towel. Castor oil has amazing penetrating properties, and will help draw the toxins out of your skin, leaving you feeling soft and looking fresh.

2.    Dry Feet

Ever had dry, cracking skin on your feet, specifically around your heels and at the balls of your feet? This is a common issue and can mean that you’re not getting enough circulation to your feet, which is often a sign of a stagnant liver. While castor oil can be a tremendous help to your liver health (more on that later), I also love to use it for softening up that dry skin on the bottom of your feet. I usually do this before bed as well, because although I love castor oil, it’s very thick and doesn’t feel the best to have on your feet as you walk on them.

Just wash and dry your feet, then apply a thick layer of castor oil. Slide some socks on to keep form getting your home all oily and remove them in the morning to find your feet immensely softer than they were the night before. Depending on how dry and cracked your feet are, I would recommend doing this consistently for a while to hydrate and repair. If you do this every night for a week, and also use a castor oil pack to help repair your liver (see section on liver repair below), your feet will be as softer than ever.

3.    Liver Repair

  As I mentioned in the last section, castor oil is a fantastic way to keep your liver in good health. I’m sure you’ve seen things on social media about using castor oil packs, and it really is so simple and effective. Because of its penetrating properties, castor oil is a magnificent way to help your liver deal with its toxic load. You can order a castor oil pack on amazon inexpensively, but you can also just grab a piece of old fabric and use that. Either way will work fine, but I personally prefer the ones you can buy with adjustable straps because I hate having to deal with it falling off in my sleep and getting oil everywhere.

  All you need to do is apply a generous amount of castor oil to your chosen fabric and fasten/tie it around you so the oil is resting on your target spot (in this case, your liver). Your liver is located around the upper right side of your torso (if you need help finding it, look up a picture online). I usually wear my castor oil pack overnight, just because I don’t like walking around with the straps hanging out of my shirt, but you could really wear it at any time of day. As with so many things, if you want to see improvement, you must do this consistently. Set a goal of whatever works for you- every day, every other day, or a couple times a week- and then stick to it… Your liver works so hard for you and deserves a little love:)

4.    Eyelashes

  Looking for an easy, natural way to darken and lengthen your lashes? Look no further! Castor oil is here, with the perfect way to add gentle volume to your lashes on an everyday basis. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with using cosmetics, but I do think there’s something to be said for showing your genuine self to those around you. And, if you’re as crunchy as I am, you know that nature-based cosmetics are so expensive. So, why not look into some cost effective ways to enhance your natural beauty?

Just save an old mascara bottle (or order one if you don’t use cosmetics) and fill it with oil. Apply it just as you would mascara, to enhance your natural look. Or if you don’t have a mascara bottle, you can just put a couple drops of oil in your palm and use your finger to brush it into your lashes. Castor oil also lengthens, so do this consistently for naturally long, thick, dark lashes.

 I’ve also seen a couple things online saying you can add activated charcoal to your oil to provide further darkening. I haven’t tried this yet, and my only concern is that it would be a horrible mess all over your face if you were to accidentally rub your eyes… Activated charcoal is no joke. But, definitely let me know how it went in the comments if you try it!

5.    Hair

The perfect way to strengthen and lengthen, castor oil can truly work wonders for your hair. This is a crucial part of my hair care routine… No matter your hair pattern, keeping your hair healthy is the number one key to getting it to look how you want it to. Stop jumping on every opportunity to use more products and instead let’s try to make your natural hair its happiest and healthiest (and therefore most beautiful).

Teens- I know when you hear me say you need to oil your hair, you may be thinking that’s the last thing you want to do with your oily scalp. But something we don’t realize is that constant oily scalp is often the result of too much drying out. When we deprive our hair of healthy oils, we force it to constantly produce its own. This is why your scalp is always itchy and oily. Stop drying it out and moisturize it with oils that will help it thrive!

If you look up “hair oiling routines” on Pinterest, you’ll be flooded with a myriad of different methods. Honestly, as long as you’re getting the oil massaged into your scalp and the ends of your hair, any of them will work. I’ll share how I personally oil my hair, and you can use my method or one of the many others or create your own way that works best for you.

I pour a bit of castor oil into a small dish and add an essential oil blend we bought from Revive for hair health (Link is here: ). After mixing the oils together with my fingers, I part my hair and massage a generous amount into my scalp. I do this over my whole head, parting in various places. Once I’ve massaged the oil into my scalp, I then rub some into my hands and rub it into the ends of my hair. This will help repair any breakage and make your hair soft and shiny. Let this set into your hair for a minimum of one hour… My favorite way is to oil your hair in the morning and then shower in the late afternoon. I recommend doing this about once a week.

You want to use something that’s not going to dry out your hair too terribly much when you wash the oil out… remember, our goal is to moisturize. I actually use a shampoo and conditioner formulated with castor oil from Shea Moisture (Link is here: ).

Once you’ve washed the oil out in the shower, here’s a couple of tips:

-          DO NOT towel-dry your hair. This causes so much breakage. Instead squeeze all the water you can out using your hands, and let it air dry. If you have naturally curly or wavy hair, use your hands to scrunch it while it dries.

-          Don’t use plastic combs and brushes to detangle. This also causes lots of breakage. Instead use a wooden comb (you can purchase one on Amazon) to help keep your hair happy and strong.

-          Do yourself a favor and please don’t lather a bunch of products into your hair… Let it dry as it is and feel how lovely it is. As your hair gets stronger, it will become more beautiful than it ever could using chemical products. The only product I use on my hair is a leave-in conditioner from Shea Moisture after the shower. This is just for additional moisture, and I get my natural loose curls by just keeping my hair healthy… It’s not as curly as it once was when I loaded it up with product, but I would much rather have healthy hair.

And that’s all for today! If you don’t own a bottle of castor oil, you should definitely order some soon… We could all benefit from at least one if not all of these uses, and there are so many more as well! I would encourage you to do your own additional research on castor oil and begin incorporating it into your everyday lifestyle.

              Love,

                             Nola:)