If you’re looking for a good, natural moisturizer, it’s likely because you’ve already tried a whole bunch of other things. Nothing is more frustrating than having dry, painful skin that is impossible to hydrate.
What’s even more frustrating is choosing a product that claims to moisturize dry skin, but actually doesn’t. Or choosing a product that moisturizes your skin, but ends up creating more problems, like acne.
If these troubles sound familiar to you, you’re likely going to enjoy castor oil as moisturizer. Castor oil really, truly moisturizes the skin whether your skin is dry, normal, or oily. It does so without making your skin extra oily, and without causing an acne break-out.
Below, I cover everything you need to know about using castor oil as a moisturizer including the benefits of it on your skin, whether you should use it on your skin, face, eyes and hair and exactly how to use castor oil as a moisturizer.
What Is Castor Oil?
Castor oil is a type of vegetable oil that many people use for its healing properties. The most common use of castor oil is to treat constipation, but many people use it to heal the skin as well.
Ricinoleic acid is a fatty acid that makes up about 85-90% of castor oil. It has anti-inflammatory properties which make it great for treating wounds, acne, and dry skin.
Castor oil is derived from the castor bean plant which is native to tropical regions of Africa. The oil is extracted from the seeds of the plant, and people have been using it for centuries for cooking and medication.
Benefits Of Using Castor Oil On Your Skin
There are many reason why castor oil is great for the skin, whether you have trouble with your skin or not. Even if you have healthy skin and simply want to keep it that way, castor oil can help.
It Is Non-Comedogenic
A substance that is comedogenic is something that clogs pours. Generally, these products aren’t great to use, but they especially should not be used by those prone to dry skin and acne. Comedogenic substances are simply more likely to cause you to have a flare-up in your acne.
Fortunately, castor oil is not comedogenic. Products are rated on a scale based on how comedogenic they are. Castor oil is rated so low on that scale that it is not considered to be comedogenic at all.
This means that castor oil is a great option for those who suffer from acne.
It Can Clear Up Acne
Not only does castor oil not clog pores, but it can help clear up your pores that are clogged from other circumstances. Castor oil is great for this for several reasons:
- It restores the natural pH balance of your skin
- It is rich in ricinoleic acid which has anti-inflammatory properties and can heal acne-prone skin
- It has anti-fungal and antibacterial properties which prevent infections in the skin
- Acne is caused by a build-up of bacteria in your skins pores, so castor oil will kill the bacteria and clear-up the acne
- It prevents the build-up of sebum in dry skin
- People dealing with dry skin tend to have issues with acne because their body creates too much sebum — an oily substance that clogs the pores
- castor oil moisturizes the skin so that it isn’t necessary for your body to produce sebum
It Can Prevent & Treat Infections
As I mentioned before, castor oil has anti-fungal and antibacterial properties that can help treat infections. It doesn’t just help with acne-causing infections, though.
Many people use castor oil to treat or prevent infections on places such as their feet and scalp.
People who are active tend to be prone to athlete’s foot. Athlete’s foot occurs when your feet produce too much sweat, and the moisture doesn’t have anywhere to go. This often happens when you wear heavy or unbreathable shoes.
There are castor oil soaks that you can use on your feet every day to treat a fungal infection in your feet. Also, if you regularly use castor oil on your feet, you’ll keep your feet moisturized while preventing a fungal infection from occurring in the first place.
Another instance where castor oil is good is when treating dandruff. Dandruff is also caused by dryness and infection, so castor oil can be very relieving.
Those dealing with dandruff have found that castor oil can relieve painful swelling and irritating itchiness. It also kills the infection to get rid of any dandruff on your scalp.
If you regularly use castor oil in your shampoo, conditioner, or as a mask, you can prevent yourself from ever dealing with dandruff.
Is Castor Oil A Good Moisturizer?
Castor oil is a wonderful moisturizer because it contains triglycerides which allow it to draw moisture from the air. It takes moisture from the surrounding air and transfers it to your skin where it will help to heal your dry or irritated skin. Besides grabbing moisture from the air, castor oil has its own properties that make it great for moisturizing.
It Works For Any Skin Type
Most likely, if you’re looking for a moisturizer, it’s because you’re dealing with dry skin. Castor oil is wonderful for treating dry skin and bringing moisture back to your skin. However, people with normal or oily skin can use it too.
Despite what you’d think, using castor oil on your oily skin will actually help your skin be less oily. When you apply castor oil to your skin, it will grab onto the bad oils on your face. When you rinse your face with water and/or soap, the castor oil will wash away along with the bad oils.
Even people with normal skin can benefit from a castor oil moisturizer. It never hurts to keep your skin hydrated and healthy.
It Is Thick
Part of the reason that castor oil holds in moisture so well is that it’s so thick. The thick oil is easily able to retain moisture while also penetrating the skin with ease. In this way, it is capable of transferring moisture deep into the skin.
Should You Use Castor Oil As Face Moisturizer?
You can absolutely use castor oil as a facial moisturizer. Castor oil is great for treating all skin types, and it can treat the more sensitive skin found on your face.
A castor oil face moisturizer will not only moisturize your skin, but it will reduce redness, inflammation, and it will prevent acne.
Should You Use A Castor Oil Hair Moisturizer?
Castor oil doesn’t have to be used just on your bare skin, you can use it on your scalp as well. Castor oil cream for hair as well as regular castor oil will help heal and moisturize your scalp and your hair itself.
If you deal with hair loss, damaged hair, or simply want your hair to look nicer, castor oil can be a great option.
It Makes Your Hair & Scalp Healthier
The oil is rich in fatty acids and vitamin E which reduce inflammation in the scalp and help your hair to look healthier.
Not only does it reduce inflammation, but it will improve the circulation in your scalp. Your hair follicles gain nutrients from your blood stream, so when your scalp has better blood circulation, it will also have access to more nutrients.
There is not enough scientific evidence to suggest that castor oil is directly related to improved hair growth. However, we do know that castor oil greatly improves the overall health of your scalp and hair. When your hair and scalp are healthier, the hair is more likely to grow, and you’ll be less likely to experience hair loss.
We already know that castor oil is a great moisturizer, and this is true for hair as well. Castor oil targets your hair follicles to bring your hair nutrients that will make it softer and shinier.
The oil also contains oleic and linoleic acids which prevent damage to the hair. When your hair is less damaged, you’ll notice less frizz.
Should You Use Castor Oil As Eye Cream?
You can certainly use castor oil as an eye cream because it is beneficial to both the skin and the eyes.
Some people deal with inflammation of the eyelids, or under the eye. As we discussed earlier, castor oil has anti-inflammatory properties, so it can be used to treat this. This is helpful in reducing any discomfort in your eyes as well as improving your appearance.
You can also use a small amount of castor oil in your eyelashes. Applying castor oil to your eyelashes is thought to make your eyelashes look thicker, shinier, and healthier.
Best of all, castor oil can reduce the appearance of wrinkles and dark circles under the eyes. The skin under your eyes is more sensitive than much of the other skin on your body.
Castor oil will work to properly moisturize this sensitive skin and prevent the formation of dark circles and wrinkles. If you already have wrinkles or dark circles, castor oil will work to repair the skin to reduce the appearance of these annoying blemishes.
Castor oil is safe to use around your eyes, because it is often safe to even use it inside your eye. Many people use castor oil eye drops to improve dry eyes because it keeps your tears from evaporating.
Others use it to treat eye infections, or to potentially help vision loss caused by cataracts. However, you should always consult a doctor before using castor oil inside your eye as it can cause irritation in some people, especially if it isn’t used correctly.
Therefore, you can certainly use castor oil around your eyes to moisturize your skin. Just take care not to get any castor oil in your eye, unless you’ve spoken to your doctor first.
How To Use Castor Oil As A Moisturizer
Castor oil can be used all over the body as a moisturizer, but it’s always a good idea to dilute it. Castor oil is very strong and can potentially be irritating when used in its pure form. Therefore, you should always mix castor oil with a carrier oil before using it on your skin.
Here is the simplest recipe for using castor oil as a moisturizer:
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To start, cleanse your skin with warm water to open your pores then apply the moisturizer to your skin. This is best done by rubbing your fingers into your skin in a circular motion.
Mix It With Your Existing Lotion
The easiest way to incorporate castor oil into your skin moisturizing routine is simply by adding a few drops to the lotion you already use.
As I mentioned, castor oil is very strong, so you don’t want to add too much. Adding about 4-6 drops to your lotion is adequate.
Make sure that you thoroughly mix the castor oil into the lotion before using it.
[mv_create key=”34″ type=”recipe” title=”Grapeseed & Castor Oil For Body Moisturizer” thumbnail=”null”]
You can then cleanse your skin with warm water to open your pores and apply the mixture to your skin. This is best done by massaging your fingers into your skin in a circular motion.
Conclusion
No matter what skin type you have — dry, normal, or oily — castor oil can be used as a great moisturizer. The product easily locks in moisture in your skin, repairing any damage and keeping the skin healthy for the future.
Learn more! Click here for more information about using castor oil on your face and here for your feet. You can also find all our guides to castor oil here.
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