Castor oil is often overlooked for
its benefits for the skin and hair because of its extremely thick and sticky
consistency. However, if you’re looking for a cheap, natural remedy for
several common skin and hair complaints, then castor oil is definitely worth your
time.
Castor oil for regrowing and thickening hair,
eyelashes and eyebrows
I first stumbled on castor oil as a
remedy for regrowing thin eyebrows. I had over-plucked my brows back in the
nineties when it was the hip thing to have pencil thin brows, and they never
did quite recover. It became necessary for me to pencil in the “bald”
spots and I missed the natural look of real hair where these spots were
missing.
I read about castor oil as a remedy
for thinning brows and hair, and thought I’d try it. I bought a hexane free,
organic and cold pressed castor oil and started applying it to my eyebrows
every night after washing my face. After about three months, I noticed my
brows were noticeably thicker (and they seemed to be growing in darker as
well), and attributed it to the nightly application of castor oil.
I’m not the only one that this has
worked for. So, why would castor oil help you regrow hair – both on your
head and the other two important places, the eyebrows and the eyelashes.
Castor oil is high in ricinoleic
acid. This acid is a very effective natural anti-bacterial and
anti-fungal agent. This can help keep any fungus or bacteria from
inhibiting hair growth. Since the oil is also very thick, it may help to
prevent hair loss simply by helping to coat the hair and protect it from
falling out.
Castor oil is also high in omega 9
fatty acids, which are nourishing to both the hair and the follicle, as well as
the surrounding skin. Castor oil has a unique ability to be deeply
penetrating, and this helps it to deliver its nourishment deeply into the pores
and the follicles that produce hair.
It also has a high gloss, so it
lends a lush glossiness and shine to the hair. A little goes a long way, and it
is best to only add a tiny bit to the very ends of your hair instead of putting
it up near the scalp if you’re just looking for a natural hair smoother.
Simply put about two drops on your
hands and rub, then smooth through the ends. If you use too much, there
is a fine line between subtle shine and a heavy greasiness so go very light
until you figure out the amount that works right for your hair type.
If you’re looking to regrow the hair
on your head, you can use castor oil as a scalp treatment. However it can be
tricky to get on the scalp without thinning it out with a lighter oil. You can
add some melted coconut oil, apricot kernel oil or another lighter oil to help
get it spreadable enough.
If you’re simply looking to help
thicken hair that is thinning at the edges of your hairline, you can use pure
castor oil, with a light hand of course. Another use is to apply the oil
to eyelashes to help thicken and strengthen them, as well as to help prevent
thinning and shedding.
Castor oil for scar tissue reduction and shiny,
smooth lips
Many attest to the wonders castor
oil offers for keloid types of scars and other scars that involve a lot of
hardened scar tissue. This is presumably due to its ability for deep
penetration through multiple skin layers.
Because castor oil softens the skin
so much, the thought is that this softening helps to break down deep scar
tissue so it may be smoothed out. In addition, castor oil has shown
promise as a white blood cell stimulating agent. Studies have also shown
that castor bean oil helps reduce the inflammatory response in subcutaneous
tissue. This may be why it seems to speed wound healing, and may also
contribute to its ability to reduce scarring more quickly.
Castor oil is also excellent for the
lips. Our lips need constant protection against the elements. Although
our lips regenerate and recover quickly, they also dry out and begin to peel
when they are dehydrated.
Castor oil not only smooths the lips
with fatty acids, but it also helps protect them due to its naturally thick and
immovable nature. In other words, it doesn’t budge without being wiped off. It
also imparts a natural shine to the lips, which makes it ideal for both
improving the appearance and health of the lips.
Danna Norek is the founder of AuraSensory.com,
which offers a line of natural body, skin and hair care products. The Herb Mint
Citrus lip balm uses castor oil as one of the primary ingredients to add shine,
moisture and protection to the lips (all naturally flavored). Line
also includes a Natural Shine Enhancing Shampoo (sulfate free), Deep Hydration
Conditioner, natural deodorant and a popular MSM and Vitamin C Face Cream.
Sources: http://science.naturalnews.com
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