How to Use Castor Oil to Get Long, Thick, and Healthy Hair

Table Of Content

• Can You Mix Castor Oil and Olive Oil Together to Promote Hair Growth?
• Can castor oil really help hair grow? Here's what experts say, plus how to try it at home
• Castor Oil as a Pre-Swim Hair Conditioner
• Benefits of Castor Oil for Hair
• Castor Oil for Hair: Experts Explain Its Benefits, Uses, and Potential Side Effects

With rumours that castor oil for hair will mend damaged strands and promote hair growth, leaving users with thick, lustrous locks which sound almost too good to be true. Whether you’re looking to use the oil for its moisturizing properties or want to challenge growth claims for yourself, there are plenty of ways to incorporate castor oil into your hair care routine. The oil is best used by those with a “dry scalp and brittle, frizzy hair,” Dr. Green says. Castor oil’s claim to fame may be anecdotal evidence of hair growth, but there are plenty of other reasons to add this oil to your hair care routine.

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Can You Mix Castor Oil and Olive Oil Together to Promote Hair Growth?

The research on castor oil as a skin salve is pretty limited, says Robin Evans, M.D., a clinical instructor of dermatology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and founder of Southern Connecticut Dermatology. However, slathering the stuff on will, at the very least, give your skin a dewy, more youthful glow. Moist skin looks better than dry skin—think of a raisin versus a grape,” Dr. Evans says. There's some concern that using castor oil as a hair treatment may lead to acute hair felting—a rare disorder in which the hair becomes tangled into a hard mass. Since the condition is irreversible, cutting off the affected hair is the only solution. Dilute the castor oil with another vegetable oil like avocado, grapeseed, or coconut.

Can castor oil really help hair grow? Here's what experts say, plus how to try it at home

“Castor oil is an oil derived through cold pressing the seeds of the castor plant, which is naturally found in Africa, India, and South America,” explains Joshua Zeichner, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City. And there’s a good reason it’s so noteworthy in the beauty arena for both skin and hair. “It’s loaded with ricinoleic acid, a potent antioxidant,” he notes. Plus, it also contains high concentrations of fatty acids, which naturally have emollient benefits to hydrate and soothe the skin, scalp, and hair. "Castor oil is on the thicker side and can make the scalp greasy," Dr. Amin says.

Castor Oil as a Pre-Swim Hair Conditioner

In the morning, wash your face with your regular cleanser to remove any excess oil. Remember that your hair may require two applications of shampoo to remove the castor oil completely. Castor oil should not cause these side effects when applied to your hair.

responses to “How to Use Castor Oil for Hair (Grow Beautiful Hair Fast)”

While it's commonly used as a laxative, it's also become a popular additive in skin and hair products, particularly as a natural way to improve hair growth. Down to a molecular level, castor oil is a long-chained fatty acid. “Fatty acids provide essential proteins and nutrients to hair follicles and prevent hair follicle inflammation,” says Bridgette Hill. If you're interested in using castor oil for hair growth, try rubbing just a few drops into your scalp. You can also massage a few more drops into your hair's midsection and ends to help protect against breakage and improve its texture.

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The benefits of castor oil:

However, there are many indicators that suggest that it could certainly play an indirect role in contributing to the healthy growth of hair,” Kohatsu explains. The oil’s ricinoleic acid increases scalp blood flow, which can promote healthier hair and growth while also cutting down on inflammation. While castor oil has long been touted as being beneficial for hair, it’s important to know if it’s right for your specific hair and scalp and the best way to incorporate it into your hair-care routine. That’s why we asked a range of hair experts—ranging from dermatologists, hairstylists, and trichologists—to take a deep dive into the pros (and any cons, of course) of castor oil for hair.

From helping hair grow to increasing its density, it seems there’s nothing castor oil can’t do, but what does the science say? 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.

Castor oil for hair growth works effectively by sealing moisture and nourishing the hair. In addition, it stimulates blood circulation and hair growth, reduces scalp inflammation, prevents scalp infections, increases hair luster, strengthens hair roots, and combats hair loss and damage. You can mix castor oil with olive oil, hibiscus petals, coconut oil, onion juice, avocado oil, aloe vera, peppermint oil, rosemary oil, and almond oil for preparing hair masks to boost hair growth. Try regularly including castor oil in your hair care regimen to reap its benefits. "Plus, it's also filled with antioxidants and has antibacterial and antifungal effects," Dr. Cheung adds, making it a perfect oil for dry scalps and even drier hair. Unfortunately, no, castor oil alone does not increase hair growth, says trichologist Shab Caspara.

Castor Oil for Hair: Experts Explain Its Benefits, Uses, and Potential Side Effects

I’ve found that using a small amount and leaving it on overnight will result in most of the oil absorbing into the hair and scalp and make cleanup easier. In fact, I’ve been able to use dry shampoo and not wash on a few occasions. When I do shampoo, I use a natural shampoo or mud shampoo as normal. Ricinoleic acid is also said to help balance scalp pH which can also help replenish the scalp’s natural oils and undo some of the damage of harsh chemical hair products (and even damage from no-poo, due to over alkalinity). The antioxidants in castor oil also support the keratin in hair and help make hair stronger, smoother, and less frizzy. NYC-based dermatologist and hair loss specialist Dhaval G. Bhanusali, M.D.

It is also important to support the body nutritionally and hormonally with hair loss, as this can often be a sign of an internal problem. Castor oil is extremely thick and viscous so I prefer to mix with jojoba or argan oil in a glass dropper bottle for easy application. She has also written about sexual wellness, fashion, culture, and politics both at Marie Claire and for publications like The New York Times, Bustle, and HuffPost Personal. She has worked extensively in the e-commerce and sales spaces since 2020, including two years at Drizly, where she developed an expertise in finding the best, highest quality goods and experiences money can buy. As a film school graduate, she loves all things media and can be found making art when she's not busy writing.

Despite it not being a reliable hair growth treatment, castor oil can be a worthwhile ingredient for scalp and hair health. With all of its proven benefits, “castor oil may promote a healthy environment for hair regrowth,” Dr. Garshick adds. The pros also point out that cedarwood oil may have hair-growth benefits because of its stimulating powers.

A clinical trial showed that about 87% of people treated with crude onion juice demonstrated fuller hair regrowth (19). Moreover, the nutrients in the onion juice may improve hair shine and strength. In a study in The International Journal of Scientific Research in Science and Technology, the topical application of fenugreek seed gel could improve hair growth on Wistar albino rats (14). In the next section, we have discussed how to use castor oil effectively for hair growth. Ongoing use is required to maintain the benefits of castor oil, Gaunitz adds.

#Castoroil currently has over 725 million views on TikTok not only because of its nourishing skincare benefits, but also because it is considered to be one of the best oils for hair growth. “Cedarwood oil is generally recognized as safe by the Environmental Protection Agency or the EPA,” says Friese. “But if you’re allergic to cedarwood or cedarwood oil in any capacity, you should not use it.” If allergies are not an issue, Friese says that all hair types can potentially benefit from cedarwood oil. However, you should take specific steps and precautions to get the most out of it, especially if you have an oily scalp. “Cedarwood oil is an essential oil produced from the foliage and sometimes the wood, roots and stumps that are left after logging of the trees,” Friese explains. Points out that the unique oil is often laced into perfumes because of its olfactory benefits.