Castor oil is a vegetable oil pressed from castor seeds, used for a wide range of cosmetic, medicinal and pharmaceutical purposes. A colourless or slightly yellow liquid, thick in consistency and with a distinct flavour.

Castor oil comes from the Ricinus communis plant’s seeds, indigenous to the south-eastern Mediterranean Basin, Eastern Africa and India.

Herodotus and other Greek travellers used castor oil for lighting, body ointments and improving hair growth and texture. In China, castor oil has been prescribed since centuries ago in local medicine for internal use or for use in wound dressings!

What is it in castor oil that makes it great? What ingredient in NewLife™’s organic castor oil matters? The answer is ricinoleic acid - a monounsaturated fatty acid that has multiple health benefits.
Castor oil also carries vitamin E, linoleic and oleic acids.

Reduce Acne

The antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties of castor oil make it useful in reducing acne. Ricinoleic acid can inhibit growth in the bacteria that cause acne. Being a natural moisturiser, it also helps to soothe inflamed and irritated skin.

Soft and Smooth Skin

Castor oil is also rich in other fatty acids. Working as an emollient, it can enhance smoothness and softness when applied to facial skin. It can also provide a barrier on the skin to protect against moisture loss. 

Glowing Complexion

The fatty acids in castor oil can also promote the growth of healthy skin tissue, making it great for restoring uneven skin tones.

Gentle on Sensitive Skin

Castor oil has a low comedogenic score. This means that it is unlikely to clog pores in the skin and reduces the risk of developing blackheads, making it appropriate for use on sensitive skin. 

Anti-wrinkle

Ricinoleic acid is a potent antioxidant, effectively protecting the skin from free radical damage that causes collagen damage and wrinkles.

Apply a little castor oil daily to your eyebrows and eyelashes.

Castor oil promotes hair growth and improves blood circulation. More circulation results in more nutrition to your hair follicles, while the moisturising properties of castor oil help condition and thicken the brows and lashes.

Hair Conditioner

Dry or damaged hair can especially benefit from an intense moisturiser like castor oil.

Applying castor oil to the hair on a regular basis helps to lubricate the hair shaft, increasing flexibility and decreasing the chances of breakage.

Treat Dandruff

Castor oil can also benefit those who experience dandruff, a common scalp condition characterised by dry, flaky skin on the head.

Due to castor oil's anti-inflammatory properties, it can effectively treat dandruff caused by seborrhoeic dermatitis- an inflammatory skin condition that causes red, scaly patches on the scalp.

Hair Tonic

Castor oil helps to thicken and grow hair.

Studies show that ricinoleic acid stimulates the production of the lipid prostaglandin (PGE2). This lipid is known for its ability to enrich hair follicles.

Regular application along the hairline will promote definition and lustre.

Do you have brittle nails that break or peel easily? Then castor oil should become your go-to nail treatment. Its rich, thick texture and a generous dose of vitamin E make it great for moisturising not only the cuticle area but also the nail bed itself.

Castor oil has also been claimed to promote circulation and blood flow; hence you will see improvements in nail strength with regular application.

Anti-inflammatory

Both castor oil and ricinoleic acid have demonstrated anti-inflammatory properties. This makes them useful for treating irritated skin caused by inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis or psoriasis.

Antimicrobial

It may also protect the skin from bacterial infections by keeping out microbes that can cause disease.

Moisturising

Castor oil contains triglycerides. These can help maintain moisture in the skin, making it useful for treating dry skin or dry patches on the knees or elbows.

Hydration

Castor oil has humectant properties, which means that it can draw moisture from the air into the skin, keeping the skin hydrated.

Cleansing

The triglycerides found in castor oil are also helpful for removing dirt from the skin.

Note: It can take time for the skin to fully absorb castor oil, but diluting the oil can promote absorption into the skin. Although castor oil can be used on its own, we suggest diluting castor oil with other oils, such as coconut oil.

The recommended ratio is 1:1 - the quantity of castor oil should be the same as the oil with which it is mixed.

Arthritic Pain Relief

Due to its anti-inflammatory properties, applying castor oil to arthritic areas can relieve pain effectively. Warm castor oil can be applied topically or can be used in a pack to treat arthritic pain.

Lymphatic Drainage

When topically applied to the abdomen, castor oil is absorbed through the skin into the tissues. Heat applied helps to drive the castor oil into deeper layers. The castor oil increases lymphocyte production and increases circulation of the lymphatic system.

The lymphatic system is like a drainage system within the body. Toxins, infections, metals, dead cells and debris from all over the body are collected and cleaned up by the lymphatic system, then brought to the liver for filtering and emptied out through the colon. When the lymphatic system is not working effectively, waste and toxins can build up, leading to a depressed immune system, inefficient bowel movements, worsening food sensitivities, ultimately leading to inflammation and disease.