Castor Oil Hair Growth Treatment

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ELIZABETH

I'm a Certified Health Coach, longtime blogger, and host of Elizabeth Eats on YouTube. In addition to writing recipes (I love to eat!), I'm a strong believer that life is too short to settle for anything less than living your best life.

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Natural Beauty Series Part 2: 1-Ingredient Hair Growth Treatment

Healthy long hair starts with a healthy scalp.

I’ve been using organic coconut oil as a scalp treatment for ages but recently tested something new and this other oil is my new go-to. Coconut oil does work to nourish the scalp and get rid of flakes, but I’ve noticed even better results with castor oil.

Castor Oil & Hair Growth

Castor oil has been used for centuries as a scalp and hair growth treatment, but the recent popularity of coconut oil has pushed it out of the spotlight.

Castor oil is anti-bacterial and anti-fungal, and is high in vitamin E and Omega 6’s and 9’s. It also has a high ricinoleic acid ratio making it even more beneficial to your scalp and skin.

Some “anti-dandruff” shampoos don’t actually get rid of flakes, they more “glue” them to your head. Eeew. An oil treatment is much more effective to nourish your scalp and get rid of flakes.

Women and men both benefit from this 1-ingredient treatment equally, and it’s especially good for people who feel that they’re losing too much hair.

Let’s back up for a minute though…

How does castor oil help your hair grow?

It’s actually unclear as there haven’t been any longer term scientific studies. However, Dr. Joshua Zeichner, dermatologist and director of cosmetic and clinical research in dermatology at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York has stated:

“[Castor oil] is rich and fatty acids and helps coat hair shafts themselves to enhance shine and make the hair itself look thicker. In addition, castor oil has antimicrobial properties. By reducing levels of yeast along the hair follicles, it can help reduce inflammation and subsequently allow hair follicles to function optimally.”

Although anecdotal, I’ve been testing castor oil as a 1-ingredient hair growth treatment over the past six months and can see the results.

Who shouldn’t use a castor oil scalp treatment:

  • Anyone who has hair extensions, as the oil might damage them. If you have hair extensions ask your hairstylist before applying oil to your scalp.
  • Anyone with a castor oil sensitivity. Just like with any natural oil, it’s possible castor oil can be irritating to some people. If you’re concerned about this, test a small patch on the inside of your arm and wait 12 hours to see if you have a reaction.

Are you enjoying this post? I made a FREE eBook to help you create this and other amazing beauty remedies right now! Click the button below to get it instantly.
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What to look for:

You can find organic cold pressed castor oil in the beauty and body section of most natural foods stores. Look for one in a dark glass container that protects the oil from direct light. I also purchased a small dropper bottle in the body section of my natural foods store for around $3, which makes it way easier to a apply the oil to your scalp (see below).

How to Apply a Castor Oil Scalp Treatment

1. Do this treatment once per week for optimal results, or once every two weeks for maintenance.

2. Grab some organic cold pressed castor oil in the beauty and body section of your natural foods store. I like to use a dropper to apply the oil as close to my scalp as possible.

3. Using the dropper (or your fingers) apply the castor oil to your entire scalp. I usually use about two tablespoons total. It will soak into a few inches of hair, but do not apply it down the length of your hair. It’s too heavy and thick, which makes it difficult to wash out and doesn’t really benefit the length of your hair. This is a scalp treatment, not a whole hair treatment.

4. Once the oil is distributed throughout your scalp, use your fingers to gently massage your scalp for 4-5 minutes to ensure it’s evenly distributed and improve circulation to your scalp.

5. Put your hair up and take a rest. Let it sit for an hour. Your head will be visibly oily and almost look wet, with dry ends, so this usually isn’t the time to go run errands. I like to use that time to do a Manuka honey face mask (we’ll talk about that next week!), do some work or chores around the house, or cozy up with a book. Sometimes I apply it the night before I know for sure I’m washing my hair in the morning, but over time the oil can saturate and ruin your sheets and pillowcase so I prefer to not sleep with it in.

6. Shampoo & condition per normal with your favorite sulfate-free, paraben-free shampoo and conditioner. Take extra care when shampooing to gently scrub your scalp with the pads of your fingers to remove all of the oil.

7. Air dry or style as usual. And voila! You’ll notice no flakes and shiny hair at the roots. Over time, you’ll notice faster hair growth, too.

What about eyebrows and eyelashes?

You can also put castor oil on your eyebrows, and some people use it on their lashes. However, it’s unclear if castor oil is safe for the eye area. You can read more about longer eyelashes without extensions in Part 1 of this Natural Beauty Series.

The Best Supplement for Hair Growth

As I mentioned in the first part of this series, the #1 thing you can do to help your hair, eyelashes, and eyebrows grow more quickly is take a high-quality multivitamin. Cheap multivitamins are typically just rice powder and a few other ingredients, but a high-quality vitamin can ensure your body has enough nutrients to support critical systems, and have enough leftover to maintain your hair, skin, and nails.

I’m not an advocate for people taking one-off nutrients—like just biotin for hair growth—as nutrients work together and need to be delivered in balanced doses.

But remember, supplements don’t work if you don’t take them. Simply buying the bottle doesn’t help, and looking at it every day on the counter doesn’t help either. Opening the bottle and taking the supplement helps.

I take the USANA Cellsentials Multivitamin twice per day and between the castor oil treatment and this supplement my hair grows over an inch every four weeks. You can order it from my distributor account here to get 10% off of retail pricing.

[button style=”button-primary” link=”https://www.usana.com/ux/cart/#!/en-US/sl/PHX-URL/1300″ target=”_blank” label=”BUY CELLSENTIALS (10% OFF)”][/button]

Aside from helping your hair grow faster, taking a high-quality multi is something you should be doing anyways to fill in nutritional gaps, even if you eat well, so this one is a double win.

Quick tip: NEVER buy any supplements on Amazon.

I use Amazon for just about everything, but not supplements. Most are counterfeit—people actually buy good ones, keep the good tablets, refill the bottles with cheap counterfeits, and sell them on 3rd party sites like Amazon to unknowing consumers. Only buy high-quality supplements direct from authorized distributors.

Don’t forget to download your FREE eBook to help you create this and other amazing beauty remedies right now! Click the button below to get it instantly.
ElizabethRider-Ten-Natural-Beauty-Remedies-eBook_Copyright18-19

More in the Natural Beauty Series:

Happy Hair Growing!

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  1. Great blog very informative i actually had no idea that castor oil can be used for hair growth treatment. I look it up and it said that castor bean (Ricinus communis), castor oil is rich in ricinoleic acid—a type of fatty acid found to fight inflammation. 1 When applied to the scalp, it’s purported to enhance the health of the hair follicles and, in turn, promote hair growth (as well as protect against hair loss)

  2. HDBD says:

    Thanks a lot for the informative article regarding castor o
    il. I am trying to stop my hair fall.
    Please keep on posting this type of helpful post.
    Let’s hope for the best.

  3. martin says:

    Great information. Thanks for sharing.

  4. Rícino says:

    This oil is amazing, i love it

  5. Miracles Herbs says:

    The specials thanks for you about share this great information in this blog. I truly discovered this accommodating. Also, your blog about “castor-oil-hair-development treatment” is useful for those individuals who are experiencing male pattern baldness. And all the above medications are additionally extremely compelling.

  6. john says:

    Thanks for sharing this information regarding hair fall. I really found this very helpful. And your blog about “castor-oil-hair-growth-treatment” is very helpful for those people which are suffering from hair loss. And all the above treatments are also very effective.

  7. noshiwaji says:

    Thanks for this effective article. I really liked the natural way which will work better without damaging my hair.

  8. sac says:

    Castor Oil is thick and sticky oil having laxative properties, which can also be used for dry or damaged hair.

  9. Maria Vincent says:

    Thanks, Elizabeth for your great article on castor oil treatment and I really appreciate it. I have tried many ways to stop my hair fall but noting showed a good result. So her I guess get a better oil treatment suggestions and I’m going try this with all enthusiasm left. I believe I don’t have to regret later.

  10. Margo Ronayne says:

    Thank you for the castor oil tip. I have been looking for something to strengthen & thicken hair on the crown of the head. My daughter’s hair never recovered after chemo when she was 2 yrs old. She 8 now & getting to that self conscious stage.

  11. LINDA says:

    Thank you for all the great information – I really appreciate it!

  12. MIMI.YVR says:

    OMG.
    Thank you so much.
    I wouldn’t say that I struggle with hair growth, but like any young modern woman on the go, if I can incorporate easy solutions a fun fab mane, why not?!!

    Thank you for the Castor tip and dropper tip. Also THANK YOU for the hint about not doing errands and staying in for the treatment.

    Im excited to try it out and post my results on for my IG community.

    As always, a HUGE fan of your blog. xx

  13. Toni Michalek says:

    I don’t see a specific Usana multivitamin….exactly which product do you take? I would like to order.

    • Hi Toni, the USANA multivitamin is called The Cellsentials. It’s split into two tablets, the Mega Antioxidant and the Core Minerals as the ingredients are more shelf stable that way. Together, those two products make up the multi. If you click the link about that says Buy Cellsentials it will take you right there. ~E

  14. Berlinda says:

    This post is righr on time.

    I couldn’t sleep last night, frustrated and confused about just what to do for my hair. I was even looking for wigs to cover my short, dry, damaged hair. But, this morning I read this post. I’m going to try everything you suggested for 3 months and let you know what happens. Thank you☺

    • Berlinda, I’m really glad that this can help. If you feel that you’re really struggling add in the USANA Cellsentials too. It will take a few months but you will notice a difference. Good luck and let us know how it turns out. ~Elizabeth

Hi, I'm Elizabeth

I teach you how to be healthier without extremes, so you can live more and obsess less.

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