As an official member of the ‘save your edges oil committee’ castor oil has a special place in all of our hearts. As a matter of fact, you will never see a hair growth article with recommended oils and not see castor oil on the list.
Hair loss is a huge issue in the hair community because of a number of things including, unhealthy hair practices, stress, extreme life changes and diet deficiencies.
Hair loss can also be caused by our genetic predisposition which makes it harder to fight and in this case, or all the cases of hair loss we might need to solicit the help of a licensed practitioner to diagnose causes and recommend solutions.
In the meantime, how can castor oil help?
As a temporary or permanent solution, castor oil is known to do wonders for hair loss. It is an all natural oil from the castor seed that is composed of fatty acids, ricinoleic acid, vitamin E, proteins, minerals and has antifungal and anti-bacterial properties.
Pure castor oil that has not been through a ton of manufacturing is thick in consistency and in some cases black in color. The difference between pure clear castor oil and pure Jamaican Black castor oil has to do with how the oil is extracted from the castor seed.
Jamaican black castor oil is dark in color because it still has the ash that comes with the extraction process. It is considered to be better than the castor oil the is clear of the ash because the ash has healthy properties that are great for your scalp.
How does castor oil prevent hair loss
1. Improved blood circulation
When you put castor oil on your scalp blood is attracted to the area, and with blood comes a healthy dose of oxygen. Not to mention if you eat well, all the nutrients and minerals from your food that ‘service’ your follicles will be brought to your scalp more often.
This process helps to improve growth and scalp health making your hair longer and stronger.
2. Prevents Hair Loss
Healthy hair follicles mean the strand is held in place longer which leads to less hair loss. Additionally since the oil has anti-fungal properties you can kiss scalp issues like ringworm, folliculitis, and other scalp ailments goodbye.
All of these things work together to keep the hair you have on your head rather than on the floor.
How To Use Castor Oil?
The best sealant for coarse hair
If you have super thick strands, sometimes you need a thick oil to seal your ends and help keep moisture in for longer than a few hours or a day.
Castor oil is perfect and often reminds me of the healthier version to old fashioned grease that we used back in the day.
Hot oil treatment
For hot oil treatments, I am partial to Jamaican Black Castor oil because since it contains the ash and I plan to shampoo right after I prefer to get all of the nutrients the oil has to offer. You can even do a hot oil mix with castor, coconut and olive oil for s superior hot oil scalp cleansing treatment.
Deep conditioning
Aint nothing like a little cheap conditioner enhanced with some superior oils for a great deep conditioning session. In a bowl just add your conditioner and mix in some castor oil. Add the mix to your hair, cover with a plastic cap and use a heating cap to heat things up.
If you are new to this oil game and you are thinking about buying some castor oil, consider this my official endorsement, you will not be disappointed.
Featured image: @alexisabella