Castor oil or castor oil (from Latin OleumRicini) - is produced from the seeds of the plant castor oil. It contains linoleic, oleic and iricinoleic acids, as well as other useful organic substances. It is a transparent viscous liquid with a mild odor.
Despite its thick and viscous consistency, this oil is remarkably absorbed without forming a film, which is why it is often used in cosmetology to nourish the skin and strengthen hair. Due to its antiseptic and antiviral properties, castor oil is used in folk medicine in the treatment of herpes, candidiasis, papillomas.
It is best known as “castor oil,” which is used for constipation as a laxative. When ingested, it breaks down in the small intestine to form lipase, which irritates the intestinal receptors and enhances peristalsis.
A distinctive feature of this oil is that it does not deteriorate over time and is almost not subject to changes in ambient temperature. Therefore, it is used to care for leather things, it restores the elastic properties of the skin, gives water-repellent properties.
Use in cosmetology
Castor oil helps maintain a healthy skin condition, saturates it with nutrients and relieves inflammation. To prepare a mask for the skin, eyebrows and eyelashes, as well as for hair, the oil is mixed with other natural components, hoping that in 1 tbsp. l contains about 20 grams of oil.
• For daily care as a basic cosmetic product - can be mixed with other vegetable oils 1: 1 (wheat germ oil, linseed, sea-buckthorn, rosehip) or essential oils, which are a few drops per bottle of 30 ml (bergamot, clove, lavender, lemon and many others).
• For nails and skin care - oil is used instead of cream or applied with a cotton swab on nails and cuticles. It helps to get rid of peeling of the skin and brittle nails that look even and well-groomed. The procedure can be repeated daily or carried out in weekly courses with a weekly break.
• Eyebrow and eyelash care - Castor oil helps to make them smooth, shiny, activates growth, as it nourishes the skin and enhances capillary blood flow. Every evening after washing, apply oil with a cotton swab on the eyebrows and eyelids along the line of eyelashes, trying to prevent the oil from getting into your eyes, otherwise they should be washed with water. In the morning, such a procedure is usually not carried out so that cosmetics do not leak.
• For hair and scalp care - apply nutritious masks to the hair roots, leave for 15-20 minutes and wash off in the usual way. Various natural ingredients are added to the masks: kefir (1 tbsp. Oil, 4 tbsp. Kefir), eggs (1 tbsp. Oil, 1 egg yolk), mustard (1 tbsp. Oil, 1 tbsp. l. mustard), applesauce (1 tbsp. l. oil, 1 apple grated without peel). Mix oil with herbal decoctions of nettle, burdock, chamomile, calendula and alcohol tinctures.
Masks with mustard, spices and with the addition of alcohol tinctures should be used carefully and not left for more than 10-15 minutes, if irritating signs occur, the mixture should be washed off immediately. If the oil is poorly washed off the hair, then shampoo should be reused.
• To get rid of acne - you can prepare a treatment mask with acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin). To do this, take 1 tbsp. l oil and 1 tablet of aspirin, crush it and mix with oil, apply to the skin, repeat the procedure after 5 minutes several more times until the oil runs out. Wash off with warm water after 15 minutes, do not use cosmetics for half an hour.
Use in medicine
The antimicrobial properties of ricinoleic acid allow castor to be used for fungal and bacterial infections (mycoses of the nails on the hands and feet, lichen rashes, candidiasis on the mucous membranes, papilloma virus).
• Castor oil helps with constipation - Adults and adolescents (over 12 years old) are prescribed 1 st. l 2 times a day before meals. The laxative effect appears after about 5-6 hours, so it is undesirable to use it before bedtime.
• In the treatment of skin lesions (burns, cuts, scratches, postoperative sutures) - helps to eliminate dryness and tightness, softens, disinfects during the healing period. Gently apply oil with a cotton swab to a sore spot 3-4 times a day.
• With papillomas (warts) and other neoplasms - the affected area is smeared with a cotton swab with castor oil, carefully rubbing the oil for several minutes, but trying not to stretch or injure the skin. The procedure is repeated 4-6 times a day for a month, if the papilloma begins to darken and dry out, the procedure is continued until the wart disappears completely.
• With herpes - herpetic eruptions are lubricated with oil every 2 hours, during the period of the epidemic they are used as a prophylactic and applied to the lips in the morning and evening. This protects delicate skin from chapping and peeling in cold weather.
• With candidiasis (thrush) - they carry out douching with a soda solution (for 1 glass of water 1/4 tbsp. l. soda), and then castor oil is applied to the mucous membranes with a cotton swab. The procedure is continued for 5-7 days even after the symptoms disappear.
Household Use
Castor oil helps preserve the attractive appearance of leather things; for processing shoes, belts and other leather goods, you can prepare the following mixture: castor oil, linseed oil and beeswax in a ratio of 2: 2: 1. Mix the components thoroughly and apply evenly to the surface with a cotton swab, rubbing for several minutes.
Possible contraindications
An overdose of castor oil is almost impossible, because for this it is necessary to use it in an amount of 6 grams per 1 kilogram of weight, which is almost half a liter for an adult.
The use of castor oil internally or externally should be limited in such cases:
• individual intolerance to oil of castor oil seeds - for this it is necessary to take 1 tbsp. l oil and monitor the reaction of the body for 4-5 hours, if there is no abdominal pain, vomiting and other painful signs, then you can take oil in the specified dosage; when applied to the skin, redness or irritation should not occur;
• pregnancy - substances contained in castor oil cause not only contraction of the intestine, but also the endometrium in the uterus, which can provoke undesirable consequences;
• chronic or acute diseases in the abdominal cavity (hernia, inflammation, bleeding of the internal organs, obstruction of the digestive tract).
When using castor oil as a laxative, it should be remembered that it is used for symptomatic treatment and with prolonged use can lead to intestinal atony. Therefore, it is allowed to take it inside no more than 3-4 times in a row and no more than one week.
