Description
About Castor oil
- Castor oil is a vegetable oil pressed from castor beans.
- Castor oil is a colourless or pale yellow liquid with a distinct taste and odor.
- Castor oil boiling point is 313 °C and Castor oil density is 0.961 g/cm³. Castor oil includes a mixture of triglycerides in which about 90% of fatty acids are ricinoleates.
- castor oil can be used orally or topically.
Health benefits
- Ricinoleic acid present in castor oil reduces swelling and pain caused by inflammation. Research suggests that,when applied to the skin, castor oil may reduce arthritis symptoms more effectively than prescription topical treatments.
- Fatty acids present in castor oil are natural humectants, substances used to moisturize the skin by preventing water loss. This effect can promote good skin health, relieve dryness, and soothe skin inflammation.
- Castor oil can benefit overall skin health, but may treat specific skin conditions as well. Though there’s a lack of clinical research, castor oil’s combination of antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and moisturizing effects is thought to help treat some causes of acne.
- One study showed that castor oil also fights fungal infections, which may help relieve hard-to-treat fungal acne.
- castor oil has moisturizing properties, which could help lubricate the hair shaft, increasing flexibility and decreasing the chance of breakage
- Castor oil is also commonly used as a treatment for dandruff, a common scalp condition characterized by dry, flaky skin on the head.
- castor oil can induce labor.
- Castor oil has been suggested to have many health uses, from headaches to menstrual cramps.
- Castor oil has been studied for potential use in relieving symptoms associated with osteoarthritis of the knee.
