LET’S TALK HAIR CARE: THE BENEFITS OF USING CASTOR OIL

August 17, 2014 by iamsummerterry

Most people ask me what are some good hair products to use for hair thinning, dry scalp, hair loss, and split ends. They think I’m going to tell them about some fancy branded hair product. But to be honest the best things for your hair really are natural products. No fancy packaging, no large companies, no models on the bottle or box, just good ole juices and berries some may say.

When I began my natural hair journey I did tons of research on just healthy hair (relaxed or natural). I found that the secret to healthy hair was low manipulation and natural additives.  When I say natural additives I mean no mineral oil, no sulfates, no petroleum, no alcohol and no parabens.  One of my favorite main staples in healthy hair care is castor oil.  For those of you who don’t know what castor oil is it’s basically a vegetable oil pressed from the seeds of a castor oil plant. The castor oil plant grows in places such as the Eastern Africa and India. Luckily for us its’ been mass produced so that we can purchase it here in the states. If you’ve never used castor oil before you will notice that it has a distinctive odor and it’s very messy and hard to remove. However it contains some pretty awesome ingredients such as vitamin E, proteins and more. That’s just the brink of how important castor oil is.

 

Hair loss is usually attributed to hair styling, infection to the scalp, dandruff and many other things. By using castor oil as an additive to your deep conditioning process it can promote a healthy scalp which is essential in healthy hair.  After you’ve washed your hair you can apply castor oil to your scalp (try to avoid the shaft of your hair as this is a very thick product) massage it in and then add your deep conditioner. You can sit under a dryer or if you need to be mobile you can place on a plastic cap and a winter hat. Your head will create its own heat and you can deep condition on the go!  When one or two hours have passed you can wash it right out. If you add this to your regular regimen it will promote scalp stimulation, blood circulation to the follicles that leads to the growth of healthy hair.

 

 

If you’re experiencing scalp infections or bald spots castor oil is the answer. Like most women, I have a certain spot in my head that is prone to shedding or breakage due to stress. So every time I’m extremely stressed out if I don’t pay attention to that area I will see some breakage there, even a short spot. Because castor oil is antibacterial and has anti-fungal properties it fights off pathogens and micro-organisms that cause these scalp infections. If it gets that bad you can add castor oil to your scalp daily and lightly using an applicator bottle (you can these at your local BSS). I use Jamaican Black Castor Oil from Tropic Isle Living.

 

 

Castor oil is one of those multifunctional ingredients that have so many benefits. I’d be here all day if I delved into it more deeply. Just know that it adds moisture to hair, promotes healthy hair growth and thickness, stimulates the scalp, gets rid of dandruff, and makes hair appear lustrous and shiny. If you’re ready to start pampering your strands pick you up some castor oil today.

 

 

 

 

xoxo – Summer