We have entered the last month of summer hopefully. Some are already counting double-digit visits to their favorite beaches and others...counting down to their vacations. You may have noticed, however, that our hair, after a number of beach visits, start to dehydrate more easily as well as "break". Constant exposure to sunlight and seawater seems to weaken our hair, which needs extra care and repair during summer months. So what do you suggest? Should we give up bathing? Of course not! I suggest we stock up on the right tools on our holidays to help repair our hair in the most natural way possible!
Let's get to know one of our most powerful natural allies in repairing our hair, the famous castor oil!
What is Castor Oil?
Castor oil is an oil with a long history, the use of which dates back over 2000 years, with the first references being made by the historian Herodotus. The famous historian notes that it was first used by the ancient Egyptians for therapeutic and cosmetic purposes. Castor oil is produced by extracting the seeds of the Ricinus Communis plant. Brazil, China and India are the 3 countries with the largest production of castor oil, with India being a significant leader due to the favorable climate conditions for growing Ricinus, which requires a dry climate of 20-25 degrees Celsius to grow.
Castor oil is extracted with various forms of extraction and is a non-volatile, translucent and fairly viscous oil, high in Omega-9 fatty acids, vitamin E, carotenoids, phytosterols, tocopherols oleic, linoleic and ricinoleic acids, to which it owes its surprisingly moisturizing properties.
Castor Oil & Properties
Due to its high nutritional value, castor oil provides a wide range of properties, which are extensively studied by the scientific community. It provides moisturizing and nutritious properties to the scalp, hair and skin. The fame of castor oil is not accidental as castor oil enhances hair health, starting from the hair follicle to the ends. More specifically:
- It has the ability to penetrate deep into the hair follicle, enhancing blood circulation and acting in favor of nutrient adsorption and hair growth.
- Due to its high content of unsaturated fats, vitamins and antioxidants, it helps to hydrate and nourish damaged and dehydrated hair.
- It protects against split endsricinoleic acid - turns it into an extremely stable oil with a long shelf life, which makes it particularly useful in the industry for the preparation of soaps, waxes, lubricants, as well as skin and hair nourishing oils.
- If you also use a hair dryer during summer and you do not like wet look, think twice about using castor oil as it has the potential to act against heat damage to our hair as well.
In addition to its properties in hair health, it offers:
- Anti-inflammatory properties.
- Analgesic action.
- Antioxidant action, as well as…
- ..possible beneficial benefits, in favor of bowel motility and against constipation.
Castor Oil & Uses
The special chemical composition of castor oil - especially its high content of ricinoleic acid - turns it into an extremely stable oil with a long shelf life, which makes it particularly useful in the industry for the preparation of soaps, waxes, lubricants, as well as skin and hair nourishing oils.
Castor oil for hair. How to use it?
As already mentioned above, it is a fairly viscous liquid and for this reason we need a small amount, which:
- We will either apply it by massaging in circular motions on the scalp, and/or on the ends to help restore the overall health of our hair.
- We need to leave it on for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour (alternatively, for greater repair, we can leave it overnight, wrapping our hair with a towel, as the heat helps the effectiveness of the oil).
- Then, rinse the castor oil and wash thoroughly. To avoid discomfort, apply shampoo or a small amount of hair conditioner first and then rinse until the oil is completely removed.
Extra tip: You can combine castor oil with other nourishing hair oils such as argan oil, coconut oil, jojoba oil or black seed oil to increase the nutritional profile of the combined oil you apply for even smoother, silkier hair.
Apart from hair, castor oil, either alone or in combination with an oil of your choice, can be applied to eyelashes, eyebrows and beard.
Cold-pressed castor oil. Why should I choose it? Holland & Barrett castor oil from organic farming, produced through the cold-pressing process. The temperature at which the castor oil is extracted from the seeds of the plant is controlled by a compression machine, which is responsible for cold-pressing the seeds. The result is the extraction of cold-pressed castor oil, which has a lower acid and iodine content and is lighter in color than castor oil extracted using chemical solvents such as hexane and heptane.
Holland & Barrett is once again on our side, providing holistic solutions for our hair health, with our #1 tool, being organic cold-pressed castor oil. We wish you a great summer, full of self-care on all levels!
Scientific References
Patel, V. R., Dumancas, G. G., Viswanath, L. C. K., Maples, R., & Subong, B. J. J. (2016). Castor oil: properties, uses, and optimization of processing parameters in commercial production. Lipid insights, 9, LPI-S40233.
Yeboah, A., Ying, S., Lu, J., Xie, Y., Amoanimaa-Dede, H., Boateng, K. G. A., ... & Yin, X. (2020). Castor oil (Ricinus communis): a review on the chemical composition and physicochemical properties. Food Science and Technology, 41, 399-413.
Dietitian & Sport Nutritionist
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