Early this week I met a young lady who seemed to be wearing the longest eyelashes I had ever seen.  Compared to her, Kim Kardashian looks " Au Naturelle".  When I queried her about this, thinking it was a new fashion trend, she told me "these aren't fake lashes, I am using Latisse". YIKES I thought, Latisse is a drug that can cause permanent vision damage, and damage to the pigment of the iris, why would anyone do this when there is a natural alternative?

This  benign oil is often overlooked for its benefits for the skin and hair because of its extremely thick and sticky, and maybe slightly messy consistency.  However, if you're looking for a cheap, natural remedy for several common skin and hair complaints, then castor oil is definitely worth a trial.

Castor oil can be used for regrowing and thickening hair, eyelashes and eyebrows

Many women swear by castor oil as an antidote for overplucked eyebrows or eyebrows that have been lost due to chemotherapy or alopecia..

I read about castor oil in Natural News consumers should choose an organic, hexane free and cold pressed castor oil.  Many reports demonstrate not only thicker lashes and brows but darker ones as well..

Castor oil is high in ricinoleic acid.  This acid is a very effective natural anti-bacterial and anti-fungal agent.  This can help keep any fungus or bacteria from inhibiting hair growth, a coomon problem. It may also have something to do with changing or lengthening the growth cycle. Lastly, since the oil is also very thick, it may help to prevent hair loss simply by helping to coat the hair and protect it from breakage, or even provide nourishment directly to the follicle causing it to thrive.

Castor oil is also high in omega 9 fatty acids, which are nourishing to both the hair and the follicle, as well as the surrounding skin.  Castor oil has a unique ability to be deeply penetrating, and this helps it to deliver its nourishment deeply into the pores and the follicles that produce hair.

It also has a high gloss, so it lends a lush glossiness and shine to the hair. A little goes a long way, and it is best to only add a tiny bit to the very ends of your hair instead of putting it up near the scalp if you're just looking for a natural hair smoother.

Simply put about two drops on your hands and rub, then smooth through the ends.  If you use too much, there is a fine line between subtle shine and a heavy greasiness so go very light until you figure out the amount that works right for your hair type.

If you're looking to regrow the hair on your head, you can use castor oil as a scalp treatment. However it can be tricky to get on the scalp without thinning it out with a lighter oil. You can add some melted coconut oil, apricot kernel oil or another lighter oil to help get it spreadable enough.

If you'are simply looking to help thicken hair that is thinning at the edges of your hairline, you can use pure castor oil,massaged in gently. .  Another use is to apply the oil to eyelashes at night time to help thicken and strengthen them, as well as to help prevent thinning and shedding.

Castor oil can reduce scar tissue reduction and smooth cracked lips

Many attest to the wonders castor oil offers for keloid types of scars and other scars that involve a lot of hardened scar tissue.  This is presumably due to its ability for deep penetration through multiple skin layers.Naturopathic medicine uses castor oil packs for a variety of illness due to this penetrating ability!

Because castor oil softens the skin so much, the thought is that this softening helps to break down deep scar tissue so it may be smoothed out.  In addition, castor oil has shown promise as a white blood cell stimulating agent.  Studies have also shown that castor bean oil helps reduce the inflammatory response in subcutaneous tissue.  This may be why it seems to speed wound healing, and may also contribute to its ability to reduce scarring more quickly. I also LOVE this for scar healing.

Castor oil is also excellent for the lips.  Lips in Chicago needs constant protection against the elements. Although our lips regenerate and recover quickly, they also dry out and begin to peel when they are dehydrated.

Castor oil not only smooths the lips with fatty acids, but it also helps protect them due to its naturally thick and immovable nature. In other words, it doesn't budge without being wiped off. It also imparts a natural shine to the lips, which makes it ideal for both improving the appearance and health of the lips. It is a great substance to use to make your own lip balms.

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