Castor Oil

Latin (Botanical) Name: Ricinus communis

Plant Family: Euphorbiaceae

Common Extraction Method: Cold press

Typically Used Plant Part: Seed

Color: Pale yellow

Aromatic Characteristic: A light aroma
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Castor oil is an all-purpose vegetable oil that people have used for thousands of years. There are documents showing that it was used in Ancient Egypt around 1500 BC and in India between 620-650 BC. It was brought to China from India 1400 years ago. It has been used internally in traditional medicine against constipation, joint pain and intestinal parasites. Externally, it has been applied to hair and eyelashes for development.Today, the castor oil plant is a tree that grows naturally or cultivated in places with a Mediterranean climate and can grow up to 10 meters. Its seeds contain a poisonous enzyme called ricin, so it cannot be used without treatment. The oil obtained from the seeds by cold pressing method can be used safely.

Castor oil plant is one of the oilseeds with high nutritional value thanks to its rich amount of monounsaturated fatty acids (90%) and bioactive active compounds such as vitamin E component (tocopherols or tocotrienols), phospholipids, phenolics [1] [2].

KEY COMPONENTS / ACTIVE INGREDIENTS

Ricinoleic acid
Linoleic acid (Omega 6)
Oleic acid (Omega 9)
Stearic acid
Palmitic acid

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BENEFITS

It shows anti-inflammatory characteristic [1] [2] [3]:

Thanks to its anti-inflammatory properties, castor oil helps relieve joint and muscle pain.

It shows antioxidant characteristic [1]:

Thanks to the E vitamins it contains, it helps to protect the health of hair and eyelashes; supports the healing of wounds.

WARNINGS

Avoid contact with eyes, in case of contact rinse with plenty of water.
Do not use the product if you have a known allergy to any of its ingredients.
It is recommended that children, pregnant or breastfeeding women, people using medication should consult their doctor before using castor oil.

ACADEMIC STUDIES

[1] A. Yeboah, S. Ying , J. Lu, Y. Xie , H. A. Dede , K. G. A. Boateng , M. Chen, X. Yin (2020). Castor oil (Ricinus communis): a review on the chemical composition and physicochemical properties. Food Sci. Technol, Campinas, Ahead of Print, 2020

[2] Said, G., Daniel, P., Badr, K., Mohamed, I., & Zoubida, C. (2016). Chemical characterization and oxidative stability of castor oil grown in Morocco. Moroccan Journal of Chemistry, 4(2), 279-284.

[3] Sbihi, H. M., Nehdi, I. A., Mokbli, S., Romdhani-Younes, M., & AlResayes, S. I. (2018). Hexane and ethanol extracted seed oils and leaf essential compositions from two castor plant (Ricinus communis L.) varieties. Industrial Crops and Products, 122, 174-181.