Castor Oil Uses: A Closer Look at the DIY Maker's Secret Weapon
If there is one oil that turns up in almost every corner of the DIY world, it is castor oil. Lip balms, hair serums, deodorants, soaps, balms. It shows up time and again, and for good reason. But for an ingredient this widely used, it is surprisingly misunderstood. Let's take a proper look at what castor oil actually is, what makes it chemically unique, and how to use it well in your formulations.
What is Castor Oil?
Castor oil is a vegetable oil cold-pressed from the seeds of Ricinus communis, a plant native to tropical East Africa and India. The resulting oil is clear to pale yellow with a mild, neutral scent. It has been used for thousands of years - medicinally, industrially, and cosmetically - and remains one of the most versatile carrier oils available today.
PureNature stocks two versions: a standard Castor Oil both are available in bulk, and an organic version in their Castor Oil, Organic range for those who prefer organic certification in their formulations or want to use it in castor oil packs.
What Makes Castor Oil Unique: The Fatty Acid Profile
Castor oil is genuinely unlike most other carrier oils, and that comes down to its fatty acid composition.
It contains 85 to 95% ricinoleic acid, a hydroxyl fatty acid found in almost no other natural oil in significant quantities. This single compound is responsible for most of castor oil's distinctive properties: its unusual viscosity, its solubility in alcohol, its humectant behaviour, and its film-forming characteristics on the skin.
Alongside ricinoleic acid, castor oil contains modest amounts of oleic acid and linoleic acid, but these play a secondary role. It is the ricinoleic acid that defines this oil and makes it behave so differently from, say, jojoba or sweet almond.
A few other properties worth knowing:
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Comedogenic rating: 1 out of 5, low and generally well-tolerated
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Solubility: soluble in alcohol - unusual for a carrier oil and useful in certain formulations
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Viscosity: very thick, typically used at 3 to 15% to avoid a heavy, sticky feel
The Benefits of Castor Oil for Skin and Hair
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Deep moisturisation and humectancy: Ricinoleic acid acts as a humectant, drawing moisture to the skin and helping to maintain hydration. Despite its greasy feel, castor oil is often described as behaving like a dry oil over time once it has absorbed.
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Film-forming and conditioning: Castor oil creates a protective barrier on the skin and hair, locking in moisture and helping to prevent moisture loss. This makes it particularly useful in hair treatments, where it coats the strand and adds shine without weighing the hair down at low usage rates.
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Skin thickness support: Castor oil has acanthotic activity, meaning it may help support and increase the thickness of the skin's outer layers. This is a less commonly discussed property but worth noting for formulations targeting dry or mature skin.
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Lip gloss and stay-power: The stickiness of castor oil is a feature, not a flaw, when it comes to lip products. It is widely used in lip balms and glosses to enhance shine and help the product adhere to the lips without feathering into fine lines.
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Low irritation potential: Castor oil is non-irritating and suitable for sensitive skin formulations. Its low comedogenic rating makes it an option even for those prone to breakouts, particularly at low usage rates.
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Castor oil packs: The organic variety is popular for use in castor oil packs, a wellness practice that involves applying oil-soaked cloth to the abdomen and other parts of the body. While research is still emerging, castor oil packs have a long history of traditional use.
How to Use Castor Oil in Your Formulations
Castor oil is rarely the star of a formula. It is a supporting ingredient that punches well above its weight. Here is how to approach it across different applications.
Hair oils and scalp treatments
Use at 3 to 20% in a blend with lighter carrier oils like jojoba, argan, or fractionated coconut oil. It adds conditioning and shine without the blend becoming too heavy. Excellent in scalp massage oils where the thickness helps it stay where you apply it.
Lip balms and glosses
Usage rates vary depending on the product type:
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Basic lip balm: up to 20%
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Creamy or gloss lip balm: 20 to 40%
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Lip gloss: 30 to 70%
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Lip oil: 40 to 80%
It combines particularly well with beeswax and waxes like cera bellina. Its unique solubility with beeswax creates a smooth, workable consistency.
Balms and body butters
Use at 5 to 80% depending on the finish you're after. Higher rates give a grippier, more occlusive result that works well on rough or dry areas like heels and elbows. Blend with lighter butters and oils to balance the texture.
Soap making
Use at 5 to 8% in cold process or hot process soaps. Castor oil contributes to a creamy, stable lather and is particularly popular in shampoo bars and shaving soaps for this reason.
Deodorants
The alcohol solubility of castor oil makes it useful in alcohol-based deodorant formulations, where most other carrier oils would not blend without an emulsifier.
DIY Recipes Featuring Castor Oil
Ready to put it to use? Here are a few of our favourite formulations:
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Luxe Lip Oil - a castor and rosehip oil blend with cera bellina for a glossy, nourishing lip oil
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Rosemary Scalp Massage Serum - castor oil paired with rosemary essential oil for a targeted scalp treatment
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Basic Lip Balm - a beginner-friendly guide to lip balm making, including castor oil for gloss
PureNature's Castor Oil Range
We stock two options to suit different needs:
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Castor Oil - our standard hexane-free, expeller-pressed option. Available in multiple sizes with bulk discounts,Rated 4.9 stars from over 400 reviews.
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Castor Oil, Organic - certified organic, cold-pressed, and available in a 100ml glass size. Ideal for formulations where organic certification matters, or for those who prefer to use castor oil in packs.
Both options are free from solvents such as hexane and are intended for external use.
Happy making!
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