Castor Oil comes from the seeds of the castor plant. It is widely used for many things like treating skin rashes, moisturizing hair, and stimulating hair follicles. It contains something called ricinoleic acid. This is an unsaturated fatty acid that has been linked to affecting hair growth.
This fatty acid is believed to do this from two substances called PGE2 and PGD2.
Because of its treatment for hair growth and follicles, many men use castor oil to help promote facial hair growth.
Does Castor Oil improve beard growth. No, it does not directly make your beard grow faster. It can improve your overall beard care routine which may help your beard stay healthy.
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Castor Oil For Beard Benefits
There are several benefits to applying castor oil to your beard. If you want to grow your beard faster, you will need to use castor oil as an adjunct to other steps.
- It can boost blood circulation
- Coats hair to protect it from breaking
- Nourishes facial hair
While there is no direct benefit of beard growth from castor oil, it can improve the overall health of your facial hair. If your beard hair is dry and brittle, it may break off or get split ends. Keeping it moisturized with castor oil will help to keep it moisturized.
Ricinoleic acid that is in castor oil can improve circulation. If you can promote blood supply to your hair follicles, then they may have a better chance of staying healthy.
It is also an antifungal and antimicrobial which can help to keep your beard “clean.”
It may take from 1 to 3 months to see any beard growth benefits from castor oil. It is not directly impacting your facial hair growth. It is being used as one step to an overall better beard care routine.
How To Apply Castor Oil To Beard
To apply Castor oil to your beard, follow these steps:
- Apply a dime size amount of oil to the palm of your hand
- Rub your hands together to coat them both
- Rub both of your hands through your beard to coat all of your facial hair. Make sure to apply it to the skin underneath your beard as well.
- Wash your hands or wipe away any excess oil on a towel.
You can leave it on overnight or you can use it like a beard oil and leave it on all day.
Side Effects
Castor oil has been widely used for years. It is easily available, and it has very little side effects. Applying a small amount to your face is generally considered safe.
You may run into some issues if you apply it to an open wound. This can occur if you have a nick on your face from shaving around your beard. It may cause some mild and brief irritation.
Also, if you happen to get some in your eyes, you may have some irritation.
Castor oil may also cause stomach cramps or pain if ingested. Granted, we are discussing using it topically on your beard here though.
Best Castor Oil For Beard Growth
There are so many castor oils on the market and it can be hard to figure out which one to purchase. You can choose a pure oil which provides the most benefit. Or, you can get a premade beard oil that contains castor.
One of the best and most widely reviewed is Kate Blanc castor oil. It has over 60,000 reviews and it is low cost. There really is no need to find any other brand. You cannot go wrong with this one. It is USDA Certified Organic, Pure, and cold pressed.
Jamaican Black Castor Oil For Beard Growth
Jamaican Black Castor Oil is different because of the way it is processed and where it is grown. It’s obviously grown only in Jamaica. In addition, it is processed by using a manual grinder. After that, it is boiled to produce a castor oil with a dark brown color.
It contains a higher ash content and is said to be better at moisturizing and growing hair over regular Castor oil. Due to its unique properties, it is said that Jamaican castor oil is the best for beard growth.
This oil has similar benefits for hair growth, but there are no studies that prove the claim.
Castor Oil For Patchy Beard
One of the biggest issues that me face when growing a beard are patchy spots. Having a patchy beard is not ideal. Castor oil may help, but it will not instantly make your patchy spots fill in.
If your genetics are giving you patchy spots, there is not much that can be done. You may be able to grow your facial hair out to cover any existing spots, but that’s about it.
If you have patchy spots in your beard due to lack of beard care, then castor oil may improve your growth. You may have an itchy spot due to dryness that causes you to constantly pick at it. Keeping it moisturized with castor oil will help you there.
Either way, maintaining proper beard care gives you the best chance of growing your beard to its fullest capability. You do not want to limit your growth due to dry skin or brittle facial hair.
Mixing Castor Oil And Peppermint Oil For Growth
Here is a study that looks at the effect of peppermint oil on hair growth. Many guys use both castor and peppermint to improve beard thickness and growth.
Peppermint oil contains menthol which is a vasodilator. This means that it can help improve blood flow and circulation. Any time that you can improve flow to your hair follicles, it is a good thing. Increased blood will allow more nutrients to be supplied to your follicles, and it will help to remove unwanted waste.
Because castor oil is a thick and provides a lot of benefits to your beard, many men will mix castor and peppermint together. This acts like a scented beard oil, but you also get the bonus benefits of peppermint.
The skin under your beard can also get dirty and nasty. Peppermint is an antifungal which helps to clean the skin under your beard. All of this leads to better overall beard care. This in turn, can lead to better growth and thickness.
