What is Castor Oil?
Castor oil is a vegetable oil pressed from the seeds of Ricinus communis, native to India [1]. It is easy to see and remains dark even at high temperatures. Castor oil is a mixture of hydroxylated fatty acids, with ricinoleic acid constituting 89-92% [2]. It is a triglyceride of fatty acids. Oxygen atoms in the oil exhibit hydrophilic and lipophilic properties [3], so castor oil can penetrate our skin better than most other vegetable oils [3].
What Does Castor Oil Do?
Castor oil’s unusual properties give it a diverse array of applications across numerous sectors. It’s employed in cosmetics as a skin softener and can be found in manufacturing plastics, fibres, lacquers and paint [1]. It’s also frequently used in tablets as a binding agent that delivers the medicine better. It’s even been employed in the cigar business, but that’s a story for another time [4].
Castor oil has been employed medicinally for commercial purposes, treating various ailments, including gastrointestinal conditions, infections, skin conditions, and inflammation, and stimulating the immune system [1]. It has been used for eye complaints, and in one study, daily application to the eyelid for four weeks helped to relieve symptoms such as eyelash matting [4].
In addition, castor oil is helpful for the practical management of the mosquito vector in its immature and adult stages, with larvicidal activities at 10, 25, 50, 75, and 100 ppm [5]. While others showed that it has the properties of an antioxidant and antibacterial compound, it can be advantageous as a functional material in the food and cosmetic industries [6].
Benefits of Castor Oil
Castor oil is obtained from the seeds of the Ricinus communis plant. It contains 90% ricinoleic acid, a monounsaturated fat [7, 8, 2]. Castor oil is known to have medicinal value when used in traditional medicine and to improve health.
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