Hi,
I have been using castor oil on my face for the past two weeks having read about how good it is as a moisturiser for dry skin (and anti-ageing etc!). I put only a small amount on the face and massage it in gently. I get very dry skin but not usually any flaky or sore areas. However since using the castor oil I have been getting red blotches of very dry skin around my mouth and the upper lip has been really dry. It is also getting very sore and the only thing that seems to soothe it, bizarrely, is applying more castor oil. Everything else makes it sting or more dry. I have noticed today also that my cheeks and forehead are unusually reddish. I wondered if anyone else uses castor oil as a moisturiser and if they had problems initially (as I know it is also a cleansing and anti-bacterial oil). I am also using it on other parts of my body with no problems at all. I was using maracuja oil on my face every night before I tried the castor oil but that seemed to dry out my skin. (I have read on this forum and also elsewhere on the internet of the use of castor oil in the oil cleansing method but when I tried this - with sunflower oil - it made things worse). Any ideas or suggestions gratefully appreciated! Many thanks!
Hi,
I have been using castor oil on my face for the past two weeks having read about how good it is as a moisturiser for dry skin (and anti-ageing etc!). I put only a small amount on the face and massage it in gently. I get very dry skin but not usually any flaky or sore areas. However since using the castor oil I have been getting red blotches of very dry skin around my mouth and the upper lip has been really dry. It is also getting very sore and the only thing that seems to soothe it, bizarrely, is applying more castor oil. Everything else makes it sting or more dry. I have noticed today also that my cheeks and forehead are unusually reddish. I wondered if anyone else uses castor oil as a moisturiser and if they had problems initially (as I know it is also a cleansing and anti-bacterial oil). I am also using it on other parts of my body with no problems at all. I was using maracuja oil on my face every night before I tried the castor oil but that seemed to dry out my skin. (I have read on this forum and also elsewhere on the internet of the use of castor oil in the oil cleansing method but when I tried this - with sunflower oil - it made things worse). Any ideas or suggestions gratefully appreciated! Many thanks!
Castor Oil can be very drying and very stripping to the skin if undiluted. Its also important to make sure it is of high quality. I use jamaican black castor oil and find it very moisturising. It also is great for your hair, eyelashes and eyebrows.
Agree with Sapphy - castor oil on its own can be 'drying' rather than moisturizing. Try a combination of argan oil and jojoba oil - very nourishing - and use castor oil as a cleanser.
Hi Sapphy
I was going to suggest argan oil might be a better option, but have no experience other than personal use. In the old days castor oil was mixed with zinc oxide and used for skin problems and to prevent bed sores for those confined to bed. It was excellent. I would be concerned about using it on the delicate facial skin though - castor oil plant is toxic, ricin is the agent extracted from it. One hopes all the toxins are removed from the oil - hence the necessity of having the very best quality oil.
In fact, if you have dry skin Sapphy, I would look at making sure your intake of omega oils is adequate, especially omega-3 from oily fish (ocean salmon, herring, mackerel, sardines, fresh tuna - not tinned), which most of us are seriously short of, or failing that from flaxseed (linseed) or hemp oil. You'll need at least 3 servings of fish weekly or a tablespoon of the oils daily to make up for the lack of oils in your skin. Omega-6 oils come from cold-pressed olive or rapeseed oil (the processed oils are damaged by heat) and can be used on salads or mixed into home-made smoothies or soups. You need to be eating a wholefood diet, or possibly following the [url]paleo diet[/url] to make sure your skin is glowing and you are full of energy and vitality.
Omega-3 and omega-6 oils are termed essential because the body cannot make them and they are vital for the functioning of every cell in your body, but particularly the brain and nerve cells. Forming part of the cell envelope they allow nutrients into the cells and the toxins out. Other fats can sit in place of the essential oils but cannot function in the same way. The first place that a lack of these oils shows up is the skin, where it normally helps preserve a semi-waterproof layer for the skin.
Have a look at [url]this book[/url] for ideas about skin health and how to achieve it through diet. Putting endless creams on dry skin does not cure the cause!
Hi everyone,
Thank you so much for the replies and ideas. I am using Pukka organic castor oil so it is a good quality but I shall also check out the Jamaican black castor oil that you recommended, Susananne. Do you use it neat or mix it with another oil? Thanks, Jabba, also. I have used both jojoba and argan oil in the past, separately not together and the jojoba strangely irritated my skin as did the argan oil. The argan oil was great initially then after a couple of weeks it really dried it out and made it red so I switched to the Maracuja oil which again irritated after several weeks! Thanks so much for all the advice on diet and the omega oils, Caroline. I take hemp oil daily, about three to four tablespoons (to try to lubricate my innards!) plus olive oil. I am vegetarian so don't eat fish and I am allergic to flaxseed. I' will check out the paleo diet too though. I do know the importance of diet for skin! IAnd thanks for the book link too. I put some peanut oil on my face last night,from the layer of oil on top of my tub of meridian peanut (!), and it has really soothed my skin so I shall stay away from the castor oil certainly!
Hi everyone,
Thank you so much for the replies and ideas. I am using Pukka organic castor oil so it is a good quality but I shall also check out the Jamaican black castor oil that you recommended, Susananne. Do you use it neat or mix it with another oil? Thanks, Jabba, also. I have used both jojoba and argan oil in the past, separately not together and the jojoba strangely irritated my skin as did the argan oil. The argan oil was great initially then after a couple of weeks it really dried it out and made it red so I switched to the Maracuja oil which again irritated after several weeks! Thanks so much for all the advice on diet and the omega oils, Caroline. I take hemp oil daily, about three to four tablespoons (to try to lubricate my innards!) plus olive oil. I am vegetarian so don't eat fish and I am allergic to flaxseed. I' will check out the paleo diet too though. I do know the importance of diet for skin! IAnd thanks for the book link too. I put some peanut oil on my face last night,from the layer of oil on top of my tub of meridian peanut (!), and it has really soothed my skin so I shall stay away from the castor oil certainly!
Hi, I add a little to my usual moistuiser, jamaican black castor oil is very thick so i only add a little and do it about 3 times a week because I have quite sensitive dry skin but with a oily t-zone and it works amazingly for me. I can see and feel a improvement in my skin quite quickly. I wouldnt use it more than 3 times a week max as it is quite greasy.
Ah thanks Susananne. I looked online at the Jamaican black castor oil. Looks great but yes I did think that it would be best to use sparingly especially if it is quite dark in colour. Probably get some strange looks otherwise! So thanks for your info on how you use it. Really helpful.
Any oil must be good for a skin.
🙂
Any oil must be good for a skin.
🙂
Nope there are some that are not suitable:)
Very Good Choice
[url]Natural Organic Care[/url] products are the best choice for those people who have sensitive skin or who have decided to go organic.
i personally use a lot of olive oil for my skin and for making some of my natural cosmetics.
I sometimes use st john's wort oil, which is absolutely amazing, even for soothing skin infections.
I have used almond oil (a well known moisturiser, e.g. used in facial products) for decades with beneficial effects. It absorbs readily into the skin.
After washing my face, whilst it is still damp I apply some almond oil with a little Vitamin E oil. The Vit E (loosened with the almond oil) works well around the eye area i.e. with age. (I get the almond oil from a chemist and the Vit E oil from Holland & Barrett).
Yes almond oil is one of my favorites also, i forgot to mention it earlier. I often use it as a face or body moisturizer especially after shaving my legs. 🙂
Hi
I recently started to use my face for all sort of ideas that seems to work for others and was a bad idea. I ended up, like you with dry patch on my cheek... but finely I did discover what works for me:
1. using a homemade soap that I made with 100% olive oil, oats, honey, goats milk and tea tree es oil.
2. pure aloe vera gel
3. jojoba oil
this made miracle for my face. I was using coconut oil... then I tried kukui nut... castor... but somehow made it really bad... I got rid of the dried patch after 3 applications (every evening full 3 steps) and only jojoba oil in the morning. Now my skin even cleared of the spots I was having and improved so much...
My next soap is 80% olive infused with calendula, burtoque root and plantain, 20% coconut oil, goats milk, oats, honey and lavender es oil... It feels much nicer that the first one on my hands but in a week will test it on face. I forgot to mention is hot processed soap.
Try using organic coconut oil instead, it's moisturizing and has anti-aging properties, plus it acts as a natural sunblock. I make my own moisturizer and I've been using it for months. My skin is looking and feeling pretty great! I can't tell you how much I love using it, so great, so affordable and it's natural which I totally love. It's just organic coconut oil with a few drops of tea tree oil (important note: tea tree oil can be drying so follow the recipe and maybe if your skin is really dry and you don't usually get breakouts, just skip the tea tree and use just the coconut oil).