Is Castor Oil Effective for Eyebrows? Here’s What Studies Actually Say

Gone are the days of heavily tweezed, neatly shaved, and thinned eyebrows. From Daenerys Targaryen to our very own Hermione, all my favorite celebrities are rocking thick, bold and luscious eyebrows these days.

I, too, used to have naturally thick and luscious brows in my teens. Then I don’t know what got into me. It could be peer pressure, could be the urge to match up to the conventional beauty standards. I started plucking my eyebrows twice or even thrice a month. I never really cared about the side-effects of over-tweezing until very recently, when I tried to grow back eyebrows. It wasn’t happening. I got into panic mode.

I did some digging on Google to find a solution and saw lots of women recommending castor oil for eyebrows. I knew that castor oil is used as the base of many cosmetic products. But using it to grow eyebrows? I wasn’t sure how that would work. I was very skeptical, but I still went ahead and tried it. In this article, I am going to document my experience with the castor oil experiment. Did it work? Did it not? You will found out.

Before I begin, let me give you a heads up on what we are dealing with here.

What is Castor Oil?

Castor oil is believed to have numerous benefits, especially for hair and skin. The abundance of fatty acid content makes it a perfect beauty ingredient. Although there is no scientific data suggesting that it can trigger new hair growth, studies indicate that it reverses hair loss and improves the health of hair. The best thing about castor oil is that it is incredibly moisturizing, which helps it protect and enhance the condition of dull, lifeless hair.

Moreover, it’s also entirely cheap and a natural alternative for preserving hair. It’s no wonder that it will be of great help for people who are trying to regrow their eyebrows.

How Does Castor Oil Work?

So how does it help in growing eyebrows? Well, castor oil is loaded with fatty acids and minerals.

The triglyceride fatty acids in the castor bean plant hydrate and nourish your existing eyebrows. It is also packed with ricinoleic acid, which reduces eyebrow loss and increases the volume of your brows. It also activates the dormant hair follicles, which results in rapid hair growth, says the author of The Well Path, Jamé Heskett.

When we apply the oil to lashes and eyebrows, all these factors contribute to stimulating blood circulation in the skin, especially around the eyes. This will indirectly improve the hair growth. It will take a few months for the brows to show visible improvement only if you apply them on a routine basis. You’ll have to be patient and persistent when using castor oil.

Sounds awesome on paper. But as I said, I am a rational, highly skeptical human being. I wasn’t going to be a blind follower of a home remedy simply because of theories.

But I still went ahead and tested castor oil on myself because it wouldn’t harm. I didn’t know about its magical hair growing properties. But what I knew was that this oil had great anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory properties. Plus, it would work as a moisturizer. So I wasn’t risking anything at all.

Or was I?

What Research Has to Say About Castor Oil for Eyebrows

Scientific evidence on the effectiveness of castor oil in increasing eyebrow growth is lacking. However, this 2015 study on hair cosmetics suggests that the application of oils can protect hair from damage. Oils lubricate the hair shaft and form a protective film that reduces friction and, consequently, hair breakage and damage.

Due to this inherent property of oil, you should be able to prevent further damage to thinning eyebrows by applying castor oil. This should help to improve the strength of hair strands and create a healthy environment in which existing hair strands thrive.

Now looking at castor oil, in particular, studies suggest that Ricinoleic acid, which is the key component of castor oil, is highly beneficial for hair health, and it can help with hair loss.

This article suggests that castor oil consists of 90% of Ricinoleic acid. This Omega 9 fatty acid is abundant in triglycerides and highly moisturizing. However, what is interesting is that studies show that Ricinoleic acid has the unique ability to inhibit PGD2.

PGD2 is an enzyme that is linked to male pattern baldness. Hence, the application of Ricinoleic acid proves to be valuable in the treatment of hair loss. This leads us to assume that there ought to be benefits to using castor oil in hair treatments.

Although there is no definite evidence that suggests castor oil triggers new hair growth, it could be useful in at least controlling hair loss conditions from worsening. Additionally, since oil adds moisture to existing hair strands, the application of castor oil can also make the existing strands in your eyebrows appear shiny and thicker.

What is Jamaican Black Castor Oil?

This is the new buzz word, highly regarded by women. Jamaican black castor oil is dark-colored and is manufactured by first roasting the castor beans. Dark castor oil obtains its color from the ash of roasted castor beans. Like regular castor oil, JBCO is rich in phytochemicals and fatty acids, making them useful in the treatment of both hair and skin related issues.

The only difference between JBCO and regular castor oil is in their processing and color. In all other respects, they still contain the same properties. If you’re seeking purity, you may opt for the organic and colorless castor oil. Overall, it depends on personal preference.

Do a Patch Test

Also, I did a patch test first. You should always do a patch test before trying out any skin product, no matter how good it is.

But the question remains, will castor oil grow beautiful and long eyebrows and lashes? No dermatologist seems to endorse it for boosting hair growth openly. But there are also a vast number of people who claim to benefit from this. Why would so many people lie for nothing?

So if you ask me, yes, you should go ahead and give it a try. Buy a quality product, do a patch test, and see if everything goes well. If it causes irritation or more hair loss, immediately stop using it. Simple!

Here is an infographic for quick reference :

Results of My Castor Oil Test

Now you must be wondering, what happened to my experiment? Did it work?

Short answer, yes and no.

Here’s the long answer. I have been using this oil for 20 days. I tried a combination of different methods (which I am going to discuss in the upcoming section).

Did my hair magically grow long, thick, bold, and dramatic in 20 days? No. Was their an improvement? Definitely yes. I can see that my brows are in far better shape than they used to be. They certainly don’t look gloomy, pale, unhealthy anymore. I count it as progress. I guess I need to be more patient. I will keep using it. Slow improvement is much better than no improvement at all.

Before I jump to explaining different methods of using castor oil, here are a few things you can try to promote the growth of thicker and fuller eyebrows. After all, growing hair involves improving your lifestyle, hair care, and eating habits, as well. How you look depends a lot on what you eat and how much you take care of yourself.

How to Achieve Faster Hair Regrowth?

While using castor oil for eyebrow regrowth, you might want to try other methods like stimulating hair follicles. Here are some brow hair regrowth tips you can try :

• Eat foods that could trigger hair growth naturally. Make sure to eat foods that contain proteins, vitamins, and fatty acids. Avocados, eggs, and salmon fish are also highly recommended foods.
• Use of brow enhancing serums – These are commercial products that stimulate hair growth. If you can get some items with castor oil as an active ingredient, that will be your best choice.

Now, time for the real deal :

How to Use Castor Oil on Eyebrows?

1. Castor Oil Massage

Things you will need :

• Castor oil
• Cotton swab or clean eyeliner brush
• Towel
• Glycerin

Steps :

1. Clean the skin by washing correctly with warm water. Make sure you wash eyebrows too. Gently dry your face using a towel.
2. Now take the cotton swab or eyeliner brush and dip it into the castor oil. Make sure you tap off any excess into the sink. In case you don’t have a cotton swab, you can use a thick cotton cloth.
3. Apply it directly onto your eyebrows.
4. Make use of the dry end of the cotton swab to get rid of any excess oil which may be present around the eyebrows.
5. You may also use a bit of glycerin on each eyebrow to improve the effectiveness of castor oil.
6. Leave it untouched overnight.
7. Next morning, wash off your face with warm water.
8. Repeat this process regularly for the best results.

2. Castor & Coconut Oil Massage

Coconut oil is my favorite essential oil for skin and hair. Mixing it with castor oil will only enhance the potency of the latter.

Things you will need :

• ½ teaspoon coconut oil. You can also use olive oil instead
• ¼ teaspoon of castor oil
• Towel

Steps :

1. Clean your face with a mild cleanser before applying. Pat dry your skin with a towel.
2. Mix the two oils in a bowl.
3. Use your fingertips or Q-tips to massage the blend on your eyebrows. Massage in the direction of hair growth.
4. Leave it overnight.
5. Wash it off with lukewarm water and a mild cleanser in the morning.

3. Castor Oil & Aloe Vera

Things you will need :

• 1 tablespoon castor oil
• 2 tablespoon aloe vera gel
• Towel
• Q-tip

Steps :

1. Prep your hair by washing your face with a mild cleanser.
2. Mix the oil and gel in a jar or bowl.
3. Use a Q-tip (or a mascara wand if that’s easier) to apply the mixture on the eyebrows.
4. This blend is safe to use on eyelashes as well.
5. Let it rest overnight and wash it off in the morning with lukewarm water and a cleanser.

4. Castor Oil & Vaseline

Things you will need :

• ½ teaspoon castor oil
• ½ teaspoon vaseline

Steps :

1. Prep your face like I mentioned previously.
2. Mix the two ingredients.
3. Apply it on your eyebrows and lashes using your fingertips/Q-tips/mascara wand and leave it overnight.
4. Rinse it with a cleanser and lukewarm water in the morning.

Castor Application Tips for Better Results

The longer the castor oil stays on your eyebrows, the better it is. The best time to apply the castor oil is right before bedtime so that it can remain on the face for a more extended period. But make sure you don’t overuse it, as it may leave a bit of greasiness and shininess to your face. For boosting the result, add one drop of glycerin on both eyebrows if needed.

Things to Remember While Buying Castor Oil

The best thing will be to check out a local health food store, or an online store to find the best castor oil for your beauty regimen.

When you’re buying castor oil, make sure you get 100% cold-pressed castor oil as it will be a pure and natural product. Read the label on the bottle.

Possible Side Effects of Castor Oil on Eyebrows

Massaging oil onto your eyebrows can also clog up the hair follicles. However, renowned dermatologist Doris Day, MD, and cosmetic chemist Perry Romanowski have a solution to counter this problem. You can apply the oil at night and wash it in the morning to prevent clogged up and greasy scalp.

However, I felt individuals who faced side effects probably didn’t use quality castor oil. If the oil isn’t 100% organic and is full of chemicals, side effects are inevitable. I opted for pure Jamaican black castor oil blended with natural, skin-friendly ingredients like shea butter.

3 Popular Castor Oils, According to Reviews and Ratings:

• Cammile Q 100% Pure Organic Castor Oil, Cold Pressed
• Molivera Organics 100% Pure Castor Oil, Cold Pressed, 16-Ounce
• NOW Solutions Castor Oil, Multi-Purpose, 100% Pure, 16-Ounce

Summary

Just because you use castor oil doesn’t mean it will bring positive results. The effects of castor oil might depend on numerous factors. Also, keep in mind that any claims that castor oil will help with eyebrow regrowth are purely anecdotal.

The actual experience will vary from person to person. Also, factors like the quality of oil, application method, skin sensitivity, and allergies make a big difference.