Are you nail reconstruction fanatics who like to experiment with every type of nail color and hair dye?
It's all fun to try out, but your nail and hair health will ultimately suffer and, without proper care, you will end up with broken nails and frizzy hair.
Do you want a remedy for this without having to buy expensive and ineffective or chemical products in turn?
Use castor oil.
What is Castor Oil?
Castor oil is a very precious vegetable oil, extracted from the seeds of the tropical castor plant (Ricinus communis) by cold pressing.
It is a thick, viscous oil, pale yellow in color, with a bitter taste and slightly pungent odor.
Have you ever read the words "castoroil" on foreign products? Well, that's just another name for castor oil, and the common Anglo-Saxon name probably derives from its use as a substitute for castoreum, a secretion produced by the beaver's perineal glands.
Properties of castor oil
Castor oil is characterized by a high content of ricinoleic acid (83-90%), an unsaturated fatty acid present as a triglyceride.
Other components include oleic acid (3-6%), linoleic acid (3-5%), palmitic acid (1-2%), stearic acid (1-2%), α-linolenic acid (0.5% max), and arachidic acid (0.3% max).
The presence of ricinoleic acid gives castor oil its high density, which sets it apart from other vegetable oils for greater body and structure, making it too sticky to use pure. It is therefore preferable to mix castor oil with other vegetable oils such as sweet almond or coconut oil.
Cosmetic uses of castor oil:
Anti-aging skin treatment::
Stimola la produzione di collagene ed elastina e aiuta a combattere la disidratazione della pelle, è ricco di acidi grassi e vitamina E che lo rendono un ottimo idratante per la pelle, ne bastano poche gocce sulla pelle preferibilmente bagnata la sera per vedere dopo pochi giorni la differenza, può infatti essere utile per ridurre la comparsa di rughe e linee sottili.
It is also used as a natural makeup remover, as it can help dissolve and remove waterproof makeup as well.
It is sometimes used as a natural alternative to traditional lip balm, as it can help moisturize and protect lips.
Treatment to stimulate the growth and health of hair, eyelashes, and nails::
Its composition makes it very similar to keratin and stimulates the production of this essential component for the structure and strength of hair, nails, and eyelashes, which is why it is widely used in natural cosmetics formulations, and can then be applied to the scalp or used as a hair mask
Helps to volumize and lengthen eyelashes:
In the case of weak, sparse, and short eyelashes, you can apply a small amount of oil with a brush every night before going to bed, as if it were mascara. The next day, wash your face well to remove any traces of oil. For particularly sensitive eyes, it is recommended to apply it during the day instead of mascara.
The fatty acids it contains help to rebalance the amount of naturally occurring oils in the hair that are reduced in the shaft and tips, mainly due to treatments; thus, castor oil treatments strengthen and deeply nourish, preventing hair loss and breakage, as well as nail splitting and flaking.
Antifungal and anti-inflammatory treatment:
Its antifungal, anti-inflammatory, and disinfectant properties make it an extremely useful remedy for treating dermatitis, infections, fungal infections, and warts on nails and skin. In particular, using it on the scalp helps to prevent and fight dandruff. A castor oil treatment not only fights dandruff, but also protects the scalp from fungi and microbial infections.
For the use of castor oil on psoriatic skin, we will write a separate article dedicated to the subject, but we can anticipate that it is a very useful remedy for psoriasis because of its high content of minerals, proteins, vitamin E, and Omega 6/9, which treat the disease in its local manifestations, even though psoriasis is a much more complex problem than just a dermatological one.
I am curious, as with any other remedy that nature generously gives us, to know if you have used it and how you will be if you follow the advice in the article, let me have your feedback in the comments to share with us.