How to use castor oil on your hair
Most people's first go with castor oil ends with a greasy head and three shampoos. That is a technique problem, not an oil problem. Here is the method that works.
How much do I use?
Less than feels right. Four to eight drops for a whole head — our droppers are sized so that is a small squeeze, not a full pipette. Warm it between your palms first so it spreads instead of sitting in one spot.
If your hair looks wet rather than oiled, you have used roughly three times too much, and no amount of shampoo will make that a pleasant evening.
How long do I leave it on?
An hour is plenty for most people. Overnight is better for very dry or coarse hair, but see the warning below before you sleep in it.
Once or twice a week is the useful rhythm. Daily is not better; it just means you are washing your hair more often than you want to.
The method
- Work on dry hair, not wet — oil and water do not mix, and wet hair simply repels it.
- Part the hair into four sections and work the oil into the scalp with your fingertips, not your nails, for a couple of minutes per section.
- Comb the rest through to the ends with a wide-tooth comb. This is the step people skip and it is the one that matters.
- Braid it loosely or clip it up — never pile long hair into a bun on top of your head with oil in it.
- To wash out: shampoo the dry, oiled hair before you wet it. Massage shampoo straight into the oil, then add water. One wash instead of three.
The mistake that actually matters
Which of our oils should I pick?
They are the same base blend — castor, jojoba and rosehip — and differ only in the essential oils on top. Pick by smell, not by function. Timber if you want something warm and unisex, Glacial if your scalp runs tight and flaky and you like a cooling tingle, Alpine Herbs on a wash day, Bloom if you want it to feel like aromatherapy, Unscented if you are pregnant, nursing, sensitive, or already wear a perfume you like.
The bottles this applies to
- Luminous Hair — TimberHair & Scalp Oil · 2 oz / 59 mL · $22.00
- Luminous Hair — GlacialHair & Scalp Oil · 2 oz / 59 mL · $22.00
- Luminous Hair — BloomHair & Scalp Oil · 2 oz / 59 mL · $22.00
- Luminous Hair — Alpine HerbsHair & Scalp Oil · 2 oz / 59 mL · $22.00
- Luminous Hair — UnscentedHair & Scalp Oil · 2 oz / 59 mL · $22.00
Sources
Healthline — Does castor oil make your hair grow?
International Journal of Trichology — Castor oil, the culprit of acute hair felting