Several readers have asked about promoting eyelash growth. The notion of using castor oil as a growth accelerant keeps coming up…
Marta Says:
I have heard that castor oil does promote eyelash growth. I was talking to an old Indian lady who is an aesthetician and she said that in the old country this is what women used for eyelash growth.
The Left Brain Comments:
At the risk of upsetting Marta and aetheticians everywhere, I feel compelled to point out that while aestheticians are trained in skin care techniques, they are generally not chemists. This half of The Beauty Brains would prefer to see the scientific research on castor oil rather than take someone`s word for it.
So what does the scientific community say? Well, the American Cancer Society looked into a bunch of false claims about castor oil and decided that there was no data to show that it did much of anything. I quote the ACS:
Naturopathic practitioners and some others claim that castor oil boosts the immune system by increasing white blood cells, which help the body fight infection,and other immune cells. They also claim that castor oil helps dissolve cysts, warts, and tumors, as well as soften bunions and corns. Other claims for castor oil include treating lymphoma, bacterial and viral diseases (including HIV), arthritis, skin and hair conditions, eye irritations, diseases of the colon and gallbladder, bursitis, multiple sclerosis, and Parkinson’s disease. There is no scientific evidence to support these claims…
So, until someone can do a controlled study that shows castor oil makes your eyelashes grow, color me skeptical.
By the way, did you know that castor oil comes from the castor bean, the same bean that ricin, one of the world`s most deadly poisons is derived from? Only 1/5000 of a gram of ricin can kill you if you inhale, ingest, or inject it. It’s twice as deadly as cobra venom! Does that mean castor oil is dangerous? Is it it really some kind of murderous mascara? Not at all, I just thought this was an interesting science fact that would catch your attention. (he he, I warned the Right Brain that I was feeling mischievious today!)
Ok, but what about other eyelash growth products that readers have asked about like Jan Marini Age Intervention and Mavala Switzerland’s Double Lash? Stay tuned for a future post on these soon!
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I’ve been getting my eyebrows threaded by the same Indian lady for the past 10 years and I am assuming that because of the threading, age and other factors my eyebrows do not grow as thick and as fast as they used to. The Indian ladies at the salon have been constantly recommending to me that I use castor oil as this apparently is a very common practice in India and in many of the other Middle Eastern countries as well. At first I was skeptical about their advice so I began to do some research on many many websites like this one. Like this website, I have seen a few negative comments about castor oil working. However, I’ve noticed that the majority of the comments outrule the negative ones…I was amazed at how so many women backlash at the negative comments to prove how much castor oil works for them, so much that you all have convinced me to finally give castor oil a try. I just bought an 8 oz bottle of castor oil from Whole Foods and started using it last night on both my eyebrows and eyelashes…I will update all of you in about a month.
Having tried it, I don’t think it actually makes my eyelashes thicker or longer. However, I have dark auburn hair. Take any eyelash and the bottom half is normally blonde. With the castor oil (same goes for olive and coconut, but they’re not as easy to apply), the tips don’t bleach as much, which makes my eyelashes look thicker/longer. They’re really not, but it’s safer than dye, and I’m allergic to most mascaras.
Hi,
An interesting article. I am too as skeptical as the author even though my sisters “regrew” her eyebrows with castor oil. And maybe she used something else but said it was the oil…
I myself have really long lashes. They are long but there is not much of them. So, I decided to use this oil. I try to keep it on my eyes throughout the day, not just night. I put less during he day so it won’t shine too much. What I noticed after 8 days of using it is that my eyelashes stopped falling out. I usually lose several eyelashes a day and I thought it was fine since I lose more than several head hairs a day. Also, beside that, the part of eyelid that had almost no eyelashes, now has eyelashes. They aren’t as long or thick, but they appeared. I even look like I have mascara on now! And I’m a guy! My eyelashes even began to curl and poke my skin above the eyelid. This is absolutely crazy. And I’m still skeptical since there is no scientific data about it, which doesn’t mean it is not true. Like most dermatologists will tell you that diet has nothing to do with acne, however, recent research data states otherwise. So, who knows, maybe it is true, and maybe it works for some people but not the others? Like medical drugs, some work, some do not.
This is just my story. It worked for me, well more than worked in my case actually, it overworked.
Here’s what’s funny… Because of skin issues I started looking for more natural methods of skincare and I came across the oil cleansing method. Basically, you mix castor oil with another oil of your choice and it’s used in place of wash, moisturizer, and eye makeup remover. After about 3 weeks of doing this faithfully, I noticed a dramatic change in my lashes. I found it so striking that I decided to google “castor oil eyelashes”. And holy crumb, I’m not the only one who thinks the improvement is from the oil!! I don’t think it’s a magical grow potion, BUT I do think it conditions and eliminates breakage thus the lash growing to it’s full potential.
i doo believe that castrol oil will make the lashes grow longer and thicker,but what about the other skin problems,is it aapplicable on face also??????
Believe it or not, but I am a witness, that castor oil do work for hair growth, I am going through menopause, my hair was thinning and I recalled reading about “castor oil stimulates hair growth” from a beauty book I read years ago. At my wits end with sink-full of hair, I tried it. I tell everyone woman I know about this (everywhere I go I get compliments on my hair). One of my co-worker thought I just had a really nice wig, before he actually realize it was my hair.
I once had a nice lady compliment me on my hair, then she turned around and asked me where did I get my “lace” done. At the time I did not what a lace wig was, my sister explained to me later. I let her feel my hair and told her I use castor oil in my hair, no dyes or colors, but I do perm it three to four times a year to keep from looking like Chaka Kahn. (smile). Try it for a year just for the heck of it to see what happens.
THANKS TO THE DISCOVERER !!!! ITS VERY MUCH EFFECTIVE…….I am a doctor….initially i hadn’t believed it when i read it in a newspaper….
.I thought why not give it a try???? and i applied it daily b4 going to bed, and it really made my eyelashes darker & fuller…and now they never fall….i request others to have patience to see results..just that…
I wonder if one are suppose to wash the eyes n eyelashes when waking up or just gently wipe and wash off/clean in the evening before applying new castor oil? I want to do this right…
As far as I know, ricin is extracted from the skin of the castor bean or from the waste left from manufacturing castor oil and pharmaceutical grade castor oil has been a traditional remedy for constipation in the Ireland and Britain for decades.
The way things like castor oil and vaseline work are by moisturizing and conditioning lashes since dry brittle ones break off. With vitamins, a balanced diet and exercise, you can stimulate natural lash growh (esp vit. E). However, if your lashes aren’t well moisturized, they will break off before reaching their full length. So these products do help in promoting, but not necessarily stimulating, eyelash growth.
Everybody just needa stop asking dumb questions.. Everyone is different. Some people it will make grow, some it wont… Jus go find out fa ya selves.. Dang
To THEBEAUTYBRAINS, why don’t you try it for yourself?
Psh.
hello,
am wondering what this people who say its dangerouse than a snake venom are thinking about!!!!I think a 5 year old child can think better!If that were true it would have been strictly prohibited everywhere.My cousin has the most beautiful,strong and thick egual sized eylashes,that touches her eyelids!!!I envied her so I had to ask her what was the secret and she told me simply CASTOR OIL.Use it and you’ll be amazed by the results.
All the best guys
I’ve used castor oil on my hair for a month now, and my hair is shiny, longer, and more healthy. castor oil does not make hair or eye lashes grow in some sense…it makes them conditioned and healthy…so that they grow…i recommend trying it!! i wont hurt…these people are just skeptical with no experience of using it.
It has worked amazing for me. I started using it after false eyelashes pulled all my lashes out. I had next to none afterwards. I applied castor oil every night with a Qtip for a month and would just sleep with it on. My boyfriend has been gone for a few weeks and when he came home he asked me if I was wearing an eyelash tupee (that’s what he calls fake eyelashes) when i told him no he didn’t believe me and began touching my eyelashes. They look gorgeous.
I have read all of the post and decided that I WILL be using Caster Oil on my lashes. It’s worth a try.
Wow. This thread has been interesting. I’ve heard for years, though the grapevine that castor oil applied with a clean mascara wand, (they CAN be purchased) will encourage eye lash growth and in a big way. That its used in other eye products also means it is NOT unsafe, otherwise, these huge companies, with their own scientists who promote safety in manufacturing of cosmetic products would NOT give it the proverbial go a head.
I was a bit apprehensive about starting it but this thread has convinced me, what I’ve heard for over 30 years is true. To know that its also good for the skin, MAJOR bonus. I”m 46 currently. Now I’m really stoked. My skin is great anyway, because I have about 6-8 different face creams, I believe in using multiple ones but I’m going to give castor oil a try, for my lashes and also simply for my facial skin and neck too…
Thank you so much to the ladies who HAVE tried it and know that it work. Skeptics, I’m not worried about, its in their natures to be fearful. Nor am I worried that something a pharmacy SELLS and is also in LIPSTICK (look at the ingredients of Wet-N-Wild lipsticks for goodness sake) is going to “poison” me.
Like the poison expert up above said, its irresponsible to promote misinformation about something that is sold as a LAXATIVE, LOL!! HELLO??
Thanks again ladies for all your great information. You have totally convinced ME!!
T. Kennedy
does it have to be castor oil? or can be any oil like baby oil, olive oil, etc.
I figured this much was obvious, but judging by the comments, it needs to be said:
AT NO POINT DID THIS POST SUGGEST THAT CASTOR OIL ITSELF IS POISONOUS.
Seriously, people, try reading carefully before bashing the author for something they didn’t even say. It just makes you look foolish.
I agree that castor oil probably doesn’t make hair grow faster/longer so much as protect it from breakage. If you want to try it, go right ahead, but there’s no need to jump down the author’s throat for daring to be honest about the lack of research backing this up. Notice that the Brain didn’t say it absolutely doesn’t work, just that they themselves are skeptical.
@D: You rock. Thanks for the words of support!
ADA stated above that many people may regard this site as a reliable source, however I’m DEFINITELY not one of them. I’ve been on this website for 5 minutes, and wouldn’t return because of the foolish comments from thebeautybrains (great name cough cough). OK…who says this: You could treat your eyelashes with nothing and have the same results? What? You do realize how dumb that sounds? Actually, no, you probably don’t.
If you’re a beauty “brain” then why don’t you use your brain? Run your own mini study…poll your followers. See who got results after a few months and who didn’t.
You make negative comments and talk about how it (C.O.) could harbor bacteria (where is the scientific proof in that statement?), yet almost EVERYONE writing is raving about how great it’s working.
Have you considered that although it may not be a growth accelerant, it could be providing a strong, strengthening environment for our broken, make-up damaged lashes to flourish in?
I KNOW my lashes used to be the BOMB…but recently they have kind of diminished, for lack of a better word. And I hadn’t known until recently just how bad waterproof mascara is for one’s eyelashes, and that’s all I’ve ever used. Well, I have been using Castor Oil for about 2 months now…to remove my makeup, and my eyelashes are looking so filled in and pretty. Are they longer? Maybe, but possibly only because mine were probably very damaged. So is the Castor Oil making them longer? Maybe not, BUT…it is allowing them to grow to their FULL potential with no breakage. So yes…they are looking terrific and the Castor Oil is why.
So no, it’s not the “nothing” that is making them look fantastic, it is the CASTOR OIL.
Caster oil is a natural plant oil, just like other seed oils like olive oil, sunflower oil, and so forth, and those have proven to be very good for the skin in helping open pores, carrying in natural antioxidants, and keeping the skin hydrated and moist.
My dermatologist prescribed Aquaphore as an inert oil, he said, to just keep my skin as moist as possible while it was healing itself from a small procedure. It healed very quickly, without a scar.
Could be that the castor oil helps the skin be its clean, hydrated, healthy self and and lets it provide healthy follicles for the hair to grow. Also seed oils are good for hair, it reduces breakage and adds shine.
Plain virgin olive oil is really good for some skins. Why not castor oil?
*Sigh*
It would be great to hear from anyone who has actually conducted a proper experiment on themselves. Suggestions for simple at-home experiments:
1. split-face: castor oil on one eye’s lashes, nothing on the other.
2. castor oil on one side, another oil on the other.
3. in both cases: taking photos before and regularly during the experiment, in the same lighting etc. conditions, to monitor any changes
4. measuring lash length and breadth along the way
5. and keeping a tally of how much oil was applied, using which tools, what time of day: i.e. the experiment has to be repeatable (folks without scientific training: this is a key factor making a “scientific” experiment “scientific”: can be replicated by anyone else)
6. ideally, doing this as part of a larger group (but that could be done c/o online), with some people acting as controls, not using anything on their lashes; heck, stick some folks taking placebos too, why not…
7. and using people you live with to help out by making sure you don’t know which substance (castor oil/not) has been applied to which eye, so as to rule out psychological factors of believing that something will (or won’t) work.
8. get them to do the measuring and photo-taking too: acting as an external monitor, hopefully also impartial (the camera should be too) in the perception of results.
Such experiments would be great as they would produce some actual useful data. Just like grown-up trained scientists produce in experiments. Or indeed high-school kids with science projects. Same methodology and standards. The results would actually count, and be more than a matter of “OMG I did this and it worked/didn’t.” That sort of anecdotal evidence can only be taken on trust, which is all a bit problematic and potentially embarrassing all round, as it always ends in tears: prejudice because someone can’t spell or formulate a coherent argument, casting aspertions on someone’s good character because “who they are” that’s got tangled up with “what they say”; all down to having to take someone at their word, to take their word (in the absence of any evidence) for a fact.
And blimey, the number of pointless fights I’ve seen–online and outside pubs at closing-time–that start with those simple words, “you calling me a liar?”
That’s why providing proof and using standard techniques (experimental methods, rational argument) is kinda vital.
Rant over.
Ginger, you can rant here anytime! Thanks for taking the time to jot down your thoughts on how we could all make better use of the scientific method.
Well i have been applying castor oil on my lashes and brows for about 2 weeks now and i noticed my lashes getting fuller but not longer, and also my brows have gotten so thick and beautiful. I totally recommend castor oil. I will keep on applying to see if me lashes get any length. p/s i have not had any negative results from applying castor oil.
I used the black castor oil which gave me wonderful results. I think it was because it was unrefined. What i liked about it is that i saw results in just a couple of weeks and my lashes are considerably healthier.
Castor oil for eyelashes really works.
i just wanted to add to this, my lashes were a kind of light brown before very short and stubby and messy like some areas had no lashes at all i started reading about caster oil and gave it a try, since then those gaps have filled in my eyelashes look elegant and long! i dont put products from company’s on my face because using chemicals on your face is just wrong. plus there expensive but think about this there are so many cheap beauty remedies out there that people use if the world started using them the cosmetic company’s would be out of production. and you have to wander who did the tests?? because there have been allot of company’s that hire scientist to test a product to make results showing how it works or in this case douse not work.
because i say caster oil is amazing
I have been using castor oil on my lashes every night for a little over a month now and I was skeptical, but I definitely see results! I’m so excited! My lashes are darker, fuller and longer. I’m almost to a point where I don’t need to wear mascara at all anymore. I’m blonde, so my lashes were very light and I looked sick if I didn’t wear mascara. Not anymore!
WOW just what I was searching for. Came here by searching for castor oil
Thanks everyone for their stories about castor oil use. Has anyone used it after chemotherapy and eyelash/eyebrow hair loss?
Just wondering…..
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