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What is castor oil?
Castor oil is a vegetable oil made from castor beans. It can also be used on the skin. To find out whether you need this lovely oil in your skincare routine, take our skin quiz now!
What is it best for?
Castor oil is excellent at hydrating and moisturizing skin. It has humectant properties, so it can draw moisture from the air into your skin, and its moisturizing properties mean it can reduce dryness, flaking and itchy from dry skin, sunburn, or eczema. Additionally, it can reduce the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines.
When applied to the scalp, it can boost blood flow and speed up hair growth by as much as five times the usual rate.
It can also be used as a simple makeup remover that does not cause acne flare-ups.
What is the drawback?
Some people may experience rashes and skin irritation after applying castor oil. In addition, it is not absorbed as easily into the skin, and may make your skin feel oily and sticky. Avoid using it if you have oily skin, and don’t apply too much or leave it on for too long.
Pigmentation is simply skin’s coloration, determined by the amount of melanin produced by the skin cells. This umbrella term can include a wide variety of skin pigmentation disorders that can affect small or large areas of the skin. It includes genetic conditions, as well as environmental ones, such as sunspots or liver spots. Hyperpigmentation, for example, refers to a darkening of the skin, such as with age spots and sunspots.
To prevent discoloration from damaging UV, it’s best to moisturize daily and wear sunscreen. Additionally, antioxidants protect the skin from free radicals that damage cells and speed up aging. Ingredients and nutrients like acai oil, alpha-lipoic acid, jojoba oil, green tea extract, retinol/vitamin A, coenzyme Q10, caffeine, alpha-hydroxy acid and salicylic acid are all beneficial for preventing and reducing the appearance of hyperpigmentation. Vitamin C is also a good brightening agent for hyperpigmentation. Hydrolyzed collagen also enhances the appearance of dull or damaged skin by reducing flaking and restoring the overall vitality of the skin.
Castor oil may be effective for pigmentation, but there are many other factors that may affect whether this ingredient would work on your skin or if there are better ingredients that may work for you. Take this skin quiz to find the best ingredients for your skin and build your skincare routine.
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