Look at my lashes! I use Castor oil

Pre-quarantine I had a very busy social life which meant wearing makeup pretty much all the time. Thick, black, long eyelashes were part of my look, so I used mascara and fake eyelashes applied with glue. When my beauty regime changed completely at the start of lockdown and I stopped using makeup, I realized that most of my lashes fell out and became sparse and weak.

Article by Bella Trost

I panicked and Googled how to grow my eyelashes back FAST. That’s how I came across castor oil. It seemed like an affordable and safe way to treat my lashes at home. The best selling brand had more than 11,000 costumer reviews on Amazon with a 4.5 star rating. The numerous success stories with pictures showing how people’s hair and eyelashes had grown back within a few weeks convinced me to try it myself.

I applied the oil with a cotton bud on my lashes and on my thinning eyebrows every night. Staying at home I wasn’t really looking in the mirror to check the results, I just kept up with my routine. However, 2 months later when I finally had the opportunity to doll myself up for a small garden party I could not believe what I saw. I put my mascara on and the length and strength of my lashes was incredible. I had a set of fake lashes prepared to finish my makeup but I realized I didn’t need them. My eyelashes were naturally thick, black and longer than ever. I didn’t notice much improvement on my eyebrows but my lashes left me satisfied enough to state that the treatment was a huge success.

So here is my independent opinion - castor oil works on eyelashes!

I also recently started to use the castor oil as a hair mask. It is very sticky and hard to wash out but it seems to be making my hair visibly smoother. (It is too early to confirm hair growth).

NOTE: My great results are probably not just about the benefits of the oil but the fact that during quarantine I’ve given both my lashes and hair a rest from daily styling, curling, ironing, tinting and using chemicals.

Here are a few interesting facts before you go:

Castor (or ricinus) oil is one of the oldest known drugs. Castor beans have been found in ancient Egyptian tombs from 4000 BC and according to an Egyptian medical text from 1500 BC doctors used castor oil as medicine to protect the eyes from irritation. Other ancient records show that castor oil was used as an effective laxative (still used today) and on pregnant women to induce labor.

Castor oil is also a popular ingredient in cosmetics such as creams, lotions and soaps, as it is rich in vitamin E. Ricinus helps in restoring the skin’s natural moisture balance and it also has anti-inflammatory properties (great for reducing acne).