Castor Oil
Reddit take
AI summary of the Reddit excerpts below — not a quote
Castor oil is widely used as a budget-friendly occlusive to seal in moisture at night and for promoting eyelash growth. While many users value its antibacterial and healing properties for raw or dry skin, its extremely thick consistency makes it polarizing. It is frequently reported to cause milia around the eyes and can clog pores for those with acne-prone skin, though some users find it effective as a nighttime cleanser when properly removed.
Pros
- Inexpensive and budget-friendly for skincare routines
- Effective occlusive for sealing in moisture and repairing the skin barrier
- Antibacterial and humectant properties
- Helps heal raw or irritated skin patches
- Supporting evidence for eyelash and eyebrow growth
Cons
- Very thick and heavy texture that can leave a residue
- Linked to the development of milia, particularly when used on eyelashes
- Can clog pores and may not be suitable for acne-prone skin
- Requires thorough emulsification or removal to avoid buildup
Caveats
- Opinions are split on pore-clogging; some find it non-comedogenic while others report immediate breakouts
- Often needs to be mixed with a lighter serum or moisturizer due to its density
Best for
- Eyelash and eyebrow growth
- Dry skin types needing a heavy nighttime seal
- Healing raw or wind-burned skin
- Budget-conscious consumers
Avoid if
- You are prone to milia, especially around the eyes
- You have oily or easily congested skin
- You dislike heavy, sticky oil textures
This summary uses balanced time weighting with about a 6-month half-life. The evidence is drawn from a limited pool of 15 mentions within r/SkincareAddiction with a median age of 186 days.
Sentiment
9 positive (60%) · 1 mixed (7%) · 5 negative (33%)
Trust + time weighted score: +25% · raw score 27%
What redditors said (10 of 15)
Castor oil and pumpkin seed oil are the two with the most supporting evidence at the moment.
I would get some castor oil and apply it at night. It's inexpensive, and is antibacterial, and occlusive and a humectant.
Castor oil isn't the best for acne-prone skin but it's not the worst either.
It started becoming lighter and more brown instead of gray when I regularly used castor oil and coconut oil at night. Should I continue that? Years ago I tried using coconut oil and castor oil at night and within days I could notice the difference.
I've been using castor oil consistently for the past year on my eyelashes and noticed 2-3 milia growing on my bottom eyelids.
I use (in this order) the anua rice 70+ ceramide toner, castor oil, Cicaplast b5 baume and then vaseline. I feel like that’s pretty good for hydration but feel free to recommend other products.
Sorry I meant to apply the Salicylic or glyoclic or whatever you use. I don't think it's worth using cadtor if it causes you milia.
Not saying castor oil can’t work, but it’s super heavy and can leave residue if you’re not emulsifying/removing it well.
The issue is that the castor oil is thick & beginning to clog my pores.
Products I’ve been using for skin barrier repair lately - hyaluronic acid on damp skin, Cerave eye repair cream, then LRP triple repair moisture cream, and a little castor oil to seal it in at night.
Compare
Castor Oil vs DIY Rice Water TonerCastor Oil vs CentellaCastor Oil vs apple cider vinegar
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