L'olio di ricino: tutti i segreti di questo ingrediente cosmetico.

Castor oil: all the properties of this cosmetic ingredient for eyelashes and face

Castor oil is a valuable vegetable oil and certainly one of the most famous protagonists of many "grandma's" beauty recipes, handed down from generation in generation thanks to its fantastic properties.

He was indeed an ally of beauty already known in the Egyptian times, who used it in the bistro to make up his eyes, and was also widely used in the ancient dynasties of China.

The beneficial properties of castor oil for skin and hair

How it is produced and how it looks

The production of this interesting oil starts from the seeds of the castor bean plant (ricinus communis) and is obtained either by pressing or by extraction. Inside the cosmetic inci we find it present with the name of "Ricinus communis / castor seed oil".

The word "castor" is still used not because the oil and its production actually have anything to do with beavers (never!), but rather, as it seems that castor oil was used in ancient times to replace an aromatic extract of animal origin, Castoreum.

Its color tends to be yellow and looks like a dense oil , filming and with a characteristic smell. Its boiling point is very high: 313 degrees.

Castor oil properties and benefits

Castor oil is characterized by a high content of ricinoleic acid (up to 90%) that is an unsaturated fatty acid with 18 carbon atoms, present as a triglyceride and not available in other lipid substrates. This nutrient gives the castor oil unique properties, which make it widely used in the pharmaceutical, chemical, and cosmetic industries.

Castor oil has in fact natural antibacterial properties and anti fungal , has a good proportion of antioxidants and has a remarkable affinity with keratin , the main constituent of hair, hair and nails.

Castor oil for the face and lips

For the characteristics listed, castor oil is widely used by the cosmetic industry, mainly as a moisturizing agent.

Distributed on the skin, in fact, it forms a film that strongly reduces the evaporation of the cutaneous water and this preserves the hydration . This ingredient is present in many successful products in our catalog, such as the Star System stick foundation , the vinyl-effect glosses Vernissage and the Lippini lip balms.

Does castor oil really lengthen the lashes?

Among his many real and scientifically ascertained actions, there is one for which he seems to be still very popular, but which is unfortunately a myth to debunk.

Castor oil is often recommended to lengthen the lashes as a natural remedy for lashes that are too short.

But this is just a rumor. The length of the eyelashes is a genetic characteristic , like the height and color of the skin, which cannot be modified in any way by cosmetics: it is part of us. Taking care of our eyelashes will help us make them look healthier, shiny and visible, but the length will remain the same.

Furthermore, if applied in large quantities on the eyelashes, it could leak into the eye, effectively rendering the eyes tarnished and difficult, as well as favoring infections.

So be it the castor oil for many functions ... and an excellent lengthening mascara for others!

Eyelash friendly mascara

If carefully chosen, in fact, even the mascara can become a precious ally for the health of our eyelashes, and consequently preserve their length avoiding that they break or fall frequently.

This is certainly the case of Occhioni, Deerlash and Lash Academy, completely natural mascara and formulated with delicate ingredients that minimize the level of stress suffered by eyelashes even when you often wear make-up.

These mascaras are also particularly simple to remove make-up and do not need to insist on cotton and make-up remover for a long time, helping the lashes to resist one of the gestures that can most compromise their beauty: a "make-up" phase particularly aggressive!