Castor Oil...on your face?!

Welcome to the Moonwinks blog...I'm so glad you're here! :) On a regular basis I will be posting skincare and makeup advice, tricks, tips, and videos to help you on your way to looking and feeling beautiful- no matter your age, skin type, or skill level! As an experienced esthetician and makeup artist my goal is to help YOU feel gorgeous:)

So for my first post ever...I'm going to share what I've recently learned about...ahem...Castor Oil. Get rid of the connotations you have with the oil...I'm not going to be talking about that (ever...). I have found a world of use for the stuff! First- let's get this straight- you don't really want to use the $2.95 stuff you find at <enter big box store here>, you need to have cold pressed castor oil (Heritage is a good brand and you can find it for around $9.00 online). The stuff you find at <big box store again> is usually chemically pressed with Hexene, and if you are going to be using it on your face (YES! Your face...especially if you have acne! I know, weird, right?) this chemical can be pore clogging (in case you wondered...you don't want that). The chemically processed stuff is also not as rich in nutrients as the cold pressed kind. Castor oil is really good for reducing inflammation. I recently spoke with a friend who used it as a compress on her dog that had a few large belly tumors. After using it for a week the tumors were gone...pretty amazing stuff I would say. I have have been using it around my eyes and on my lashes to reduce dark circles and stimulate lash growth...after about a week of use I noticed a huge difference! I have moved on to applying it to my face at night (update to follow in a week or so). Here are some things it can help:

~Like I mentioned- apply to lashes at night and watch them grow! You don't need the $100+ lash serums...yay! (add a little to your eyebrows too if they are getting thinner than you would like)

~Massage into moles 2 times a day for 2 days, then apply a mixture of castor oil and baking soda as a paste each night and cover with a bandage (just to keep the paste in place) until the moles dissolve and disappear (this is the next experiment I'm trying...I will update when those ugly little things are gone).

~Massage into scars (acne, burns, cuts, any kind of scar) 2 or 3 times per day and watch them fade...this will work best on newer scars, but will also help on old ones.

~It's a great collagen and elastin stimulant...which means less wrinkles/fine lines...yes, please.

~ Apply around the eye area to decrease dark circles...seriously works like a charm.

~Acne sufferers apply about 1/2 teaspoon as a moisturizer at night and wash off in the morning...very anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory.

~Apply a mixture of coconut oil and castor oil to the scalp, leave on over night, and shampoo in the morning. This is great for stimulating hair growth...just beware, it can darken your hair a little. 

~Use a small amount on a wart and cover it with a bandage, leave on over night and repeat in the morning...the nasty little thing should be gone in about a week.

Along with all of these beauty remedies Castor Oil is also good for arthritis, cramps, athlete's foot, migraines, and so many others! Warning to all you pregnant chickies out there- it can induce labor (worked for me!)- so please use caution and wait until after your little cupcake arrives before trying any of these magic tricks. Hope you all found this informative...I would love to hear your experiences with this magical oil!