7 Castor Oil Beard Oil Recipe Tips That Support a Better Beard Routine

In this article, the author presents 7 Castor Oil Beard Oil Recipe Tips that will help you get a better beard routine.

After three weeks, you've noticed that your beard area is still sticky by noon, despite adding castor oil to your mix because it was on all beard growth threads. You reduced its amount, the tackiness was reduced, then you increased it again when the flat and matted areas around your jawline started to appear. Most guys think that castor oil works – or it doesn't – and if it doesn't give the thicker beard that they were promised, they think that it is the oil that is to blame.

That is not usually what is amiss. Castor oil is one of the thickest oils you can use in grooming and how you dilute, apply and even bottle it is more important than the oil itself.

Here are 7 specific things that make a castor oil recipe work for a beard and one that doesn't. Details that only a guy with an extensive beard library would know.

Most recipes feel heavy because there is too much Castor Oil in them.

If the recipe calls for too much castor oil, then it's going to feel tacky, no matter the application, which is why it's the most viscous of the carrier oils used in beard blends. People who want to experience the growth effect of castor oil tend to increase the ratio, thinking that the more, the better.

Heaviness is important because it will affect the look and feel of a beard throughout the day as well as immediately after it is applied — a tacky beard at midday will appear unwashed, rather than well-groomed. It's not castor oil per se, it's the fact that the majority of the oil used is castor rather than a supporting oil.

The viscosity of castor oil is one of the reasons for its unusual ricinoleic acid content, which is also what people are looking for when they use the oil on their scalp and hair, so it doesn't make sense to remove its ricenoleic acid completely.

Castor oil should be at 10-15% of the total blend and the light base carrier oil like jojoba or argan oil should make up the rest of the mixture (85-90%).

Even that ratio provides the benefits of castor oil to the follicle without making the rest of the beard weighed down.

A working recipe is one that uses 1 cup of castor oil for every 100 gallons of mixture.A working recipe is one that requires 1 cup of castor oil to 100 gallons of mixture.

Two bottles of "castor oil" can be very different, depending on how the oil was extracted, and it's a point on home recipes that is often overlooked. Castor oil that is refined or hexane extracted is often thinner in its bottle and will oxidize more quickly when opened, while the cold-pressed versions will last longer and will have a higher profile of nutrients.

This is important because one of the main reasons a recipe would go bad in a matter of weeks is a poor quality castor oil, and blame is usually placed on other ingredients instead of the oil.

Although cold-pressed hexane-free castor oil is usually a few dollars more expensive per bottle, be sure to check the label before purchasing for "cold-pressed" and "hexane-free," as these terms are not guaranteed simply because the bottle labels "100% pure.

Cold pressed castor oil-based blends tend to remain effective for 4-6 months with proper storage, whereas castor oil that has been refined is typically more effective for 8 weeks.

Proper use of castor oil depends on the biggest challenge: getting it into the hair.Castor oil's main application challenge is getting it into the hair, but a 10 second warming trick can help solve that problem.

Most men end up applying too much castor oil just to achieve an even application because the oil from the bottle is thick and is not easy to distribute evenly across the beard. That's the extra product that gives the grease-y appearance commonly credited to the recipe, not the application.

Mechanical, not less oil, is the solution to this issue here. Slightly heating the oil prior to application reduces its viscosity to allow it to be applied evenly while using much less oil.

1. Rub the 3-4 drops in your hands for 10-15 seconds before applying to beard.

2. Apply the oil to the skin around the jawline first and work outwards along the length of the beard.

3. Completing with a comb to distribute evenly any remaining product.

It's because warm oil penetrates the hair and skin more quickly than cold oil, as heat will temporarily break down the molecular structure of the oil, allowing it to absorb more quickly—even for beard oils that are not made of castor oil.

When you mix incompatible essential oils with Castor Oil you lose the oil's benefits.

Castor oil is frequently used with peppermint or rosemary oil due to their circulation promoting properties, but can have a positive or negative effect based on concentration. When guys are looking for quick outcomes, they're inclined to put both of the essential oils at full strength, thinking that more would be stronger and thus more effective on the follicle.

The assumption is that it will cause irritation rather than growth – this is because peppermint and rosemary are strong enough that you can make a blend that is safe for skin, but adding on more will make it less safe. Dry or irritated skin doesn't make hair grow, it just makes it an additional issue to the initial one.

Use peppermint and rosemary in combination not exceeding 1% of the total and use about 6 drops of each in one ounce of the blend, apply the blend to a 24-hour patch test on the inner forearm before applying a new batch to the face.

It is a concentration sufficient to provide the circulation benefit that people want without going into the red and tightness that is an indication of overuse.

Castor Oil can be stored for a long time due to its shelf life but why?Although Castor Oil is a long shelf life product, why does it still require a preservation step?

Castor oil is said to last longer than many carrier oils, so if an oil doesn't require a preservative, a lot of guys opt not to use one with this oil. This is true only of pure castor oil, and not a final product that contains other oils that are less stable.

After mixing castor oil with lighter carriers and essential oils, the mixture will have the shelf life of the ingredient with the shortest shelf life, not the longest shelf life of the castor oil. A recipe that has a good smell at three weeks may have a definite off smell at five weeks without any preservation measures.

Add 3–4 drops of vitamin E to each ounce of finished blend, and keep it off an open shelf or windowsill, but rather in a place out of direct light that is glass or amber.

That's because vitamin E helps to absorb oxygen, and the darker glass absorbs UV rays that would otherwise accelerate oxidation of the castor oil.

A Narrow Dropper is Slowly Destroying Your Castor Oil Blend

There is one downside to the thickness of castor oil that is not mentioned in most recipes: standard narrow glass droppers clog very easily. So either guys force it through unevenly or they switch to pouring the oil directly, giving up all control over the amount of oil poured. The two hacks ruin the perfect proportions the rest of the recipe is based on.

This is important because if you have a recipe that you can't measure that consistently, then you can't repeat it, and a 20% variation between batches of a blend is going to be different the next time you use it even if the recipe is the same.

For castor oil specifically use a wide-mouth glass dropper, of at least 3mm in diameter, or a small oral syringe used for thinner oils in the same recipe; use a standard fine tip dropper for the lighter oils.

It's a minor adjustment, but it helps to make a recipe that lasts for months rather than that that slowly changes every time the bottle is filled up.

Most Castor Oil recipes require a minimum of two months.Most Castor Oil recipes require a minimum of two months.

Castor oil is incorporated into beard regimens with the goal of offering noticeable density after just a couple of weeks, and, if that doesn't occur, the beard cream is discarded before it ever gets a real chance. Changes in follicles take longer than most people think to be seen, even for castor oil.

That expectation vs biology thing is likely the number one factor why castor oil has the mixed reviews that it does on the internet — a lot of folks give up in week 3, just as results would begin to manifest.

Use the blend for at least 8 weeks before deciding if it's helping, and snap a picture of it every 2 weeks using the same light in the same lighting conditions so that any minor changes are not forgotten.

The cycles of hair growth are approximately monthly at the individual hair follicle level, so the effect of any oil marketed for density cannot be truly evaluated for 2 months — twice the cycle — before any results can be seen.

Creating a Castor Oil Recipe That Works!

None of these seven details will work as a single solution: A castor oil blend which is properly diluted, but then goes bad after week 4; A well-preserved blend that is applied cold and unevenly. The difference between a castor oil regimen that enhances a beard regimen and a castor oil regimen that simply ends up weighing it down is having the right 7 elements, and not just one.

The actual version of this is as follows: a realistic version would be a 10-15% castor oil in a cold-pressed, hexane-free blend, warmed in the palms before use, and used with peppermint and rosemary no more than 1% combined, stored in amber glass, applied with a wide-mouth dropper for thicker oils, and used once a day, for a full 8 weeks before judgement is passed.

The timeframe in which the difference is noticed follows the biology, not the marketing. Within the first one to two weeks after the ratio and application technique have been corrected, texture improvements, reduced tackiness, more even cover should appear. Any changes in density or growth rate will take longer, close to the full 8 weeks and even longer if you have a slow-growing beard to begin with.

This will not fix the patchiness that may be due to genetics or an underlying condition of the scalp which should be treated by a dermatologist instead of an oil adjustment and castor oil is not a replacement for that type of treatment. Within a couple of weeks of a new ratio, what it will do is eliminate the sticky, matted feeling by noon and eliminate the need for a check in the mirror by midday the whole day, of what is working with the routine, or against it.

FAQs

Does castor oil stimulate the growth of beard?

The main way that castor oil works for follicles is with its ricinoleic acid, which could enhance blood flow to those follicles, but it doesn't grow hair where there are no follicles. People usually notice the changes in their existing hair — not the new hair growing in bald areas — and the results are often fully judged after 8 weeks, which is one full hair cycle.

How much castor oil to add to a beard oil recipe?

The amount of castor oil should be around 10-15% of the total blend, whereas the rest is contributed by a lighter carrier oil, such as jojoba or argan. The ratio is typically the cause for a "sticky" heavy feel to the oil, but going beyond that range is what makes it sticky and heavy.

Is castor oil good enough to be used as a beard oil?

You may, but most men have found that it's too thick to use on its own and too slow to spread. Mixing it with a lighter carrier oil at a lower percentage gives the same follice benefits without the sticky effect of using it on its own.

How many times do you need to apply a beard castor oil mix?

For a well-diluted blend, once a day is sufficient – preferably after showering and while still damp. In most cases, more is not better and frequency applications do not bring significant additional weight of product or any increase in the benefit to the follicles.

Would cold-pressed castor oil be worth the additional expense?

Yes, it usually is, because cold-pressed, hexane-free castor oil doesn't go rancid quite as quickly as refined castor oil, and it contains more of its natural nutrients. A blend on lower grade castor oil will become rancid after about 8 weeks, a cold-pressed version in the same recipe will keep for 4-6 months.

If castor oil lasts a long time without a preservative, why use one?

Yes, because if you put castor oil mixed with lighter oils and essential oils, the mixture will last only as long as the lightest oil. The additional 3-4 drops of vitamin E per ounce will not only protect the castor oil, but the entire blend when stored in amber glass.

Are castor oil and essential oils (EO) compatible?

Yes, and it is a common practice to keep the amount of essential oil in the blend less than 1% of the whole mixture, which is 6 drops per ounce. Higher goes the more of an irritation, but no benefit to the follicle.

What is the reason that my castor oil blend is so greasy at such a low ratio?

This typically is not a ratio problem, as cold castor oil is thick enough that it remains on top, instead of being distributed equally. Heating the oil for 10 seconds or so in the palms before use allows for the oil to easily penetrate the hair or skin.

What is the time period of the castor oil beard recipe?

If the texture is improved, such as a reduction in tackiness, it is typically noticed in 1 to 2 weeks after the recipe and application procedure are corrected. Changes in beard density and thickness are more gradual and will take about 8 weeks, as this is the time for a hair growth cycle to notice a change.

Can you use a normal dropper bottle for a blend of castor oil?

Narrow, fine-tip dropper for thin oils will clog with castor oil, causing variation from long term usage. The ratio of the castor oil to the other ingredients is consistent from batch to batch by using a wide-mouth dropper or a small oral syringe for the castor oil.