Castor Oil for Skin: My 7 Year Routine and What the Research Shows
Seven years ago I started overhauling my health, beginning with my diet. That overhaul eventually led me to rethink what I was putting on my skin too. I started making my own blend of organic oils for my face, and castor oil has been the daily constant in that routine ever since. My skin is healthy, I have very few lines, and between the diet changes and this routine, I credit both for how my skin has held up.
I used to sell a version of this blend through a small shop called Mandala Pure Organics. That shop is closed now, but people still ask me what was in it and why I liked it, so here's the actual breakdown, plus what the research says about each ingredient rather than just my own experience with it.
Castor oil
This is the one I'd keep even if I dropped everything else. Castor oil is about 90 percent ricinoleic acid, a fatty acid that shows up almost nowhere else in nature, and that's what gives the oil its thick, slightly tacky texture and most of its benefits. Ricinoleic acid has documented anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activity in lab and animal studies, and a 2024 clinical trial testing castor oil cream on under eye hyperpigmentation found real improvement in participants with no reported side effects. That's one of the few human trials on castor oil specifically for skin, and it lines up with what I've experienced using it under my eyes daily.
It's also a heavy oil, which means a little goes a long way and it tends to sit on the skin rather than absorb quickly. Some people like that. Others find it too rich for daytime use under makeup.
Frankincense oil
Frankincense has a long history in skincare for fine lines and tone, and there's more research backing it than I expected when I first started using it. A 2023 animal study found that frankincense oil offered measurable protection against UV related skin damage, and other studies on its anti-collagenase activity, meaning its ability to slow the breakdown of collagen, found effects comparable to green tea extract. That's a meaningful comparison, since green tea polyphenols are a well established skincare ingredient.
One caution worth being accurate about. I used to warn people away from sun exposure after using this blend because of frankincense specifically, but looking into it further, frankincense isn't actually classified as a photosensitizing oil the way citrus oils are. Essential oils in general can occasionally cause skin sensitivity in some people regardless of sun exposure, so a patch test before regular use is still the right move. But the sun warning was more caution than the evidence calls for.
Argan oil
Argan oil rounds out the blend as the lightest of the three. It's rich in fatty acids and vitamin E, which is part of why it's become such a common ingredient in commercial moisturizers. It hydrates without feeling heavy, which balances out castor oil's thicker texture nicely when you mix the two.
How I actually use it
A few drops on clean, slightly damp skin, morning and night. I focus around the eyes since that's where I've noticed the most visible difference over the years. If you're trying this yourself, patch test first, since any oil blend can cause a reaction in some people even when the individual ingredients are generally well tolerated.
I don't sell this blend anymore, but if you want to put together something similar, all three oils are easy to find individually from any reputable retailer that sells cold-pressed, organic carrier oils.
Disclaimer: This is a personal account based on my own experience, not medical advice. Results vary by skin type and individual sensitivity. Always patch test before regular use, and talk to a dermatologist about specific skin concerns.
References
Parvizi, M., et al. "Efficacy of castor oil cream in treating infraorbital hyperpigmentation: An exploratory single-arm clinical trial." Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jocd.16056
Vieira, C., et al. "Effect of ricinoleic acid in acute and subchronic experimental models of inflammation." Mediators of Inflammation, 2000. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11200362/
Kotb, E.A., et al. "Protective potential of frankincense essential oil and its loaded solid lipid nanoparticles against UVB-induced photodamage in rats." PLOS ONE, 2023. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10735031/
