How to Apply Castor Oil on Your Face

Co-authored by Chloe Goldman and Hannah Madden

Last Updated: January 23, 2023 References

Castor oil is an old home remedy that used to be used as a laxative. Now, it is used it as a beauty tool for skin, nails, and hair. Castor oil can be used to moisturize your skin, cleanse your face, and keep you skin looking healthy and young. If you’d like to apply castor oil to your face to cleanse it or moisturize, all you need to do is rinse your face, massage in the oil, and wipe it away to reveal happy, healthy skin.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Testing for Allergies

1
Rub 2 drops of castor oil on your arm. It is important to test whether your skin will have a bad reaction to castor oil before you use it on your face. Gently rub 2 drops of castor oil onto your bare arm in an area that the oil won’t get washed off or wiped away.^{[1]
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- The top of your forearm near your wrist is a good place to put the oil.
2
Let the castor oil sit for 1 hour. To test how your skin reacts, you should leave the castor oil on your arm for at least 1 hour. This is much longer than the amount of time you’ll be letting it sit on your face, but it is better to make sure that you won’t have a reaction before using castor oil.^{[2]
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3
Remove the castor oil if any redness or itching occurs. If your arm turns red, gets hot, or starts to itch, you may be allergic to castor oil. Wipe the oil off with a warm cloth and use soap and water to wash your arm. If your arm does not turn red or have any reaction to the oil, it is probably safe to use on your face.^{[3]
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- If you have a reaction to the oil and it does not getter better within 1 day, talk to your doctor.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Cleansing Your Skin

1
Take off your makeup with makeup remover. Use a makeup remover to take off your makeup like you normally would. Try to get as much of it off of your face as you can before you start cleansing your skin so that the oil actually cleans your face, and doesn’t just remove your makeup.^{[4]
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- You can buy makeup remover products at most beauty supply stores.
2
Rinse your face gently with warm water and pat it dry. In a sink, rinse your face with warm water to remove any dirt or debris that might be on your face. Make sure your water is only lukewarm and not too hot, or you can hurt your skin. Pat your skin dry with a clean towel.^{[5]
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3
Drop 2 to 3 drops of castor oil into your hands. With castor oil, less is more. You only need to use 2 to 3 drops of the oil to cleanse your face. Make sure your hands are clean and use the dropper to put 2 to 3 drops in the palm of your hand. Then, rub your hands together until the oil covers both of your palms.^{[6]
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- Using too much oil can result in clogged pores.
4
Massage the oil into your face. Take about 1 minute to rub the oil onto your face. Spend time massaging it into your cheeks, forehead, and nose areas. You can focus the oil on any dry or acne-prone areas on your face.^{[7]
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- You can use this step to give your face a gentle massage as well.
5
Wipe the oil off with a warm, wet washcloth. Take a washcloth and run it under warm water. Use your wash cloth to gently wipe the oil off of your face. This might take a couple of passes, and you might have to wring out your washcloth 2 or 3 times before all the oil is off of your face. Make sure to remove all the oil from your face, or it could clog your pores.^{[8]
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- Wiping your face with a washcloth also exfoliates your skin.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Moisturizing Your Face

1
Wash your skin with a face cleanser and pat it dry. Your skin should be clean and dry before you apply castor oil. Make sure your hands are clean before you start. Wash your face with a gentle cleanser and warm water, and then pat it dry with a clean towel.^{[9]
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- You can buy face cleansers that are made with different formulas for your specific skin. If you have dry skin, or acne, or oily skin, look for a cleanser that specifies it will help with your skin type.
2
Drop 2 drops of castor oil into the palm of your hand. Using a dropper, drop 2 drops of castor oil into your hand and rub your palms together to slightly spread it around. Coat your hands evenly to make sure it spreads evenly on your skin.^{[10]
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- Mix 2 drops of castor oil with 6 drops of sesame oil for added moisture if your face is particularly dry.
3
Rub the castor oil into your skin. Gently massage the castor oil into your skin for 1 minute. Concentrate the oil on more dry, flaky areas of your face, like around your eyes, your nose, or or your forehead. The oil will sit on top of your skin a little bit, but it should be mostly absorbed into your skin after 1 minute.^{[11]
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4
Rinse your face with lukewarm water. Castor oil is too heavy to sit on your skin for a long period of time. Gently rinse the excess castor oil off of your face using warm water and a washcloth if you need it. Don’t harshly rub your skin, because you might irritate it.^{[12]
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