Acne is the red bumpy skin condition that is caused by inflammation of the sebaceous glands. Sebum, natural secretion of these glands clogs pores in the skin and makes them infectious.
Even after acne has healed, dark, persistent scars are left behind on the skin. These scars steal the healthy glow of your skin and are a major cause of worry.
Various commercial treatments available in the market claim to remove scars completely. Dermatologists also suggest laser therapy for deep, persistent scars.
But why spend extra money if simple home remedies for acne are available in your very kitchen. Castor oil effectively lightens acne scars and makes the skin healthy with its various benefits.
Castor Oil for Acne Scars: Is it good or bad?
Here are some reasons why castor oil for Acne Scars is perfect:
- Fatty acids like Omega-3 present in castor oil penetrate through the epidermal layer of skin and promote growth of new skin cells. Although this has no scientific base, castor oil is known to heal scars from within by loosening up scar tissues.
- It acts as a cleansing agent, drawing out dirt, bacteria, excess oil and dead skin cells from the skin.
- It increases the blood flow to the skin cells, promoting detoxification of the cells, and reducing inflammation.
- It moisturizes the skin helping in new cell regeneration.
Daily Routine for Healthy and Glowing Skin
Any treatment requires consistent effort for good results. Develop a daily routine that suits you well. The procedures that can be done daily ought to be included every day.
The methods that need to be less frequent can be spread over the week or the month, as necessary. Acne scars may take 2-3 months to lighten. Therefore, it is advisable to keep using the methods consistently for some time till you see significant changes in your skin.
Castor oil can be used in three ways to work on acne scars: steam, massage and tape. When combined with other natural ingredients, you can develop a complete facial spa with castor oil as it is good for your skin.
Below you will also find an example as to how castor oil can be used to pamper your skin with a complete castor oil acne treatment. You can follow this whole regime once a month and use the any of the individual steps for daily procedure to treat acne scars.
Castor Oil Steam Method
- Clean the scar region well with a mild natural cleanser.
- Steam your face to allow all the pores to open up. This helps in deep penetration of oil into the skin to loosen up scar tissues.
- Apply a small amount of castor oil on the affected area and massage very gently to allow the oil to be soaked.
- You can do this just before going to bed so that oil stays in the skin overnight. Wash off next morning. You can do this every night for a radiant and flawless skin.
Castor Oil Massage Method
- Clean the scars well with a mild cleanser and pat dry.
- Use a very little amount of castor oil as it is very thick.
- Massage the affected area for about 5-10 minutes. Use tip of your finger and be gentle while massaging in circular motion. Do not scrub too hard as it may cause irritation.
- Protect open areas, eyes and nose. This can be done twice daily. Massage helps in increasing blood circulation in the scar area promoting generation of new skin cells.
Castor Oil Tape Method
- You will need castor oil and a piece of cloth, preferably flannel. It absorbs oil perfectly, is natural and is not harsh on the skin.
- Soak the piece in castor oil and wring away anything extra. Place the cloth on the affected area avoiding the area around the eyes. Let it stand for about 30-45 minutes.
- You need not rinse away the oil as it is mostly absorbed by the pores. It doesn’t clog pores and therefore, can be used for acne prone skin as well.
- Instead of the cloth you could also use a cotton ball soaked in oil and tape it on the scar region.
Alternatively, you can place a plastic film over the oiled scar area and warm it with a hot water bag. This would do a double action: opening up the pores and letting the oil penetrate into them.
Castor Oil Face Spa Method
This is a step wise method to remove dead skin and loosen scar tissues through scrub; increase blood flow and cleanse pores through massage; flush the pores using steam and then maintain healthy skin using a nice face mask.
1. Castor Oil and Lemon Juice Scrub
You will need one tablespoon each of castor oil and fresh lemon juice. Apply on the affected area and leave for few minutes to dry. For two minutes, massage skin with two tablespoons of curd and green gram flour.
Wash off with water and pat dry. Tomato juice or pulp may also be used instead of lemon juice. This scrub helps in removing dead skin cells. It loosens scar tissues and cleans the skin. This helps in lightening acne scars.
2. Castor Oil and Coconut Oil Massage
Take castor oil as base and mix a few drops of organic coconut oil to it. Apply this on the scar region and massage for a few minutes.
Wash it off after a few minutes. You may use olive oil instead of coconut oil but wash your face with warm water after the massage.
3. Castor Oil and Baking Soda Mask
Mix a little baking soda to castor oil and spread on the scar. Leave it for 5-10 minutes before washing your face with cold water. Apply a oil free moisturizer if necessary.
You may continue to do this facial spa once a month till the scars disappear. Individual steps may be followed at more frequent intervals depending upon the daily regime you plan for yourself. Here are some more sure shot mixtures to lighten up acne scars.
In addition to that, you can also use baking soda for acne. Read more about it here.
Castor Oil Scar Lightening Blend
You will need 60 ml of jojoba oil, 24 ml of apricot oil, 10 drops of Vitamin E oil and 18 ml each of castor oil and evening primrose oil. Mix these well and apply on affected area. Gently massage the region with fingertip for a few minutes.
Wash your face well with water. This blend provides the right amount of moisture to the skin and speeds up regeneration of new skin cell. You can see considerable change in the scars in the second week itself.
Castor Oil and Shea Butter
Mix small amounts of shea butter and castor oil. Apply this on the scars and massage very gently for a few minutes. Do this just before you go to sleep. Do not wash your face immediately after the massage to allow the mix work on the skin overnight.
Wash your face in the morning. Do this regularly to treat old scars and get healthy bright skin.
Castor Oil and St John’s Wort Oil
Mix two-three drops of wort oil to two tablespoon castor oil. Apply this on affected skin and massage gently for a few minutes. You may do this twice a day to treat acne scars effectively.
Castor Oil and Lavender Oil
Mix two to three drops of lavender oil to two tablespoons of castor oil and massage the scars with the mixture. For faster results, repeat the procedure twice or thrice a day.
Castor Oil, Vitamin D and E Oil
Remove the oil from the capsules and mix it with four-five drops of castor oil. Massage the affected skin with the mixture for a few minutes. Wash your face with water after the massage and repeat this once daily to lighten scars faster.
Castor Oil and Grape Seed Oil
Mix both the oils in equal quantity. Massage the skin gently with this mixture to help it spread evenly over the area. Let it stay on your face for a few hours (overnight works even better).
Wash it off thoroughly with water and pat dry. you can repeat this regularly for soft clear skin.
Precautions
Remember that precaution is always better than cure. This is true in two ways here. First, be preventive about the scars and start an early treatment to minimize their appearance.
Second, before using castor oil be careful that you try it on a patch of your skin to ensure it suits you and you are not allergic to it. Here are some pointers for a safe journey to beautiful skin with castor oil.
- Treatment of acne and its scars needs time, therefore, be patient and regular with the suggested procedures.
- Treatment should start at the onset of acne, so that appearance of scars can be prevented.
- Avoid popping or squeezing the acne to avoid formation of deep scars.
- Avoid use of castor oil on open scars, around eyes and nostrils.
- Pregnant or lactating women, people who have weak constitution or are suffering from diarrhea or anemia must avoid the use of castor oil completely.
- Castor oil may stain clothes so be careful.
- You may use tamanu oil with castor oil also for good results on the skin.
- Use only small amounts of castor oil as it very thick.
Black Jamaican castor oil may be used for best result as it has added advantages over regular castor oil. You can buy this from the beauty section of grocery stores or health stores.
