Moisturizing the skin is crucial to fade and prevent stretch marks, and we know that vegetable oils are excellent skin moisturizers. However, out of all oils, people swear by using castor oil for stretch marks and claim it to be an excellent skin moisturizer.

While there is no scientific merit to the claim, there are a few reasons castor oil may help minimize the appearance of stretch marks. This article explains why castor oil may work for stretch marks and a few DIY ways to use it for your skin. Read on.

Red Stretch Marks: How To Treat Them

Castor oil is touted to be an excellent remedy for improving hair health and reducing hair fall. It is also widely used in skin care products and is said to show positive results in reducing stretch marks.

While there is no research to support this claim, there are a few reasons castor oil may work on stretch marks. In this article, we have discussed how castor oil may help reduce stretch marks and simple ways to use it. Read on to know more.

Is Castor Oil Good For Stretch Marks?

Castor oil may help reduce stretch marks due to the following reasons:

• Castor oil contains ricinoleic acid, an unsaturated omega-9 fatty acid, along with certain salts and esters. All these have a skin-conditioning effect and keep your skin moisturized (1).

• Castor oil prevents transepidermal water loss (TEWL). In rat studies, castor oil showed a “burst effect,” i.e., the membranes were swollen due to complete hydration and became permeable (1).

• Another study found that moisturizers could improve the symptoms of scars. Anatomically, stretch marks are like scars. Hence, proper moisturization and improved TEWL can help improve their appearance (2).

The moisturizing effect of castor oil can help improve scars. In the next section, find out how to use castor oil for stretch marks.

How To Use Castor Oil For Stretch Marks

A study states that cold-pressed plant oils contain high nutritional properties compared to refined oils. Hence, they have better therapeutic effects. Refining and chemical treatment reduce the therapeutic benefits of any oil (3). Hence, use cold-pressed castor oil for the best results.

Here’s how you can use castor oil for stretch marks.

1. Castor Oil (Warm Massage)

Castor oil prevents moisture loss and keeps the skin hydrated. This may help minimize stretch marks.

You Will Need

2 tablespoons of cold-pressed castor oil

Method

1. Microwave/heat the castor oil for a few seconds.
2. Massage the warm oil onto the affected area for 5-10 minutes.
3. Leave it on overnight or wash it off after at least an hour.
4. Repeat this every day.

2. Castor Oil And Coconut Oil

Virgin coconut oil has a therapeutic effect on the skin and is an excellent moisturizer (4). It can keep the skin moisturized and help minimize stretch marks.

You Will Need

• 1 tablespoon of cold-pressed castor oil
• 1 tablespoon of virgin coconut oil

Method

1. Mix the two oils. Warm the blend for a few seconds if you want to.
2. Massage it onto the stretch marks.
3. Leave it on overnight.
4. Repeat every day.

3. Castor Oil And Cloves

Clove oil has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. It has tissue remodelling (reorganizes the existing tissues) effects on the fibroblasts (5). This property may help in reducing scars. However, there is no scientific research to establish the effects of cloves or clove oil on stretch marks.

You Will Need

• 2-3 drops of clove essential oil
• 1 tablespoon of cold-pressed castor oil

Method

1. Mix the two oils.
2. Massage the blend onto the stretch marks.
3. Leave it on overnight.
4. Repeat every day.

Note: Clove oil may irritate the skin. Do a patch test before using it.

4. Castor Oil And Aloe Vera

Aloe vera keeps the skin moisturized. It also stimulates the fibroblasts to produce collagen (6). This may help in minimizing the appearance of stretch marks.

You Will Need

• 1 tablespoon of cold-pressed castor oil
• 1 tablespoon of fresh aloe vera gel

Method

1. Mix the aloe vera gel and castor oil.
2. Massage the mixture onto the stretch marks for 5-10 minutes.
3. Leave it on overnight.
4. Repeat every day.

5. Castor Oil And Turmeric

Though turmeric may not have any effect on stretch marks, its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial effects can keep the skin healthy (7).

You Will Need

• 1 tablespoon of cold-pressed castor oil
• ½ teaspoon of turmeric powder

Method

1. Mix the castor oil and turmeric powder.
2. Massage the mixture onto the stretch marks.
3. Keep it for an hour and then wash it off.
4. Follow up with a moisturizer.
5. Repeat every day.

Note: Turmeric may leave stains on the skin and your clothes.

6. Castor Oil And Plastic Wrap

Applying castor oil this way may help in deep moisturizing your skin.

You Will Need

• 1 tablespoon of cold-pressed castor oil
• Cling wrap

Method

1. Heat/microwave the castor oil for a few seconds (enough to warm it).
2. Massage it onto the stretch marks.
3. Wrap the area tightly with the cling wrap.
4. Leave it for at least half an hour.
5. Unwrap it and massage the area again.
6. Do not wash the oil off. Leave it on to be absorbed by the skin.
7. Repeat every day.

7. Castor Oil And Almond Oil (Bitter Or Sweet)

Massaging with bitter almond oil may reduce the appearance of stretch marks and also prevent new ones (8). Sweet almond oil can help reduce itching on the stretch marks and prevent their progression (9).

Note: If you are using bitter almond oil alone, use 2-3 drops per tablespoon as it is an essential oil.

You Will Need

• 1 tablespoon of sweet almond oil
• 2-3 drops of bitter almond oil (optional, you may use both or either of them)
• 1 tablespoon of cold-pressed castor oil

Method

1. Mix the almond oil(s) and castor oil.
2. Massage the mixture onto the stretch marks.
3. Leave it on for at least an hour or overnight.
4. Repeat every day,

8. Castor Oil And Sugar Scrub

Sugar is an excellent natural scrub because of its coarse texture. While there is no proof that scrubbing can help reduce stretch marks, people often use scrubs to minimize the scars. However, results may take longer.

You Will Need

• 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon of cold-pressed castor oil

Method

1. Mix the sugar and castor oil.
2. Massage the blend onto the stretch marks for 5-10 minutes.
3. Leave it on for another 15-20 minutes.
4. Wash it off and apply a moisturizer.
5. Repeat every alternate day.

9. Castor Oil And Oatmeal Pack

Colloidal oat extracts improved skin dryness and reduced skin roughness when tested on 29 healthy women in a study (10).

You Will Need

• 2 tablespoons of ground oatmeal
• 1/2 cup water (50 mL)
• 1 tablespoon of cold-pressed castor oil

Method

1. Mix the ground oatmeal in water and bring it to a paste-like consistency.
2. Mix the castor oil.
3. Massage the mixture onto the stretch marks for 10-15 minutes.
4. Leave it to dry or for at least half an hour.
5. Wash it off and apply a moisturizer.
6. Repeat every day.

10. Castor Oil And Potato Juice

There is no proof that potato juice works on stretch marks. However, anecdotal evidence suggests that it may be helpful in reducing their appearance.

You Will Need

• 1 tablespoon of raw potato juice
• 1 tablespoon of cold-pressed castor oil

Method

1. Mix castor oil and potato juice.
2. Massage the mixture onto the stretch marks.
3. Leave it on for half an hour.
4. Wash it off and apply a moisturizer.
5. Repeat every day.

11. Castor Oil And Lemon Juice

There is no scientific evidence of how lemon juice helps treat stretch marks. People have found it to be helpful as it might have a bleaching effect on the skin.

You Will Need

• Juice of ½ lemon
• 1 tablespoon of cold-pressed castor oil

Method

1. Dilute the lemon juice in two tablespoons of water.
2. Apply the diluted juice to the stretch marks.
3. Let it dry and then massage the area with castor oil.
4. Leave it on for half an hour.
5. Wash it off and apply a moisturizer.

All these remedies focus on keeping your skin moisturized. Hence, you may get results with continuous use. However, before you use castor oil on your stretch marks, you need to be aware of a few risk factors.

Things To Keep In Mind Before Using Castor Oil For Stretch Marks

1. Castor oil may cause an allergic reaction: Studies have found conflicting results in this aspect. While castor oil was found to cause redness and irritation in some animal studies, it didn’t cause any skin irritation in a few others (1). Hence, it is better to exercise caution. Do a patch test to determine if it irritates your skin.

2. It Is Comedogenic: A study done of rabbits found that castor oil might contain comedones that may block the skin pores (1). This may cause the development of acne-like bumps in the affected area.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take for castor oil to remove stretch marks?

Castor oil may or may not reduce the appearance of stretch marks. You need to be consistent and use it for at least a few months before expecting any results. If you have new scars, it may take around a month to get results.

Is black castor oil effective for stretch marks?

There is no scientific proof that black castor oil is effective for stretch marks. Anecdotal evidence claims that it works. However, everyone may not get the same results as it depends on the intensity of the marks and skin type.

Is it safe to use castor oil for stretch marks while pregnant?

You can use it for topical applications and massages. However, make sure you consult your doctor.

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Ramona Sinha

Ramona is an editor at StyleCraze. Prior to that, she authored over 200 articles on skin and hair care. She... more

Dr. K. Harish Kumar

(MD DVL)

Dr Harish did his MD (DVL) from Osmania Medical College in 2007. He worked as a consultant for Kaya Skin... more