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Does Castor Oil Clog Pores?

does castor oil clog pores

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Does castor oil clog pores? To answer this question we shall learn a bit more about castor oil and natural oils as a whole.Natural oils are often recommended for skin care. Oils possess nourishing, anti-inflammatory, anti-aging and moisturizing properties. However, some oils have a comedogenic effect, which means that they cause comedones and clog pores. According to Wikipedia  comedones are a clogged pore or hair follicle in the skin. 

Castor oil

Castor oil is derived from castor beans. The oil is pale yellow with little odor and dense in texture. It is a source of unsaturated fatty acids. The main component of the oil is ricinoleic acid prove to be anti-inflammatory. Castor oil has been used for many years as a skin care product to treat fungal diseases, to moisturize and nourish the skin. How can we understand whether castor oil causes comedones?

 

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Comedogenic rating

As oils affect the skin condition several researches have been carried out to find out oils comedogenic rating. It shows if the application of the oil can induce comedones and inflame acne or the oil is safe for use and it is really beneficial for skin and can treat acne. According to the beneficialbotanicals.com castor oil has a low comedogenic rating equal to 1. It means that the correct answer to the question: “Does castor oil clog pores?” will be NO. Although castor oil is thick it is good at cleansing the skin and preventing acne.

 

SEE ALSO: Is Castor Oil Toxic?

Castor oil and acne

We see that castor oil is non-comedogenic. It is a perfect product for oily skin and skin prone to acne. Moreover, the oil can help reduce acne and clogged pores. Castor oil is often used in the Oil Cleanse Method and can be applied as a face wash. Castor oil is often mixed with other oils before application. This may influence the comedogenic effect of the blend. Before adding any oil to castor oil pay attention to the following:

- Linoleic acid present in safflower oil, evening primrose oil, grapeseed oil, sunflower oil (the effect of sunflower oil on skin is astonishing), etc  is a wonderful fatty acid for skin care. This acid lessens the inflammation around the pores and doesn’t clog pores. So you may mix castor oil with the above mentioned oils or other oils high in linoleic acid without any risk to cause acne. Read more about grapeseed oil for acne.

-  Oleic acid may cause clogged pores. So oils with a high content of oleic acid shouldn’t be used together with castor oil or alone for oily skin. Olive oil is rich in oleic acid.

In any case you may check the comedogenic rating of the oil before its application.