Dame Helen Mirren says castor oil is her unexpected beauty go-to — who knew? (Getty Images)(Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
If you're in the market for an affordable, multitasking beauty product, you're in luck: Much-maligned castor oil is a surprising celebrity-loved skin-care staple that's used to promote eyebrow, lash and hair growth; moisturize skin; and help reduce the appearance of blemishes, fine lines and wrinkles. Helen Mirren shared on Instagram that she uses it "not for its laxative properties, but for hair, skin, nails." The queen has spoken, and we've found a No. 1 bestselling option — Handcraft Blends Castor Oil with Rosemary Oil — on sale at Amazon.
"It's the only thing I believe, just in my personal opinion, that actually puts a dent in removing your stretch marks," Halle Berry told her Instagram followers. "I've been using it for, I don't know, 15 years now. I got through both of my children; this oil helped. I got through stretch marks from my gymnastics days as a kid; this oil helped."
At this price, it's smart to stock up on a few bottles.
There are a ton of castor oils on the market, but this bestselling bottle can be yours for just $9. That's the lowest we've seen it since December, and compared with this top-rated, 2-ounce option from Kate Blanc Cosmetics, which costs $10, it's an absolute steal — you're getting 8 ounces with this one.
There's a lot to love here, including all-natural ingredients and the fact that it's not tested on animals. Plus, it comes in a lovely amber bottle with a pump for easy application. Speaking of application, you can use Handcraft Blends Castor Oil as a skin moisturizer, and because it has the addition of rosemary oil, it can help soothe an irritated scalp. According to the brand, it's also a versatile hair treatment that can be applied to your lash line and eyebrows to help stimulate growth, as well as over your scalp to nourish your hair follicles.
Mirren isn't the only one using castor oil to improve her hair and skin. Plenty of Amazon shoppers say Handcraft Blends Castor Oil is an unexpected beauty boon.
"I use it to take off my eye makeup every night, then I rub it onto my lash line and leave it until morning," wrote one satisfied shopper. "Since doing this, my lashes have become much stronger. I never lose lashes to my eyelash curler anymore. ... I've also started using this on wrinkles at night ... and it seems to be helping for sure. A little goes a long way with this product too. I bought it about nine months ago, use it every night and there’s still over half in the bottle."
"I have thick hair naturally, but I felt the small hairs near my side part were all breaking and my hairline was receding," explained another happy buyer. "Within a month of using this two to three times per week, even my husband mentioned my hairline. ... My hair is thicker, shinier and has extra volume. It doesn’t make sense for this product to work so well, but it does!"
"I used to shed a lot of hair in the shower and while blowdrying, but now I only find a few strands on my brush," shared a final fan. "My only issue is that the expiration or lot numbers aren't printed on the bottles themselves; they're on the exterior packaging on a box. It's just a minor inconvenience, I just write the expiration date on the bottle myself."
Another celeb fave? Bio-Oil, a go-to for both Kate Middleton and Halle Berry that's down to only $10 right now.
If you have Amazon Prime, you’ll get free shipping, of course. Not yet a member? No problem. You can sign up for your free 30-day trial here. (And by the way, those without Prime still get free shipping on orders of $25 or more.)
The reviews quoted above reflect the most recent versions at the time of publication.
