Castor Oil

Castor oil is a completely unique and indispensable ingredient in our workshop. The first thing you notice is its texture—it is incredibly thick, dense, and almost sticky, with a beautiful, glossy shine. A single drop feels more substantial than almost any other vegetable oil, and it's this quality that gives it its magic.

In soapmaking, castor oil is a lather superhero. It is the only oil rich in Ricinoleic Acid, a fatty acid that acts as a powerful humectant and, when saponified, creates a dense, stable, and wonderfully creamy lather with small, lotion-like bubbles. Even a small percentage in a soap recipe dramatically improves the quality of the lather.

Its humectant properties mean it draws moisture to the skin, making it a fantastic addition to healing balms and solid salves for very dry or chapped skin. It provides a thick, protective barrier that helps to seal in moisture and condition the skin on a deep level.

For generations, castor oil has also been a go-to treatment for hair. It is used to condition and add shine to hair, as well as to nourish eyebrows and eyelashes. It is a thick, powerful, and multi-functional oil that plays a very special and important role in our craft.