Jamaican black castor oil for hair: what it is, what it does, how we blend it
Jamaican black castor oil is castor oil made the traditional way: beans roasted and boiled, ash and all, which gives it a dark colour and a toasted scent on the same thick, glossy, ricinoleic base.
| Role | Active oil |
|---|---|
| Weight | 4 of 4, rich |
| Chosen for | Fuller look, strength |
| On the label | Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil |
| In our blends | Wash Day 8.4% |
| Builder limit | Up to 10% of a hair blend |
What it is
Chemically it is the same oil as clear castor, about 90% ricinoleic acid, and it carries the same label name, Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil. The difference is the process: roasting the beans before pressing and boiling the mash leaves it dark brown and slightly alkaline from the ash, with a smoky, nutty scent. It is as thick as clear castor, roughly twenty times jojoba.
How it feels on hair
Weight 4 of 4, rich. Syrupy between the fingers, slow to spread, and a glossy, gripping coat on the hair once it is on. Warming it between the palms makes it spread far more easily. The scent is toasted and lingers under a light essential oil.
Who reaches for it
Type 3C to 4C curls and coils, locs and thick edges, and anyone who oils before washing. Wash Day uses it at 8.4% over olive and virgin coconut.
Where it sits in our blends
Wash Day carries jamaican black castor at 8.4% (with Olive 52.3%, Virgin Coconut 26.2%, Avocado 6.3%, and more). The blends with a product page can be bought as they are; every one of them can be opened in the builder and changed oil by oil.
How to compose with it
The builder allows Jamaican black castor up to 10% of a hair blend. Lead the actives with it for a rich pre-wash oil (Wash Day puts avocado and baobab behind it), and keep it off a fine-hair blend. Sweet orange and sandalwood sit well with its scent.
Good to know: Dark and thick. It colours a clear blend amber-brown and pours slowly; that is the oil.
Compose with jamaican black castor Find your formula
Weighed to the gram and blended to order in New Jersey, with the recipe printed on the label. For external use only; patch test before first use. Every oil, with its INCI name, is in the oil library.