If you’ve been researching castor oil for your hair, brows, or lashes, you’ve probably run into two names and no clear explanation of the difference: regular castor oil, and Jamaican Black Castor Oil. They look different in the bottle. One is pale gold, the other is dark brown. People online swear by both, often for the same things. So which one do you actually need?
Here’s the honest answer, from people who cold-press castor oil in Ghana and use it every day.
They start from the same seed
Both oils come from the castor bean, Ricinus communis. The plant grows across West Africa and beyond. The difference isn’t the seed. It’s what happens after harvest.
What makes Jamaican Black Castor Oil “black”
Jamaican Black Castor Oil gets its dark colour and smoky smell from roasting. The beans are roasted, then the ash from that roasting is added back into the oil. That ash is where the darker colour, the higher pH, and the toasted scent all come from. It’s a traditional Caribbean method, and the roasting is the whole point of what makes JBCO its own distinct product.
Some people prefer that higher pH for the scalp. Some prefer the smell. Neither of those is a magic property the plain oil lacks; it’s a processing choice with trade-offs.
What cold-pressed castor oil is
Cold-pressed castor oil skips the roasting entirely. The seeds are pressed without heat, so nothing is burnt and no ash goes back in. You get a paler oil, a milder smell, and the fatty acids from the seed left as intact as pressing allows. Our own Aceite de ricino is exactly this: 100% pure Ricinus communis, virgin and cold pressed, nothing else added. Handmade here in Ghana.
The active part that castor oil is known for is the same in both versions. That’s ricinoleic acid, the fatty acid that makes up most of the oil, which has documented anti-inflammatory activity in lab studies and behaves as an occlusive on skin, meaning it forms a barrier that slows water loss and keeps skin softer for longer.
Which one for hair growth?
This is the honest part most sellers skip. Castor oil, of either kind, does not make hair grow faster in any way that’s been reliably proven. What it does well is reduce breakage. It’s thick, it coats the strand, it grips, and that reduces the dryness-related snapping that stops hair from keeping the length it grows. Less breakage means hair retains more of what it grows, which is what most people are actually after when they say “growth.”
So neither JBCO nor cold-pressed is a hair-growth potion. Both are good breakage-reducers. The choice between them is about scalp preference and smell, not about one growing hair the other can’t.
Which one for brows, lashes, and skin?
For brows and lashes, most people reach for the milder oil, because you’re applying it close to the eyes and the roasted smell of JBCO can be strong there. A tiny amount of cold-pressed castor oil on a clean spoolie at night is the usual routine.
For dry patches on skin, elbows, knees, heels, lips, either works, but the milder oil is easier to live with day to day. Castor oil is thick by design, so warm one or two drops between your fingertips first. A small drop goes a long way.
One thing worth saying plainly: our Castor Oil is for external use only. Castor oil is famously used as a strong laxative when taken by mouth, so this isn’t one to treat as a kitchen oil, even though it’s pressed to the same clean standard as everything else we make. Skin and hair only.
So, which do you buy?
If you specifically want the roasted smell or the higher-pH scalp feel that JBCO fans describe, buy a genuine Jamaican Black Castor Oil. If you want pure castor oil with a milder scent, gentler for brows and lashes, and nothing added to it, cold-pressed is your oil.
If that second description is you, our Aceite de ricino is GHS 170 for 250ml, cold pressed by hand in Ghana, and honest about what it does: reduces breakage, seals in moisture, comforts dry skin. No ash, no fragrance, no filler. Chale, a small drop gets you big results.
If you have sensitive skin, patch test first.