Castor Vs Jojoba Oil, Which Is Best For Natural Hair Growth

Both castor oil and jojoba oil are very popular in the natural hair community and can be found in various hair care products and easily fit into any hair care routine.

While I love both of these oils, it is for different reasons. And while I wouldn’t say one oil is better than the other, I would say that one could suit your hair needs better than the other oil.

When deciding on what hair products to use, you should always consider your hair type, your hair porosity, hair goals, and your hair’s needs.

What might work for my high porosity, often dry curly hair, may not work for someone with wavy hair that has low porosity. So always keep your unique needs in mind when looking at different products.

Now that that’s out of the way, let’s look at jojoba oil vs castor oil and find out what will best fit into your haircare routine.

What Is Castor Oil?

Extracted from the seeds of the castor plant Jamaican black castor oil is a heavy oil.

Jamaican black castor oil, or all castor oils for that matter are great sealant oils because they can lock moisture into your hair for longer than the other different types of oils.

Castor oil is another great option for preventing split ends. It is rich in ricinoleic acid, which promotes hair growth and prevents hair loss. It is also used as a natural remedy for dandruff and scalp infections.

Jamaican black castor oil strengthens your hair and thickens your hair strands as well as promoting blood flow to your scalp, promoting healthy hair growth, and preventing hair breakage.

You can use Jamaican black castor oil in your deep conditioner, or simply use it to harness its antibacterial and anti-fungal properties.

Benefits Of Castor Oil:

Castor oil has been used for thousands of years as a natural remedy and beauty treatment. For the hair, it:

Provides protection against environmental damage and hair breakage
Promotes hair growth
Is effective at locking in moisture, preventing dryness
Has anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties to heal dandruff and scalp infections
Smooths the hair shaft, increasing shine
Prevents split ends
Castor oil hydrates the hair with its high content of ricinoleic acid. It helps lock in moisture and prevent water loss.
Castor oil stimulates the growth of hair cells with its ability to improve blood circulation.
It helps promote thicker, longer, and stronger hair and lashes.
It also helps reduce hair loss and thinning.
Castor oil cleanses the scalp with its antibacterial and antifungal properties. It helps remove dirt, oil, and impurities that can clog the pores and cause acne, dandruff, and infections.
Castor oil detoxifies the scalp with its ability to draw out toxins and waste. It helps purify the scalp, improving its health and appearance.
Castor oil repairs the hair with its high content of vitamin E and proteins. It helps repair damaged hair cells, improving their structure and function.

How To Use Jamaican Black Castor Oil:

Hot oil treatment: Mix equal parts, black castor oil, argan oil, and coconut oil and use it in a hot oil treatment to give your hair some shine and reap the benefits of the nutrients in this oil. You can also add other essential oils to your hot oil treatments like rosemary oil, and peppermint oil which with regular use can help hair regrowth.

Overnight scalp treatment: Because castor oil has natural antibacterial and antifungal properties, it can be an effective treatment for dandruff, dry scalp, and other scalp conditions.

Apply a small amount to the roots of your hair and scalp before bed. Spend about 5-10 minutes massaging it into your scalp and cover your head with a shower cap, then your bonnet.

Seal moisture into your hair: Castor oil is very thick, so I also like to use it as a sealant oil on my dry ends. I do not recommend using a huge amount, a dime size amount, and I mean that, will be enough for this.

What Is Jojoba Oil?

Jojoba oil is the liquid extract from the seeds of the jojoba plant. It is very popular in the haircare community because of its many benefits of jojoba oil.

It is rich in vitamins and nutrients and is a great sealing oil, it is packed with vitamins A, D, E, copper, zinc, and fatty acids.

All these nutrients work together to slow down premature aging of the hair, fight off scalp infections, reduce frizz, and strengthen the hair.

Jojoba oil is a lighter oil, impermeable and it sits on the hair shaft, making it perfect for sealing in moisture in both your hair and scalp.

The oil helps regulate oil production making it great for those who have oily hair and scalp. Jojoba oil can also help to prevent hair breakage and reduce damage.

The oil helps to strengthen hair strands, making them less prone to breakage and split ends. It also adds shine and luster to your hair making it look healthier.

It is best used when your hair is still wet with water and product to really get ultimate hydration.

Chemically Jojoba oil is very close to the structure of the scalp’s natural oils, making it ideal for dry hair and curly hair.

Because it does a good job at locking in moisture jojoba oil is also a great option if you have a lot of frizz after wash days.

Benefits Of Jojoba Oil:

Though I call it an oil, jojoba is technically known as a liquid wax. It is a rich source of vitamin E and is very moisturizing for the scalp and hair. It also:

Great for those with dry or curly hair when your scalp’s natural oils don’t travel down the hair shaft, because it mimics our hair’s natural sebum
It has a lighter consistency that allows it to absorb easily into the hair and skin without a greasy feel
Increases shine
Decreases frizz
Conditions the hair, increasing softness
Helps prevent dryness, flakiness, and itchiness.
It helps balance the pH level of the skin and scalp, preventing acne, dandruff, and infections
Jojoba oil protects the hair from environmental damage, such as sun, wind, pollution, and heat.
It helps prevent premature aging of the hair
Jojoba oil nourishes the hair with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
It helps improve the elasticity, texture, and shine of the hair.
Jojoba oil soothes the scalp with its anti-inflammatory properties. It helps reduce inflammation, redness, irritation, and swelling.

How To Use Jojoba Oil:

Use it as a sealing oil: After you have washed your hair, add some leave-in conditioner or the hair cream of your choice and seal in that moisture with some jojoba oil.

Revitalize your flaky scalp: To fight off dandruff or an excess oily scalp, add a few drops of jojoba oil to your scalp, or do a hot oil treatment, leave it on for 30 minutes, and shampoo as usual.

Add it to your conditioner: Add a few drops to your favorite conditioner or hair mask when you’re about to apply it to really vamp up that hydration.

Because it can serve as an emollient which means that it can soothe your scalp and moisturise your hair.

Similarities Between Castor Oil And Jojoba Oil

Considering these oils both appear on my Best Hair Oils for Natural Hair List, they have similarities I think make a great oil.

Both these oils are packed with vitamins and minerals, including vitamin E and omega-6 fatty acids. These help strengthen the hair and promote healthy hair growth.

Additionally, both these oils have antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties that are great for preventing dandruff promoting scalp health, and reducing itchy scalp and scalp psoriasis.

Final Verdict For Jojoba Oil Vs Castor Oil

Both these are a great carrier oil to use, combined with essential oils like rosemary oil and peppermint oil can really help strengthen the hair follicles and have various benefits.

If you have fine hair and suffer from hair fall, hair loss, and excess shedding I would suggest castor oil as your main carrier oil.

You should also use Jamaican black castor oil if you want deep conditioning, if your hair can withstand the heavy oil, and want fast hair growth. I also recommend it if you have coarse, thick, and high-porosity hair.

For daily use, I recommend using jojoba oil, especially if you suffer from dry scalp and scalp psoriasis.

While these oils are great, I recommend using it in combination with some of my other favorite oils, olive oil, avocado oil, grapeseed oil, and sweet almond oil.

While there is no right oil or best oil for all hair types, I believe using all these oils together can really help you harness all their benefits and reach all your hair goals.