Castor oil is a thick, nutrient-dense vegetable oil pressed from castor seeds, prized for hair because its star component, ricinoleic acid, deeply moisturises the scalp, seals water into the strand, and reduces the breakage behind most everyday hair fall. If you searched arandi oil, amudham oil, or even castor oil, you are looking for the same ingredient, and Mamaearth's guide on how to use castor oil for hair sits in the same tradition this blog completes: what the oil genuinely does, what it costs, and the technique that makes the famously thick oil actually usable.
Arandi oil in English: one oil, many names
Thousands of searches every month are simply asking what this oil is called, so here it is plainly.
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English: castor oil, pressed from the seeds of the Ricinus communis plant.
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Hindi: arandi ka tel, or arandi oil.
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Tamil and Telugu: amudham oil (also amanakku ennai in Tamil), the name generations of South Indian households used for the same champi staple.
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Common misspelling: caster oil, which Google forgives and this ingredient answers to anyway.
Same oil, same seeds, same centuries of use across Indian homes for hair, skin, and even eyelashes.
Castor oil benefits for hair, honestly ranked.
The chemistry is unusual: around ninety percent of castor oil is ricinoleic acid, a fatty acid almost no other plant oil carries in bulk, plus vitamin E and omega-6 fatty acids.
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Seals moisture into the strand: the thick, occlusive texture locks water in, which plumps and smooths dry, rough hair from the first use.
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Reduces breakage: moisturised, coated strands snap far less during washing and combing, and since breakage is the hair fall most people actually have, less breakage reads as thicker, longer hair within weeks.
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Nourishes the scalp: ricinoleic acid moisturises and comforts the scalp while the oil's antibacterial and anti-inflammatory character, per the brand, keeps the follicle environment calm.
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Supports the look of density: the coating effect visibly thickens fine hair, which is why castor holds its legendary status for sparse hairlines, brows, and lashes.
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The honest line on growth: castor's growth reputation is traditional and mechanical; a healthier scalp plus dramatically less breakage means more retained length. If you want the ingredient with clinical growth evidence, that is rosemary, and the two oils blend beautifully.
Castor oil price in India
Straight from Mamaearth's own listing: the 100% Pure Cold-Pressed Castor Oil – 150ml costs Rs 299 at MRP, which works out to about Rs 2 per ml, and online offers often land lower. For a multi-purpose oil that covers hair, skin, and nails and gets used in small diluted amounts, one bottle typically stretches across two to three months of weekly use.
The product: why cold-pressed matters
The pick is 100% pure and cold-pressed, and that second word is the quality marker worth understanding. Cold-pressing extracts the oil without heat, which preserves the vitamin E, fatty acids, and antioxidants that heat-processed oils lose.
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One ingredient, three jobs: the same bottle works on hair and scalp, dry skin patches and cuticles, and brittle nails.
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The credentials: dermatologically tested, free of harmful chemicals, from Asia's first Made Safe certified brand.
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The transparency pair: Mamaearth publishes the NABL lab test report and the dermatological patch test certificate openly, so a product as simple as a single oil still comes with readable proof.
Castor oil reviews: what real users say
On Mamaearth's own review pages, the long-term users tell the most useful story. The recurring themes: the thick, viscous texture that coats hair and scalp with a genuinely nourishing feel, a subtle nutty scent users find pleasant, and, from the multi-week users, softer and more manageable hair with less frizz, reduced breakage and split ends, and fuller-looking hair around the hairline and crown.
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Best for: dry, brittle, breakage-prone hair, thin-looking hairlines, and anyone wanting one oil for hair, skin, and nails.
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Texture: famously thick and rich; the pre-shampoo and diluted methods below are how experienced users handle it.
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Noticeable effects: softer, smoother hair from the first uses; visibly reduced breakage and fuller-looking hair over four to eight weeks of weekly use.
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Usage pattern in reviews: pre-shampoo scalp treatment and overnight masks are the most repeated methods among satisfied long-term users.
How to use castor oil for hair
Castor's only real flaw is its thickness, and technique solves it entirely.
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Dilute it: mix castor with a lighter oil in roughly equal parts; it spreads easily, rinses out in one wash, and loses none of its benefit. The hair oil range has ready lighter partners, and coconut or almond from your kitchen works too.
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Warm slightly, apply to the scalp: section the hair, work the blend into the scalp with fingertips, and massage for five to ten minutes; run the rest through the lengths and ends.
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Leave one to two hours or overnight, then wash with a gentle, sulfate-free shampoo; thick oils may take a second lather, which is normal.
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Once or twice a week is plenty. For brows or lashes, use a clean spoolie with a tiny amount at night, and keep it out of the eyes.
For the skin and nails side: a drop massaged into cuticles or rough patches after your evening face wash routine is the entire method, and it doubles as an overnight lip treatment in dry winters.
Expert insight: Ricinoleic acid is castor oil's whole personality, and it explains both the magic and the thickness. The molecule carries an extra hydroxyl group that most fatty acids lack, which makes castor unusually humectant for an oil; it attracts water as well as sealing it, and is unusually viscous. That one piece of chemistry is why castor moisturises better than most oils, why it feels like honey, and why dilution is not cheating but simply engineering around a molecule that does too much.
FAQs
What is arandi oil called in English?
Castor oil. Arandi is the Hindi name, amudham the Tamil and Telugu name, and all refer to the same cold-pressed oil from castor seeds.
Does castor oil really grow hair?
It supports growth the honest way: a nourished scalp and far less breakage mean hair retains length and looks thicker within weeks. For clinically studied growth support, pair or alternate it with rosemary oil.
What is the price of Mamaearth castor oil?
Rs 299 MRP for the 150ml pack, per the brand's own listing, with online prices often lower. Used diluted once or twice a week, one bottle lasts two to three months.
How do I use castor oil if it is too thick?
Dilute it half and half with a lighter oil like coconut or almond. It spreads easily, washes out in one shampoo, and works exactly as well.
Can I leave castor oil overnight?
Yes, diluted, if your scalp is not oily or acne-prone. Otherwise, one to two hours before washing captures most of the benefit.
Is it safe for skin and nails too?
Yes, that is the point of a 100% pure cold-pressed oil: hair, scalp, dry skin patches, cuticles, and brittle nails, one bottle. Patch test behind the ear before first use, as with any new product.
What do the reviews say?
Long-term users report softer, less frizzy hair, reduced breakage and split ends, and fuller-looking hairlines over weeks of consistent use, with the thick nourishing texture and subtle nutty scent as the signature experience.
