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pariate
March 29th, 2008, 08:29 AM
Hi everyone

Hope your weekend is getting off to a good start!

I washed my hair this morning and decided I love the colour of my hair when it's wet. It's dark brown anyway (kind of conker brown) but I wondered if there's anyway I can bring out a darker shade without using commercial dye? I've never dyed my hair before, never had highlights, used henna etc. I've heard of people using various herbs to darken their hair, but that usually means using henna to bring out a dark red or indigo to bring out... indigo! lol. Has anyone guessed that I have nooooooooooo idea what I'm talking about?!

I'd love to bring out a darker brown but have no idea if there's anything that might work for me. I don't want it to acquire any shade of black, just a dark dark brown.

Okay, I've hammered that point well and truly to death... Now I'll step aside and let you lovely knowledgeble people take the floor ;)

Thank in advance, as ever. x

P.S. I know about EOs that help (rosemary, for example) and already include these in my CO wash.

MeMyselfandI
March 29th, 2008, 08:40 AM
This may help:

Hair Coloring with Herbs, Plants & Other Natural Ingredients

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=2

Elfling
March 29th, 2008, 08:43 AM
henna+indigo is probably the way to go. I did a henndigo (one step henna and indigo mixed together) recently and I'm still maintaining a dark brown. There's a slight red tinge around my hairline, but I'm blaming that on the benzoyl peroxide I use for my acne. Otherwise it's holding well color-wise.

Blueglass
March 29th, 2008, 09:17 AM
Morrocco method has a dark brown henna. Be aware that if you do use indigo, just don't change your mind and try to bleach that. It doesn't bleach, and often goes green. Otherwise indigo is just fine. Morrocco browns don't have indigo, at least not according to the MM site. My test stranding seems to support that idea.

jojo
March 29th, 2008, 09:36 AM
Blueko uses molasses and has had great results

zift
March 29th, 2008, 03:08 PM
I was thinking henna+indigo too but beware indigo may fade a lot for some people,for I'm left with a lot of redness 3 weeks after henndigo. I keep applying it over and over and it eats time!But the color is awesome, dark and shiny!

Chromis
March 29th, 2008, 03:15 PM
I use henna and indigo to darken my hair to excellent results, it's more black than brown until the indigo fades though as a caution. For just darkening without turning black, molasses rinses worked really well and made my hair super soft.

pariate
March 30th, 2008, 05:01 AM
Wow, so many replies! Thank you everyone. I'm making a list here... ;)

Has anyone tried that potato rinse? That sounds totally bizarre! However I have faith in all things kooky and unexpected, so guess I'll go buy me a sack of tatties...

I don't suppose anyone has before/after pics of any of these methods? I'm sure there were oodles before LHC went down, and I'm hoping someone will have theirs saved on their PC.

Thanks again everyone

Lavendula
March 30th, 2008, 05:41 AM
Hi pariate!

Haven't seen anyone mentioning coffee rinses. It is supposed to intensify brown hair. There's also a shampoo bar at CV, the Cafe Moreno Bar, that's said to add warm tones to brown hair.
Here's the link with information about both the bar and the coffee rinses:
http://www.chagrinvalleysoapandcraft.com/shambar.htm#Shampoo%20Bar%20Selections

I can't say anything about those from my own experience, but perhaps other members can. Hope you will find something that works out for you!

SimplyLonghair
March 30th, 2008, 05:49 AM
I know that rosemary the herb, not just the EO will darken your hair substantially when used as a rinse. I would use this and sage as an infusion on a regular basis and ACV rinses to fix the color. I know that my DD stopped using rosemary because it made her hair too dark and she didn't want it dark. She used a handful of the herbs from our garden and made an infusion that she steeped for about 10mins. With one rinse she darkened her hair at least one shade.

Iylivarae
March 30th, 2008, 07:14 AM
I used a black tea rinse (earl grey and stuff...) this week, it really darkened my hair. It also removed part of my reddish shimmer.

But it can be a bit drying on the hair, so you should use conditioner or oil.

Misso
March 30th, 2008, 08:07 AM
My sister has dark brown hair. She used Amla based products (hair cream) from an Indian brand, after a couple of weeks her hair was significantly darker without turning black.

paper
March 30th, 2008, 08:28 AM
This is all very interesting. I color my hair now to cover greys. What would be a better natural way. My natural hair is the darkest brown, with greys. Salt and Pepper on top mostly. And, how would these rinses affect the chemical dyed part of my hair? Thanks

n3m3sis42
March 30th, 2008, 11:03 AM
Haven't seen anyone mentioning coffee rinses. It is supposed to intensify brown hair. There's also a shampoo bar at CV, the Cafe Moreno Bar, that's said to add warm tones to brown hair.
Here's the link with information about both the bar and the coffee rinses:
http://www.chagrinvalleysoapandcraft.com/shambar.htm#Shampoo%20Bar%20Selections


I totally recommend this shampoo bar. I have dark brown hair, and this bar seems to be making it darker and more rich after only a 3 uses. It was actually slightly noticeable the first time.

Be sure to read the various threads (and article) on here and the information on the Chagrin Valley site about the best ways to use the shampoo bars, though. A lot of people have trouble at first because they're different from liquid shampoos.

mellie
March 30th, 2008, 04:26 PM
Paper, I've used herbal rinses to try to cover my grays for a while after using chemical dyes. I did a Darjeeling tea rinse, here's the before and after:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=423&pictureid=9737
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=423&pictureid=9744

Also, here's a hibiscus rinse before and after (I did this one by just spritzing it on my grays):
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=423&pictureid=9749
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=423&pictureid=9750

Tea rinses don't work like dye, but it did make the grays less noticeable. The problem is that you have to reapply the tea rinse after every shampoo, since it rinses right out. It will not really affect your chemical colored hair. Eventually I got up the nerve to try henna and indigo, and that works much better to cover the grays and is more permanent like chemical dyes.

ktani
March 30th, 2008, 04:31 PM
pariate

There is this Coffee thread - It turns out that coffee glosses are reported to work - coffee rinses were reported to not work.
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=1557

paper
March 30th, 2008, 06:19 PM
Thanks Mellie, Your hair looks great. It's about the same color as my natural color.

So, if I used the hibiscus rinse it would help cover the greys coming in and my color treated hair would stay the same?

Your using henna and indigo now, is that the color in your avatar? I worry about getting too red.

paper
March 31st, 2008, 04:46 AM
Hey Mellie, I just found your post "Non-Henna Alternatives for Coloring Gray" Reading it now.......

lilalong
March 31st, 2008, 04:50 AM
I'm reading this with great interest!
I'd like to darken my hair just a tad, but without damaging it further.

mellie
March 31st, 2008, 05:50 AM
Hi paper! Yes, you could just spritz the hibiscus infusion on your grays. Be aware, that for some folks it looks kind of purple/blue. For me it was more red.

Re: the color in my avatar; yes, that is with henna and indigo. You don't have to worry about getting too red if you use indigo. The only thing is you may end up getting too dark after a while. This happened to me, so I did some honey treatments to lighten up again.

Girltron
March 31st, 2008, 06:14 AM
If you're not sure how much darkening or color change you want, my recommendation is to get a load of cassia and some henna and indigo. Start with a mix that's mostly cassia, like maybe 90% cassia, and the rest indigo. It'll darken your hair a bit without adding other colors. It may intensify the golden highlights just a little. You can use this as a guideline to decide how much more you want. At first, the indigo darkness will fade with washing, especially in such low amounts.

If you like the results but want to go darker, it's time to start adding henna to the mix. At that point I'd try increasing the proportion of indigo in your mix, and adding in a bit of dye-released henna. If you'd rather not intensify the reddish highlights you want to keep the proportions more indigo than henna.

The darkest you could go would be 100% henna dyed first, then 100% indigo in a separate step. A nice mid range would be maybe 50% cassia, 30% indigo, and 20% henna in a single step.

In mixes like this, when you're just trying to "push" your natural color in a particular direction, it's handy to think of cassia as a nearly neutral base, good for watering down the concentration of the henna or indigo.

I think most other dye materials (molasses, rosemary, etc) will often neutralize your highlight color a bit and definitely take a long time to build up-a lot of work for a minimal end result, if you ask me.

ChloeDharma
March 31st, 2008, 06:18 AM
You have already had great suggestions so far.....i can vouch for rosemary infusion darkening hair over time, especially mixed with sage.

What about trying Neelibhringadi oil? Here's a link about it.....

http://www.keralaayurvedics.com/medicines/thailam/neelibhringadi-ayurvedic-hair-oil.html

If a hair oil gives you the result you want then it might be the least hastle way to do it rather than mixing things like henna and indigo up.

pariate
March 31st, 2008, 12:43 PM
She used a handful of the herbs from our garden and made an infusion that she steeped for about 10mins. With one rinse she darkened her hair at least one shade.

:shocked:Blimey. Guess who'll be herb shopping!

pariate
March 31st, 2008, 12:46 PM
My sister has dark brown hair. She used Amla based products (hair cream) from an Indian brand, after a couple of weeks her hair was significantly darker without turning black.


Hi Misso

Was she using amla-based dyes or does amla oil itself have darkening properties?

Has anyone else had any experience of this with amla?

This is turning in to a very interesting thread ;)

Áine
March 31st, 2008, 04:07 PM
I use henna and indigo to darken my hair to excellent results, it's more black than brown until the indigo fades though as a caution. For just darkening without turning black, molasses rinses worked really well and made my hair super soft.

I second this! Molasses is very good for preserving or even enhancing dark hair. I don't know if it can turn red or golden hair to brown though.

pariate
April 1st, 2008, 02:02 PM
I know that rosemary the herb, not just the EO will darken your hair substantially when used as a rinse. I would use this and sage as an infusion on a regular basis and ACV rinses to fix the color. I know that my DD stopped using rosemary because it made her hair too dark and she didn't want it dark. She used a handful of the herbs from our garden and made an infusion that she steeped for about 10mins. With one rinse she darkened her hair at least one shade.

Simplylonghair - could you tell me more about your DD's herbal rinse please? Did she leave the herby water on her hair before a final rinse, or did she dispense with the plain water rinse altogether and leave the herb water in her hair? What strength ACV rinse would you recommend to "fix" the colour?

I can't wait to try this! :inlove:

Blueneko
April 1st, 2008, 02:25 PM
I vote molasses!

:agree:

pariate
April 1st, 2008, 02:47 PM
I vote molasses!

:agree:

Lol. I've seen your posts on molasses :) I'm going to start with the easiest/least messy mehods and work my way up the chain. The molasses sound like they can be a little tricky - I've read threads tha talk about the need for specific "formulating"to make sure the concotion isn't too sticky and doesn't pull all the moisture out of the hair. Since I am a little baby novice, I figure I'll start out with the foolproof methods first and go from there ;)

Your hair is a gorgeous colour Blueneko. I love the loose ringlets you've got in your pic!

pariate
April 6th, 2008, 05:38 AM
Hi

I used a strong sage and rosemary infusion when I mixed up my cassia yesterday and WOW, am I impressed!

I have a cluster of white hairs (okay, it's a STREAK of white hair) at the front and they are soooooooooo much less noticable! I'd heard about sage darkening hair and now I've witnessed it for myself! :agape: I'm really pleased with the result.

I left the cassia/S&R infusion mix in my hair for an hour, rinsed in the bath then finished with a CO wash followed by a sage & rosemary tea rinse.

Thought I'd share my experience. Thanks to everyone for your feedback, I really appreciate it. :grouphug:

ktani
April 6th, 2008, 09:45 AM
I agree, Blueneko's results are great.
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=163

bunnii
October 5th, 2008, 09:00 AM
Wow this thread hasn't been touched in months!

Well I want to darken my hair without dyes also henna and indigo are too expensive for me to buy in lumps so I was looking at mollasses, it looks scary though, but I might try an SMT but with mollasses instead of honey and EVOO instead of Aloe (i'm allergic to aloe lol ) But i've also seen about using sage and rosemary as treatments or rinses, but what sort do I try? just cut off the bush or in a powder form? and how do you go about putting it on? I have looked for instructions honest! I just can't find any info.

mellie
October 5th, 2008, 09:20 AM
I tried sage and rosemary for months and they didn't work for me. It was very frustrating. Especially because I didn't really like the smell of them either, LOL! :-) When I used them, I used the dried herbs made into a very strong infusion. However, two other folks here said that it worked for them...

Tea rinses worked for me, especially Darjeeling and Red raspberry leaf.

Just recently I read that Lavender might work to darken. That would smell very nice and would be worth a try!

ETA: OK, skip that...Ktani just sent me a link about the fact that Lavender Oil is cytotoxic.

ETA2: OK, now I've done a little more research and sage is potentially neurotoxic in high doses, and rosemary has safety issues as well:
https://healthlibrary.epnet.com/GetContent.aspx?token=e0498803-7f62-4563-8d47-5fe33da65dd4&chunkiid=111802

http://www.drugs.com/npc/rosemary.html

Generally recognized as safe when used as food. Avoid dosages above those found in food because safety and efficacy are unproven. Known to have emmenagogue (to stimulate menstrual flow) and abortive effects. Ingestion of large quantities of rosemary may result in stomach and intestinal irritation, and kidney damage. Allergic contact dermatitis has been associated with the plant, but rosemary is not generally considered to be a human skin sensitizer. Rosemary's constituents, monoterpene ketones, are convulsants, and have caused seizures in large doses. Rosemary also is an abortive.
Ingestion of large quantities of the oil may be associated with toxicity.

http://www.thirdage.com/healthguide/rosemary


Although rosemary’s use as a food spice suggests a relatively low level of toxicity, rosemary has not undergone comprehensive safety testing. Rosemary essential oil can be toxic if taken even in fairly low doses, and the maximum safe dose is not known.
Based on its traditional use for abortion, as well as preliminary evidence showing embryotoxic effects, 26 rosemary should not be used by pregnant women or women who wish to become pregnant.
One study suggests that rosemary may have diuretic effects. 12 If it does, the herb could theoretically present risks in people taking the medication lithium . 27
Other weak evidence hints that rosemary may enhance the liver’s rate of deactivating estrogen in the body. 28 This suggests that rosemary might present risks for females, as well as anyone who uses medications containing estrogen.
Additionally, one study hints that rosemary might worsen blood sugar control in people with diabetes . 29

Red raspberry leaf and Darjeeling appear to be safe.

dolcevita
October 5th, 2008, 05:22 PM
Hmm, after all this excitement about molasses, I think I'll have to read blueneko's thread and try it for myself... I'll report back with results :)

bunnii
October 26th, 2008, 12:26 PM
I tried sage and rosemary for months and they didn't work for me. It was very frustrating. Especially because I didn't really like the smell of them either, LOL! :-) When I used them, I used the dried herbs made into a very strong infusion. However, two other folks here said that it worked for them...

Tea rinses worked for me, especially Darjeeling and Red raspberry leaf.

Just recently I read that Lavender might work to darken. That would smell very nice and would be worth a try!

ETA: OK, skip that...Ktani just sent me a link about the fact that Lavender Oil is cytotoxic.

ETA2: OK, now I've done a little more research and sage is potentially neurotoxic in high doses, and rosemary has safety issues as well:
https://healthlibrary.epnet.com/GetContent.aspx?token=e0498803-7f62-4563-8d47-5fe33da65dd4&chunkiid=111802
Based on its traditional use for abortion, as well as preliminary evidence showing embryotoxic effects,26 rosemary should not be used by pregnant women or women who wish to become pregnant. (http://Based on its traditional use for abortion, as well as preliminary evidence showing embryotoxic effects,26rosemary should not be used by pregnant women or women who wish to become pregnant.)


Red raspberry leaf and Darjeeling appear to be safe.


Oops! sorry for not replying :o I was hoping to find something I could use during pregnancy (if it ever happens lol) so rosemary's out then.

I did try Mollasses a couple of weeks ago and it took the golden shimmer out of my roots i'm using more tonight, so i'm hoping it'll start darkening with more use. The only problem is the smell :poot: but i'll have to get over it I think hehe

ktani
October 26th, 2008, 12:59 PM
I had a temporary dye thread going last year, and brown black and red were the most elusive colours to get in terms of the right shades.

From what I have read this year there are a few options for shades of brown.

Amla can impart a brown shade.

Aritha powder has been reported to darken lighter hair colours a bit.

Casor oil can darken hair somewhat.

Coffee glosses

Maple syrup - dark shades - can too.

Molasses - dark in colour - can as well.

mellie
October 26th, 2008, 01:48 PM
Amla can impart a brown shade.

I tried amla by itself but I don't think it imparts any color on its own. Only mixed with henna does it make it browner.


Castor oil can darken hair somewhat.

I think that there are some toxicity issues with castor oil, I found some in my research:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castor_oil_plant

Castor beans are very toxic.....The oil is known to have been used as an instrument of coercion by the Fascist militia (Camicie Nere) under the regime of Italian dictator Benito Mussolini. Dissidents and regime opponents were forced to ingest the oil in large amounts, triggering severe diarrhoea and dehydration, which could ultimately cause death.

ktani
October 26th, 2008, 02:30 PM
I tried amla by itself but I don't think it imparts any color on its own. Only mixed with henna does it make it browner.



I think that there are some toxicity issues with castor oil, I found some in my research:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castor_oil_plant

Parts of the castor plant are very toxic but the oil is not. It is processed.

"TOXICITY STUDIES OF
CASTOR OIL
.... no significant adverse effects of castor oil administration
were noted in these studies."
http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/ntp/htdocs/ST_rpts/tox012.pdf

"Castor oil is not considered very toxic."
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/MEDLINEPLUS/ency/article/002768.htm#Poisonous%20Ingredient

".... castor oil may be assured that ricin does not occur in the pure oil."
http://waynesword.palomar.edu/plmar99.htm#ricin

Castor oil MSDS
http://www.jtbaker.com/msds/englishhtml/C1500.htm

".... Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel considered the safety test data on the oil broadly applicable to this entire group of cosmetic ingredients. The available data .... few toxic effects. .... animal studies indicate no significant irritant or sensitization potential, positive reactions to Ricinoleic Acid in selected populations with identified dermatoses .... suggest that sensitization reactions may be higher in that population. .... the clinical experience suggests that sensitization reactions .... seen infrequently. In the absence of inhalation toxicity data on these ingredients .... Panel determined that these ingredients can be used safely in aerosolized cosmetic products because the particle sizes produced are not respirable. .... CIR Expert Panel concluded that these cosmetic ingredients are safe in the practices of use and concentrations as described in this safety assessment.
"PMID: 18080873 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]"
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18080873

"Safety Information
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) includes castor oil on its list of flavoring agents and related substances permitted for direct addition to food. PEG Castor Oil ingredients (molecular weight 400-3,000) may also be used as indirect food additives in .... components of articles intended for repeated use.
.... safety of PEG Castor Oils and PEG Hydrogenated Castor Oils has been assessed by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel. The CIR Expert Panel evaluated the scientific data and concluded that PEG-30, -33, -35, -36 and -40 Castor Oil were safe for use in cosmetics and personal care products at concentrations up to 50% and that PEG-30 and -40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil were safe for use at concentrations up to 100%."
http://www.cosmeticsinfo.org/ingredient_more_details.php?ingredient_id=691

ktani
October 26th, 2008, 03:10 PM
"Castor beans are very toxic.....The oil is known to have been used as an instrument of coercion by the Fascist militia (Camicie Nere) under the regime of Italian dictator Benito Mussolini. Dissidents and regime opponents were forced to ingest the oil in large amounts, triggering severe diarrhoea and dehydration, which could ultimately cause death."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castor_oil_plant (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castor_oil_plant)

It is the severe diarrhoea and dehydration that can cause death, caused by the overdosing of the castor oil, not the oil itself. They poured the oil down the victim's throats in massive quantities. The oil itself is not a hazzard.

Many things taken in extreme quantities can cause reactions like that.

mellie
October 26th, 2008, 04:43 PM
Here's another study on castor oil:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18080873

Castor oil is classified by Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as generally recognized as safe and effective for use as a stimulant laxative[italics mine]....In another study involving 100 patients, the instillation of castor oil produced corneal epithelial cell death and continuity breaks in the epithelium....Female rats injected intramuscularly with castor oil on the first day after estrus had suppressed ovarian folliculogenesis and anti-implantation and abortive effects....Clinically, castor oil has been used to stimulate labor[bold mine].

Maybe something to avoid if one is pregnant...

ktani
October 26th, 2008, 04:48 PM
Here's another study on castor oil:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18080873


Maybe something to avoid if one is pregnant...

That is the same study I posted.
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showpost.php?p=316438&postcount=37

The over all effects of castor oil are considered to be safe.

"Undiluted castor oil produced minimal ocular toxicity in one study .... none in another.
.... Castor oil is not a significant skin irritant, sensitizer, or photosensitizer in human clinical tests .... patients with occupational dermatoses may have a positive reaction to castor oil or Ricinoleic Acid. The instillation of a castor oil solution into the eyes of nine patients resulted in mild and transient discomfort and minor epithelial changes."
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18080873

ktani
October 26th, 2008, 05:10 PM
Castor oil eye drops

".... results indicate that castor oil eye drops are effective and safe in the treatment of MGD."
http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0161642002012629

"Low-concentration homogenized castor oil eye drops for noninflamed obstructive meibomian gland dysfunction"
http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=14361189


MSDS 1990 Castor oil USP
"SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF OVEREXPOSURE:
INHALATION: May cause irritation of the respiratory tract.
EYE CONTACT: May cause irritation.
SKIN CONTACT: May cause irritation.
INGESTION: May cause nausea, vomiting, colic and severe purgation.

CHRONIC EFFECTS OF OVEREXPOSURE: .... hypersensitivity exhibited by asthma, eye disorders
(conjunctivitis, irritation, lachrymation, edema), skin rashes, pharyngolaryngitis among other symptoms. ....

OTHER PRECAUTIONS TO CONSIDER: .... used during pregnancy or menstruation only when clearly
needed. .... not be used when abdominal pain, intestinal obstruction, nausea or vomiting is present."
http://www.paddocklabs.com/forms/msds/castroil.pdf


All about USP
http://www.usp.org/aboutUSP/


MSDS 2008 Castor oil for personal care
"Eye Contact: Mild irritation may occur, possible reddening
Skin Contact: Non-hazardous, might cause slight irritation
Ingestion: No known hazard, Large oral doses may cause spasmodic intestinal or abdominal pain.
Inhalation: No adverse health effects expected from inhalation
Irritancy:
Skin: Not expected to be an irritant
Eyes: Not expected to be an irritant"
https://www.naturalsourcing.com/msds/MSDS_Castor_Oil.pdf

ktani
October 26th, 2008, 05:23 PM
"CSA 2% in castor oil given 5 times daily showed no damage to either the corneal epithelium or endothelium."
http://www.springerlink.com/content/k3383uh4044077w5/

Castor oil facts

"Castor oil is non-toxic
A. ICOA Technical Bulletin: Castor oil is non-toxic. ....
B. National Toxicology Program - Report. ....
C. U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services: NTP technical report on the toxicity studies of Castor oil (CAS No. 8001-79-4)....
D. International Journal of Toxicology: Final report on the safety assessment of Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil,... "
http://www.kristinasoil.com/reference.html

B. "Avoid contact with eyes (3G). Pure cold pressed Castor seed oil is potent .... and can be an eye irritant similar to pepper spray.

"Ricin is a protein (a solid) .... Castor oil is a fatty acid or oil (a liquid), and cold pressing Castor seeds separates the two. The toxin ricin .... stays with the seed because it's not oil (liquid) .... cold pressed and filtered Castor oil is non-toxic...."
http://www.kristinasoil.com/fyi.html

mellie
October 27th, 2008, 07:33 AM
So, it's probably OK (as long one isn't using large doses of it), but definitely to be avoided during pregnancy (see below). Also if one is using a lot of it (even on the hair), it is possible that it may cause laxative effects and nausea (see below), there was a report on here of someone (I can't remember who right now) who was using very strong sage tea to darken grays and had bad digestive issues because of it. And be sure not to get in the eyes (which is interesting, because in my Beauty Secrets of India book, it is recommended to put on eyelashes for thickening!).

I did try it myself once on my hair, and it caused a whole lot of shedding because it was so sticky. I didn't like all the shedding so I never tried it again.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17889812?ordinalpos=4&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsP anel.Pubmed_RVDocSum

The following medications should never be used during pregnancy due to the clear risk of teratogenicity or adverse events: bismuth, castor oil, sodium bicarbonate, methotrexate, ribavirin, doxycycline, tetracycline, and thalidomide.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11406076?dopt=abstractplus

All women who ingested castor oil felt nauseous.

ktani
October 27th, 2008, 08:23 AM
So, it's probably OK (as long one isn't using large doses of it), but definitely to be avoided during pregnancy (see below). Also if one is using a lot of it (even on the hair), it is possible that it may cause laxative effects and nausea (see below), there was a report on here of someone (I can't remember who right now) who was using very strong sage tea to darken grays and had bad digestive issues because of it. And be sure not to get in the eyes (which is interesting, because in my Beauty Secrets of India book, it is recommended to put on eyelashes for thickening!).

I did try it myself once on my hair, and it caused a whole lot of shedding because it was so sticky. I didn't like all the shedding so I never tried it again.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17889812?ordinalpos=4&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsP anel.Pubmed_RVDocSum


http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11406076?dopt=abstractplus

You make some good points mellie. Castor oil is considered to be safe but there are cautions. Many herbs and plants, including catnip, are also not recommended during pregnancy. Cautions exist for many herbs and plants as well, for use in or near the eyes. That is why it is always good to keep up to date with research.

For use in eyes, castor oil is only used in very small doses, in specially formulated products.

Here is what the American Cancer Society has to say on its use.

"Castor oil .... used in conventional medicine as a laxative (when swallowed) .... used as an eye drop to treat some eye irritations. .... also an ingredient in some hair conditioners and skin products. .... scientific evidence does not support any other claims.

Oncologists now use castor oil as a vehicle for delivering .... chemotherapy drugs to cancerous tumors. .... special formula of castor oil called Cremophor EL .... used as a carrier for paclitaxel .... drug used to treat metastatic breast cancer and other tumors. .... vehicle sometimes causes problems of its own, including allergic reactions. .... has prompted a search for substitute carriers.

Castor oil .... considered safe in proper doses for conventional uses as a laxative. .... side effects can include abdominal pain or cramping, colic, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Long-term use of castor oil .... lead to fluid and electrolyte loss. Women who are pregnant or breast-feeding should not use castor oil, nor should people .... intestinal blockage, acute inflammatory intestinal disease, appendicitis .... abdominal pain. Medicines .... dissolved in or based on castor oil compounds can cause allergic reactions."
http://www.cancer.org/docroot/ETO/content/ETO_5_3X_Castor_Oil.asp

ktani
October 27th, 2008, 08:42 AM
And from the Mayo Clinic on laxatives.

"Stimulant laxatives ... cause unwanted effects in the expectant mother if improperly used. Castor oil in particular should not be used as it may cause contractions of the womb.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/drug-information/DR602359

pariate
October 30th, 2008, 04:24 PM
Also if one is using a lot of it (even on the hair), it is possible that it may cause laxative effects and nausea (see below), there was a report on here of someone (I can't remember who right now) who was using very strong sage tea to darken grays and had bad digestive issues because of it.

'Twas meeeeee! And it was horrid... Learned a very valuable lesson that day.

mellie
October 30th, 2008, 05:41 PM
Ah, so sorry Pariate!! Now we can all be warned!!