What exactly is castor oil?

Question

Is it what the word says? An oil that comes from castors (beavers)? Because I saw it in hair gels and hair rinses. Is it possible that we kill those lovely animals to put their fat on our hair, or is it sth. else? Actually it said PEG40 Hydrogenated castor oil.

Sorry, thisis no food, but I guessed vegans would know.

Answer 1

I think it's from castor beans......not beavers.

Answer 2

It is actually an oil from from a bean. It is used for hair gels because of its viscosity (thickness) to help give the hold and in hair rinses because it can aid in the stripping other oils in the hair and in the right formula help take out some hair color from dying it. It has many other uses such as a laxative and also to soften skin.

Here is some more sites it you'd like to take a look:

Answer 3

castor oil comes from the caster oil plant

whose seeds are the source of the deadly poison ricin

have a look

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ricinus_com...

Answer 4

I don't know. But it says in this website below, It is can be vegan or non-vegan that means non-vegan Castor oil can from animal source or they used animal labor.

http://www.vegan-info.com/additives.html

Answer 5

All are right and in French here in canada, Castor means beaver, and we have a sweet dough product served in winter at festivals called a "Beaver Tail" like a long flat doughnut fried and covered in cinnamon sugar, as a chef I did one native dinner and served real beaver tail stew, castor oil is a medicinal treatment, and is also used for machines and is part of the formulation for motor oil labelled "Castrol"

Answer 6

I tried drinking castor oil when I was pregnant to make my uterus contract. It Is a THICK clear goopy liquid for constipation. They say it will make you go into labor, It didnt work for me.  

Answer 7

Try going here for a reference:

http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/...

Answer 8

"Castor oil is a vegetable oil obtained from the castor bean (technically castor seed as the castor plant, Ricinus communis, is not a member of the bean family)."

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I have to say that I was really happy to read that...as my Mom used to make me down a tsp or two when I was a kid (for constipation...TMI, I know).  :D

Answer 9

Castor oil is proven on stomach ache problem.

Answer 10

omg god it is vile stuff as a kid i was given a teaspon to help with my digestive sytem...horrible stuff  i cant rember how many times i had it admistered but i was glad when it all stoped...but yes it is derived from the castor beans from the deadly posinous ricine.family actaully if you suck on any dired bean you can taste the ricine but please dont it can make you sick.what the ricine is taste is  a verybitter taste..and castor oil i think had additives added to it to make it taste sweeter but you did gag beacuse you could still taste the bitter taste not to mention the viscosity of the oil very thick like watered honey..how ever this is the first time i heard about he beaver thing..intresting.?  

Answer 11

It's an oil from castor beans.