A little background before I detail all the drama - a few days ago I learned about the Oil Cleansing Method (OCM) thanks to Fran over at High On Health, an interesting (and simple) way of cleansing the skin by using certain oils to counteract and breakdown the existing oil that clogs up pores. I’m surprised I’ve never heard of it before, especially as it has quite a good following and the majority of users find it works extremely well. I’ll be going into more detail on this in a future post.
The key ingredient is castor oil, a basic and cheap product which has been used topically and internally for all sorts of ailments over the years. So yesterday, I headed down to a nearby pharmacy to grab a bottle and try it out. Except they didn’t have any, and they’ve never stocked it in the past.
Undeterred, I decided to stop off at Tesco’s on the way home. They didn’t have any either – not in the cooking oils section or the pharmacy. The lady behind the counter wanted to sell me a zinc and castor oil cream instead, until I explained what it was for.
At this point, I started wondering what was going on. How is it that a large, modern pharmacy and a national supermarket don’t have this most basic item? Perhaps it was just a coincidence, so I had a look in my local Sainsbury’s too. Nope, nothing there either.
It was a little after 6pm, so too late to check any other pharmacies. I went back home and did a little research and discovered that castor oil is often taken by pregnant women wanting to induce labour. As this practice is questionable, it seems that stores don’t like to sell it.
There are two other supermarkets in my area, and I was getting more and more determined to find the darn oil, so I decided to check them out just in case. Nope, that’s Asda and Morrisons off the list as well.
Today, I got my husband to ring around a few pharmacies (I asked him to do it in case they assumed I was pregnant). He called five places in total – three independant stores and two national chain stores (Superdrug and Boots) and nobody had any. However, there is some good news – Boots have arranged to order some in and it should be ready for collection tomorrow.
Interestingly, one of the pharmacies we contacted said that castor oil isn’t readily available because no one currently holds the licence to distribute it in this country. I find that rather strange, especially as Boots are able to get some, but it would certainly explain things.
The other alternative is to buy online, Googling castor oil brings up several UK-based companies selling it in sizes from 50ml to 1 litre. Assuming I like the OCM, I think that’s how I’ll be buying my castor oil from now on.
Update: My husband works for the NHS, so I asked him to look for castor oil in the British National Formulary (BNF) – this is the official guide to all licensed medications in the UK for health professionals. It seems that it was once available as a laxative, but has been replaced with other products and is now considered obsolete. Amazing, eh? He also nipped into Boots this afternoon and one of the bottles we’d ordered had come in – I say only one as that’s all their supplier had. Looks like I’ll definitely have to order online if I stick with the OCM…..
Hi Becky, it’ll be interesting to hear your experiences of the OCM after all that!
I had GREAT success with the OCM for almost 2 months, but then my pores started looking clogged up. I think the oils reacted to my skin or I didn’t wash enough of the oil off.
Hi Fran,
Yeah, I’m hoping I like the OCM too. I tried it today and haven’t noticed anything yet, but I guess it will take a few days to start having an effect. I’ll definitely be writing about it when it does, hopefully that will be soon.
I did add a bit of my Rose Cream afterwards, but I think that was a bad move as my forehead is oily again only a couple of hours later. It almost feels wrong to not put moisturiser on after all these months, but I am learning (the hard way usually!).
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If you live in London and near any Afro beauty shops (the ones with all the wigs on display) you will definitely see Castor oil, usually this brand of West Indian Castor oils:
http://images25.fotki.com/v945/free/cb977/8/895327/3498535/CastorOil-vi.jpg?1207312897
There are such shops all over London, especially where there is a high concentration of black people in places such as Hackney up to Tottenham, Newham, Brixton, Lambeth, Peckham, Woolwich, Harlesden, Willesden and Streatham. There is a also a Sally’s beauty supply store off Leicester Square area which will probably (don’t quote me on this) stock it, as well as a large similar store outside the Scala in Kings Cross.
:-)
Hi guys,
You had any luck with castor oil? I have been mixing castor oil, olive oil and almond oil in equal quantities and applying on my face; its glowing…but saw a few pimples which arose and passed away…
I managed to find Castor Oil (for cosmetic use) online. http://www.aromantic.co.uk/ Very quick delivery.
Guys, just wanted to know your experience with castor oil…after 1 year
I know this is old, but I’ve been having a similar hunt myself – they sell it at Keats Pharmacy in Hampstead (London).
Just had the same issue myself. I heard about the Oil Cleansing Method and wanted to give it a go. Tried looking in several places but wasn’t too surprised that my local pharmacy hadn’t a clue, (I’ve had trouble in the past getting hold of surgical spirit but that’s a whole different rant! :-p ). Today I was out of town, asked around and got the story about castor oil having it’s licence pulled because pregnant women had been mis-using it.
That it’s considered obsolete is far more believable but no less disheartening.
Try your local agricultural store, or Mole valley farmers on line sell it at £3.41 for 500 ml,
hi there,
May I ask which stockists you use to buy castor oil, as cannot find it anywhere in the midlands, independent pharmacys have even stopped stocking it..
Ive also googled to no avail either……
are you able to send me some links….
i love castor oil…..started experimenting with it 2 days ago and it has shifted a lot of stuff…
thank you for reviewing it so positively
sarah (goddess in the makin!) haha
I know this is an old thread, but I must quickly tell you about my experience of castor oil. I suffered from blepharitis and poor tear film production. this dry eye feels like little needles pricking your eyes. Now I wipe my eye-lid margins once a day with castor oil, half a minute later I wipe away the excess. Blepharitis and dry eye resolved in 2 weeks, this was 6 months ago. Revisiting this on the web because I have passed this information onto another dry-eye sufferer, after they had spent hundreds of pounds on remedys, they are now comfortable, and it costs £1.20 a bottle. A bottle will last 2 years. This was known as the best treatment for this before modern pharmaceuticals came along and invented stuff that costs a lot of money, but actually is not as good at doing the job as humble castor oil
A message for Crabby Old Lady.
Hi, I have had a dry eye problem for years and this week stumbled upon several forums talking about the benifits of Castor Oil treatment. I thought I would just nip down to the chemist and buy some but of course as other people have said it is no longer available. I was really surprised, I was brought up in the age of castor oil being used to cure everything. I would never dare say I felt unwell as a child, the mere thought of a dose of castor oil was enough to make you feel better!
Anyway, what I wanted to ask you was what type of castor oil did you use? I have read many different opinions, some say never use cold pressed virgin oil as it is too strong for eyes, others say only use this type, lots of mixed messages. Also where did you get yours from, internet or shop?
Kind regards
Dorothy
For Crabby Old Lady, forgot to say I live in the UK, North Herts.
Dorothy
Did you know that you can buy it from Ebay
they are all new and can buy differnt kind of range
but same method (Hair growth)
and for cheap price ;)
hope it usefull information =D
I’ve been trying my local Waitrose and haven’t found it either. Then saw it here. http://www.pukkaherbs.com/castor-oil-396.html
I’ve only recently heard about the OCM and I set about getting castor oil today thinking it would be so straight-forward as it is such a basic remedy. Like you, I was getting more and more frustrated and confused about why I couldn’t get any. None in Boots. None in any of the health food/remedy shops. Lloyds Pharmacy had a space on the shelf where it should have been (behind glass) with a sold out label. The lady at Boots thought they had some, asked her supervisor and came back confused and said that they weren’t allowed to sell it any more. She said that they had sold it recently though. I came home to do some research and that’s when I found your post. Thanks for the information; my curiosity is somewhat satisfied now :)
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I have been using castor oil for a variety of health problems since the 80s, including conjunctivitis, joint and skin damage, and suddenly none of my local suppliers (in Suffolk) are able to get it. If anyone knows of any suppliers around here I’ll be very grateful indeed!
HI! im looking for castor oil end there is no way to be found. i been using it for few monts now as a treatment for my hair. I was very pleased with it. But now BOOTS stores doesnt seling it anymore.
Try this link for ebay.
I have now found an excellent castor oil supplier, Revital Ltd.,
at http://www.revital.co.uk, tel.020 8845 4118
Prices reasonable, ideal for castor oil packs or cosmetic usage.