Craft Gossip

Independent craft blog since 2007

Castor Oil Scalp Treatment for Dryness and Hair Growth

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Dry, itchy, flaky scalp. Sound familiar? Mine flared up every change of season—or after stress (aka teenage exam weeks)—and I’d tried all sorts of store-bought “miracles” that left me smelling like menthol and still scratching my head.

Then I gave castor oil a chance. It’s thick, yes—but it’s also deeply hydrating, soothing, and packed with nutrients your scalp actually needs. When you combine it with lighter oils to help it sink in, you’ve got a salon-style scalp rescue for the price of a takeaway coffee.

This is the treatment I use on quiet Sundays while pottering around the house with a messy bun and a podcast playing. My scalp always thanks me.

What You’ll Need:

  • 2 tbsp castor oil

  • 1 tbsp jojoba oil or sweet almond oil (to help spread the castor oil)

  • 3 drops tea tree or rosemary essential oil (optional, for scalp support)

  • Dropper bottle or small dish for mixing

Instructions:

  1. Mix all ingredients in a small bowl or bottle.

  2. Warm the oil blend slightly (10 seconds in microwave or rub bottle between your hands).

  3. Part your hair in sections and use a dropper or fingertips to apply directly to the scalp.

  4. Massage in small circular motions for 5 minutes—this increases circulation and relaxes tension.

  5. Leave on for at least 30 minutes (or overnight under a towel or shower cap).

  6. Rinse out with warm water and double shampoo. Condition if needed.

How Often:

  • Once a week for dry scalp or growth goals

  • Twice a month for maintenance

Benefits:

  • Moisturizes: The rich fatty acids in castor oil soothe dry, itchy patches.

  • Stimulates: Massaging with rosemary oil boosts circulation to the scalp.

  • Balances: Jojoba mimics your scalp’s natural sebum, helping restore balance.

Bonus Mum Tip:

Got teens with dry scalps from too much dry shampoo? This is gentle enough for them too—just test first and use minimal essential oils.

 

Have you read?

Add Mushrooms to Your Knits with these Fun Knitting Patterns

A few years ago I wrote a post that was full of patterns for knit mushrooms, but I don’t think I ever did a post that was knitting patterns with mushrooms on them, so today’s the day. 

I love the Fungi Beanie from Jacki Bean, which calls for worsted weight yarn and uses duplicate stitch to add the mushrooms and other details. I think the colors she used for the design are tonal/multicolor so it doesn’t use as many colors as it looks like, but you can use whatever red, green, brown and white yarn you have in your stash for those details. 

How about some mushroom socks? The Magic Toadstool sock form Stone Knits includes a ring of mushrooms around the leg, contrasting heel and toe and a little more colorwork at the toe for extra cuteness. As shown it uses four colors and comes in three sizes. 

Or there’s the Fairy Ring Socks from Katie Green, which have mushrooms of two sizes on the legs, plus a bit of wavy grass. They have a contrasting cuff, heel and toe and some colorwork flecks in the body of the sock as well. This one is available in eight sizes to fit everyone from a baby to an XL adult. 

This trippy cowl from Hunt Hand Knits looks like a lot of fun to knit. The Fungus Among Us Cowl is shown using four colors of DK weight yarn, though you can do it with as few as two if you’d rather. 

Stitch some mushroom mittens with this cute pattern from Holly C Watson. This design uses three colors, and it’s shown with a self-striping yarn on the mushroom caps, which makes the colors change without you having to do any work. The pattern is charted but it’s a pretty easy repeat. The mittens are one size. 

If you don’t feel like knitting mushrooms but still want to give your project a touch of the forest, the Toadstools Cardigan from Julie Taylor may be what you’re looking for. It’s stitched as a plain cardigan worked in DK weight yarn and sized for newborns up to 4 years old. The mushrooms are added with embroidery and the pattern includes the design, which you can trace onto water soluble stabilizer to stitch the mushrooms onto your sweater. Or anything else you want. You can find this pattern on Ravelry.