Cold-Pressed vs Refined Castor Oil: How It's Made and Why It Matters

All castor oil comes from the same seed, but the way it gets from seed to bottle changes what you end up with. The pressing method, heat, solvents and refining all affect the oil's colour, scent and texture, and what it suits best. This guide walks through each step and shows how cold-pressed and refined castor oil compare.

How castor oil is extracted

Castor oil is pressed from the seeds of the Ricinus communis plant. There are three main ways to get the oil out of the seed.

Cold pressing

The seeds are pressed mechanically without added heat. With no solvent and little heat, the oil keeps its natural thickness, pale golden colour and mild scent. Cold pressing gets less oil out of each seed, which is one reason cold-pressed castor oil usually costs more.

Expeller pressing

Expeller pressing also uses mechanical force, but the friction of a continuous press creates more heat. No solvents are involved, though the oil can come out slightly darker or thinner than a cold-pressed oil.

Solvent extraction

The crushed seed is washed with a chemical solvent, most commonly hexane, which dissolves the oil out of the seed. The solvent is then evaporated off. This method gets the most oil from each seed and is common for oil made for industrial or bulk use. Oil made this way is usually refined afterwards.

What refining does

Refining takes a crude oil and makes it more uniform. Typical steps include:

• Degumming to remove gums and other seed material
• Neutralising to reduce free fatty acids
• Bleaching to lighten the colour
• Deodorising to remove scent, usually with heat and steam

The result is a lighter, clearer, more neutral oil that behaves the same way batch after batch. Refined castor oil is widely used in commercial soaps, cosmetics and non-cosmetic products.

Cold-pressed vs refined: side by side

	Cold-pressed	Refined
Extraction	Mechanical press, no added heat	Usually solvent-extracted or expeller-pressed, then refined
Solvents	None used	Often hexane during extraction
Colour	Pale gold	Clear to very light yellow
Scent	Mild and natural	Neutral
Texture	Thick and rich	Slightly smoother and more fluid
Typical use	Hair, skin and nail routines, DIY blends	Commercial formulations, soaps, industrial uses

Which one suits you?

If you want an oil with as little processing as possible for your own hair, skin or nail routine, cold-pressed castor oil is the usual choice. If you are making a product and need an oil that looks and smells the same in every batch, refined castor oil does that job well. Neither is a stronger version of the other. They are made for different purposes.

What about BP grade and Jamaican Black?

BP grade castor oil is refined to meet the British Pharmacopoeia standard used for regulated pharmaceutical products. It is not needed for everyday personal care. Read what BP grade means.

Jamaican Black Castor Oil is made by roasting the seeds before pressing, which gives it a dark colour and a smoky scent. See how it compares.

How to check what you are buying

• Look for "cold-pressed" on the label. "Castor oil" or "100% castor oil" on its own does not tell you how the oil was extracted.
• Look for "hexane-free", and ask the seller whether a lab report backs it up.
• Ask for a certificate of analysis (COA). A reputable supplier should be able to share batch results.
• Check the organic certification. A named certifier tells you who audited the supply chain.
• Choose glass. Amber glass helps protect the oil from light.

How ours is made

Our castor oil is cold-pressed from certified organic castor seeds grown in India, certified under NPOP and verified by Ecocert. It is hexane-free: the oil is pressed mechanically and no solvents are used at any stage. To prove it, we had it independently lab tested, and no hexane was detected (below 0.005 mg/L). Our certificate of analysis shows ricinoleic acid at around 87%. It is a single ingredient with nothing added, bottled in amber glass in Western Australia. Shop certified organic castor oil.

Frequently asked questions

Should I choose cold-pressed or refined castor oil?

It depends on how you will use it. Cold-pressed is the less processed option and the usual choice for personal hair, skin and nail routines. Refined castor oil is chosen for its consistency in manufacturing.

Why is cold-pressed castor oil yellow?

Its pale gold colour comes from natural compounds in the seed that stay in the oil when it is not bleached. Refined castor oil is bleached, which is why it looks clearer.

Does cold-pressed always mean hexane-free?

Cold pressing does not use solvents, so a genuinely cold-pressed oil is not hexane-extracted. If you want certainty, ask the seller for a lab report.

How should I store castor oil?

Like any oil, castor oil can oxidise over time. Keep it in a cool, dark cupboard with the lid closed, and check the date on the bottle.

Keep reading: BP grade vs cold-pressed castor oil · Castor oil vs Jamaican Black Castor Oil · Hexane-free castor oil for skin

For external use only. Avoid contact with eyes. Patch test before first use. Not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any condition.