Allergies to Castor Oil?

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MarisaJensen

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Hello everyone.

Recently I changed my base recipe to include a low amount of castor oil in my soap bars. Recently I've broken out in red itchy bumps all over my body. I was wondering if it was stress or something new that I've been using but the only thing new is the addition of castor oil in my recipe.

Has anyone experienced this? Is it common? Am I putting too much in my recipe... 7% for a alb loaf?

Thanks!
 
Stop using the soap until you either figure out if it is the soap, or figure out it is something else. Better safe than sorry. But you do know you can become allergic to anything at any time, right? Best to go see a doctor if it does not clear up soon. If the rash completely goes away, rub a bit of straight castor oil(just a tiny bit) on the inside of your arm to see if it reacts before you use that soap again. No reaction=not the soap. But the rash needs to be completely gone first.
 
Personally I would stop using the soap first off. If I clear up I would put castor oil on small sections of skin and see if I react to it after that. If i did not, I would test the soap again on small areas. If you react to the soap but not pure castor oil maybe it's a byproduct of lye + castor oil...
 
Stop using the soap until you either figure out if it is the soap, or figure out it is something else. Better safe than sorry. But you do know you can become allergic to anything at any time, right? Best to go see a doctor if it does not clear up soon. If the rash completely goes away, rub a bit of straight castor oil(just a tiny bit) on the inside of your arm to see if it reacts before you use that soap again. No reaction=not the soap. But the rash needs to be completely gone first.
Susie is right on with this advice. Inside the elbow is a great place to patch test a product for sensitivity.
 
Don't forget to keep the benadryl close by, just in case you break out badly. And if it was me, I'd test it while I was with my husband, just in case I had a severe reaction he could call an ambulance. Don't mean to freak you out, but better safe than sorry.
 
Since I stopped using the soap that contained castor oil, all the red itchy bumps have gone away. I'm a little scared to do a patch test since the itch and redness was so bad. I'll just steer clear of castor oil from now on. It definitely made me more aware of skin sensitivities.
 

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