JBCO still in demand

Jamaican Black Castor Oil is still selling as a beauty staple, with Jamaican producers and retailers continuing to package it for hair, scalp and skin care in 2025 and 2026. (jamaicaobserver.com) In Jamaica, A Yuh That Limited told the Jamaica Observer it added black castor oil in 2023 and rolled out value-added products in 2024, including peppermint-and-eucalyptus, frankincense-and-jojoba, and rosemary-infused versions. The company said its peppermint-and-eucalyptus oil became a bestseller and expanded into outlets including Things Jamaican at Devon House, Norman Manley International Airport and Proactive Lifestyle stores. (jamaicaobserver.com) Researchers at The University of the West Indies, Mona said on November 8, 2024 that they had developed proposed phenotypic, genetic and physicochemical standards for Jamaican Black Castor Oil. The university said those standards are meant to support a Geographic Indication and help Jamaican producers recover more of a global market it estimated at about US$300 million a year. (mona.uwi.edu) That push comes after Jamaican researchers and industry officials said Jamaica’s share of the Jamaican Black Castor Oil trade had fallen to less than US$5 million, even as producers in China and India gained ground. The standards project also included work on hand soaps and organic fertilizer made from castor-oil waste. (mona.uwi.edu) The product’s appeal is also being reinforced online. TikTok’s hashtag page for “jamaicanblackcastoroil” showed 10,200 posts when it was indexed, reflecting a large stream of user videos tied to hair oil, lashes, brows and scalp care. (tiktok.com) Medical and marketing claims around castor oil remain much broader than the clinical evidence. A 2022 Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology research letter on social-media hair and scalp oils said there is little scientific evidence that these oils promote hair growth, even as influencers continue to recommend them. (jaad.org) At the same time, products are still being sold with growth-focused language. A DailyMed listing updated April 29, 2024 for one “Jamaican Black Castor Oil” product labeled castor oil 100% listed uses including “promotes hair growth,” “thickens eyelashes” and “moisturizing oil,” alongside a warning to stop use if redness or irritation occurs. (dailymed.nlm.nih.gov) What has held up is the commercial demand: heritage branding, natural-hair routines and small-batch body-care lines keep Jamaican Black Castor Oil on shelves, while researchers in Jamaica are trying to define what counts as the authentic product. (mona.uwi.edu)