HAITIAN CASTOR OIL (LWIL MASKRITI)

Lwil maskriti is what Haitians call castor oil, and it is not the clear stuff from the pharmacy aisle. The beans - maskriti - are roasted before they are pressed. That roasting is the whole difference: it turns the oil dark amber and gives it the faint smoky smell, and it is how the oil has been made on the island for generations.

It is thick. Thicker than you expect the first time. A few drops covers a scalp; a coin-sized amount covers a whole head of hair. Warm it between your palms before it goes anywhere.

How people use it

• Massaged into the scalp and down the length of the hair, left in overnight or for an hour before washing
• Smoothed onto the ends to soften them and reduce the look of split ends
• On skin as a heavy overnight moisturiser - elbows, knees, heels, anywhere that goes dry
• Warmed and worked in as a massage oil

What is in it

One ingredient: roasted, pressed castor beans (Ricinus communis). Castor oil is around 85-90% ricinoleic acid, which is what makes it heavier and more occlusive than almost any other plant oil - it sits on the surface and seals moisture in rather than sinking straight through.

In Haiti this is a cupboard staple, not a luxury. It goes on babies' heads and grandmothers' knees. Every household has a bottle, and nobody thinks of it as skincare - it is just lwil maskriti.

External use only. Patch test first. Keep away from eyes. Store somewhere cool and dark.