Caster Oil or Castor Oil?

Caster oil or castor oil? The correct spelling is castor oil, though caster oil is one of the most common misspellings in Australian searches.

Caster oil or castor oil: which is right

Castor oil is correct. A caster is a small wheel on furniture, or a fine sugar. Because the two words sound the same, "caster oil" is searched thousands of times a month in Australia. Either way, you are looking for the same thing: oil pressed from the seeds of the castor plant, Ricinus communis.

Where the name comes from

The origin is not certain. One common explanation is that castor oil was traded as a substitute for castoreum, a perfume base, and took a similar name. Another links it to the plant's old names in different languages.

What to look for when you buy

• Cold pressed, not heat or solvent extracted
• Hexane free
• Certified organic, if that matters to you
• Dark glass rather than clear plastic

Ours ticks all four. See the best castor oil in Australia.