Castor Oil is a time-honored ingredient and even remedy—however, not every grocery store stocks castor oil. When it comes to Trader Joe’s, a highly popular American grocery store chain that is known for selling specialty items, it is important to research their product availability before wasting a trip. The question is, “Does Trader Joe’s Have Castor Oil?”
Trader Joe’s does not have Castor Oil, according to their Products Page on their website and employee feedback. Instead of using castor oil, Trader Joe’s offers a product called Marula Facial Oil in their “For the Face and Body” section, which may be a suitable substitute for castor oil.
In this article, we will explore all of the topics related to Trader Joe’s, castor oil, and why these two things do not unite for your grocery store trip! We’ll cover the topic thoroughly so that you don’t have to waste a trip to Trader Joe’s looking for something that is not there. Let’s get started!
What is Castor Oil?
Castor oil featured prominently as a type of joke in early 1900s novels and movies. However, what is castor oil, and why might someone want it today? According to Healthline.com, castor oil is a naturally sourced oil that can remedy a variety of things from skin issues to constipation.
Typically, you can find castor oil in the list of ingredients when you’re shopping for natural beauty products like lotions and facial serums. Castor oil comes from a plant called “ricinus communis.” Specifically, the oil is a type of vegetable oil that comes from the seeds.
These seeds, which are actually called “castor beans,” have a poisonous enzyme in them. That being said, the enzyme is deactivated when the beans are heated during the process that extracts castor oil, making it perfectly safe.
Castor oil has been beloved by humans for thousands of years because it can be added to food easily, burns well when in need of a source of fuel, and can help with health maladies. It has been used to help facilitate bowel movements as a laxative. It is also great for moisturization, and has even been linked to speeding up the healing of wounds.
For these reasons, even grocery stores that do not carry castor oil on it’s own usually carry some form of product that uses castor oil as an ingredient.
To check the current price and availability of Castor Oil, click here to view the listing on Amazon.
Trader Joe’s: An Introduction
We’d love to introduce you to Trader Joe’s if you have never been! Founded in the early 1960s but achieving peak popularity as early as 2001, Trader Joe’s is an American grocery store chain that delights it’s shoppers with small-town neighborhood vibes and a wide selection of specialty products.
These products, which are mainly grocery items, are almost all manufactured by Trader Joe’s themselves and sourced from around the world without sacrificing freshness or organic standards. This makes these products not only valuable, but hard to find elsewhere.
At the same time, Trader Joe’s makes every experience fun, with eclectic signage, casual and friendly employees, and wide open doors.
They intentionally keep locations comparatively small and swap out old or unpopular items quickly with new and improved products.
They also have an extremely accessible and easy policy on returns, accepting almost all products back without the need to see a receipt.
On top of that, customer service representatives allow customers to sample snacks and foods as they go without having to purchase those foods.
All in all, it is the customer’s experience and tastes that Trader Joe’s strives to protect.
Trader Joe’s Product Inventory
Trader Joe’s is full, in most places, of food. This includes their fresh and organic vegetables alongside fruits, a multitude of snacks that are everything from sweet to sour to salty, and frozen dinners that are convenient and tasty.
Just about every department of their foods have plenty of options for those with allergies or dietary needs. It is not difficult to find gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, dairy-free, or even kosher products at Trader Joe’s.
Trader Joe’s also has a lovely reputation of many flowers being delivered fresh and blooming each morning. These flowers are sometimes roses and orchids, but also include herbal plants and even succulents.
Finally, Trader Joe’s does offer their own line of skincare and body care products under the category, “For the Face & Body.”
Does Trader Joe’s Carry Castor Oil?
You can very easily find out what Trader Joe’s has and does not have using their website. It is full of their quirky corporate personality which makes it fun to scroll through; on top of that, it it easy to find what you’re looking for.
There is a products page that lists the “For the Face & Body” section completely, and each item has it’s own page detailing ingredients where castor oil may be found.
Sometimes a faster way to research is through the actual “search” bar, where you can type in the name of any product you’d like and the website will take stock of the nearest store’s inventory for you.
Sadly, Trader Joe’s does not carry castor oil. The closest Trader Joe’s gets is their own facial oil, the Marula Facial Oil, which can be used for some of the same purposes as castor oil when it comes to skin care.
Alternatives to Castor Oil at Trader Joe’s
Trader Joe’s may not have castor oil, specifically, but that does not mean they do not at least have some offerings in their “For the Face & Body” line that can do some of the same skincare work as castor oil.
You don’t need to go home from your shopping trip empty handed if skin moisturizing was what you were looking for! Trader Joe’s has alternatives like:
- Marula Facial Oil
- Shea Butter & Coconut Oil Hair Mask
- Lemongrass Coconut Body Oil
Final Thoughts
To sum it all up, Trader Joe’s does not have castor oil. What it does have is Marula facial oil. Although this won’t double as a laxative or ingredient in healthy foods, it will accomplish some of the same skin moisturizing that castor oil can.
For this reason, we can still solidly recommend Trader Joe’s for your grocery store trip, even if you were looking for castor oil!