Sunny Isle UK.

What Jamaican Black Castor Oil actually is

Ordinary castor oil is cold pressed and comes out pale and clear. Jamaican Black Castor Oil is made by roasting the beans first, then pressing and boiling them, and the ash from that roasting is what gives it the dark colour, the smoky smell and a higher pH than the clear version. It is thicker, tackier and heavier on the hair, which is the whole point of it.

Sunny Isle is one of the better known names doing it. The oil is used for sealing ends, dressing a dry scalp and adding weight to fine strands, and it is a cosmetic product rather than a treatment for anything.

What is in this collection

Three groups. The butters and stylers are where the castor oil is blended into something easier to spread: Jamaican Black Castor Oil Pure Butter with Lavender, Pure Butter with Coconut and the Curly Styling Custard, which gives definition on twist outs and wash and gos without a hard cast.

The single oils cover Jamaican Organic Pimento Oil with Black Castor Oil, which carries a warming tingle from the pimento, Jamaican Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil and Organic Jojoba Oil in a 118 ml bottle. The Shea Coconut line handles wash day, with a Moisturizing Conditioner, an Intensive Repair Masque in a large 16 oz tub and the Knot Free Forever Leave In Detangler.

Using a thick oil without wearing it

Neat Jamaican Black Castor Oil is heavy enough to sit visibly on the hair if you go in hard. Two approaches work. Either warm a small amount between your palms and press it only onto the last few inches, over a damp leave-in, or dilute it into a lighter oil or your conditioner before it goes anywhere near your head.

On the scalp, part the hair and apply to the skin rather than tipping it over the top. Two or three times a week is plenty, and it needs washing out properly on your usual wash day. The butters are the easier route if you have never used a thick oil before, since the shea base makes it far more forgiving.

The kids line

Sunny Isle Kids covers the four things that actually matter on a child's wash day: Extreme Hydrating Shampoo, Extreme Hydrating Conditioner, the Moisture-Rich Leave-In Detangler and a Finishing Hair Butter. The detangler is the one that earns its place, because most tears on wash day come from the comb rather than the shampoo. Work through in small sections with fingers first.

Who it suits, and the British angle

Coarse, dry 4A to 4C hair takes to it easily. Curls from 3A to 3C do well with the butters and the custard but often find the neat oil too heavy. Fine and wavy hair should stick to the jojoba or the Shea Coconut conditioner. From October, when heating drops indoor humidity to around 30 percent, a sealing oil over damp hair genuinely helps the ends survive the season, and hard water areas want a clarifying wash every few weeks to keep the strand clean underneath it.