What This Castor Oil Is For, and the Amount It Actually Gives You
NOW Castor Oil Softgels give you castor oil in a swallowed softgel rather than a spoonful of oil, taken for occasional constipation and for digestive regularity, at 650 mg of oil in each softgel with a little fennel oil alongside it. Please read the next two sections before you buy, because the amount matters and so does one firm warning.
Castor oil is a stimulant laxative and a brisk one. In the gut it is broken down into ricinoleic acid, which acts on the bowel wall and prompts it to push, which is why a proper dose works quickly and why it has been used for generations. The softgel is a kinder way to take it than the oil off a spoon, and it changes the arithmetic, which is the part worth understanding.
The Arithmetic, Said Plainly
The published laxative dose for castor oil is 2 to 5 g taken as a single dose, and normally two or three times in a week rather than every day. Each softgel here holds 650 mg.
So one or two softgels comes to between 0.65 and 1.3 g, which sits well below the lowest amount described as a laxative dose. Taken at one or two a day this is a gentle daily oil rather than something that will open a stubborn bowel tonight, so please buy it knowing that rather than expecting otherwise. If tonight is the problem, ask our pharmacist and we will point you at something built for it, such as the Movicol sachets or Lactulac lactulose liquid, both of which work by drawing water into the stool rather than by prodding the bowel. If you want to work up towards a proper laxative dose from these softgels, that is a conversation to have with us first, because of the next section.
Pregnancy: Please Read This Before You Buy
Castor oil is contraindicated in pregnancy, and the reason is specific rather than precautionary. It can influence labour. The same receptors it acts on in the bowel are present in the womb, which is why it was used for generations to bring labour on and why it has no place in a pregnancy that is not ready.
It is contraindicated in breastfeeding as well. So if you are pregnant, might be pregnant, or are breastfeeding, please do not take this one. Come and talk to us instead: constipation in pregnancy is extremely common, there are gentle options that suit it, and Fybogel is indicated for exactly that. Our doctor is at the pharmacy if you would rather have the whole thing looked at.
How Long, and Who Else Should Leave It Alone
Use beyond one week needs medical supervision, and it is not recommended under eighteen years at all because the safety and efficacy data in children and adolescents are lacking.
It is contraindicated with a blockage or narrowing of the bowel, a bowel that has stopped moving, appendicitis, inflammatory bowel disease such as Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, abdominal pain whose cause is unknown, and severe dehydration with salt loss. Constipation with pain, nausea and vomiting is the combination that matters most: it can signal an obstruction, and a stimulant pushing against one is the wrong answer.
What We Are Permitted to Tell You
No health claim for castor oil is authorised, as with every botanical oil. What we can give you is the strength per softgel, the published laxative dose so you can compare the two, the duration limit, the contraindications and the honest answer about what one or two softgels a day will do.
On a shelf where most products promise a result, that is worth more. Castor oil also has a long history as a massage and hair oil, and people buy it for that too. Those uses are outside anything we may claim, so we hold back from promising anything about them and simply sell you a clean oil in a softgel.
How to Take It
One softgel once or twice daily with food, swallowed whole with water. Drink plenty of water through the day while you are taking it, and keep the bottle closed, cool and out of direct sunlight.
A hundred and twenty softgels is a large pack for something meant for short-term use, so agree a plan with our pharmacist rather than working through the bottle. Stop and come and see us if you get cramping pain, if nothing happens at all, or if you find yourself needing it most days.
Is This Castor Oil Right for You?
Please talk to our pharmacist or our doctor before you buy if any of these apply to you.
- Pregnancy, or any chance of pregnancy, or breastfeeding. Contraindicated in both. Castor oil can influence labour. Come and talk to us and we will give you something that suits pregnancy instead.
- Anyone under eighteen. Not recommended, because the safety data in children and adolescents are lacking. Ask us for a product made for the age concerned.
- Abdominal pain, nausea or vomiting alongside the constipation. Please see our doctor today rather than taking a stimulant. That combination can mean a blockage.
- A blockage or narrowing of the bowel, appendicitis, Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis. Contraindicated. Our doctor should decide what you take.
- Needing a laxative most days. Come and see our doctor and let us find the cause. Months of any stimulant is the wrong road.
Where to Buy NOW Castor Oil Softgels in Kenya
Order online and we deliver countrywide, or collect from our pharmacy at Kahawa Sukari Shopping Center, Nairobi. We send orders to Nairobi and every neighbourhood around it — the CBD, Westlands, Parklands, Gigiri, Muthaiga, Runda, Rosslyn, Kitisuru, Lower Kabete, Lavington, Kileleshwa, Kilimani, Karen, Langata, South B, South C, Eastleigh, Buruburu, Donholm, Embakasi, Ngong Road, Kasarani, Roysambu, Zimmerman, Githurai, Ruaka, Banana Hill, Two Rivers, Village Market and Pride Lands — and across Kiambu, Thika, Juja, Ruiru, Kikuyu, Limuru and Ngong.
Beyond the capital we deliver to Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, Eldoret, Nyeri, Machakos, Athi River, Kitengela, Kajiado, Naivasha, Narok, Kericho, Bomet, Kisii, Migori, Homa Bay, Siaya, Bungoma, Busia, Kakamega, Vihiga, Webuye, Kitale, Nandi Hills, Iten, Kapenguria, Embu, Meru, Chuka, Kerugoya, Murang’a, Othaya, Nyahururu, Nanyuki, Maralal, Isiolo, Marsabit, Moyale, Wajir, Mandera, Garissa, Lodwar, Kitui, Mwingi, Makueni, Emali, Kibwezi, Voi, Taveta, Wundanyi, Mariakani, Diani, Ukunda, Kilifi, Watamu, Malindi, Lamu and Hola. At one or two softgels a day a pack runs for a known length of time, so tell us the pack size you want and we will work out how many months that covers before you order.
Across Africa, ask us before you order. We have sent orders to Uganda, Tanzania, Somaliland and as far as Malawi, and we will quote for Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Mozambique, Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa and the rest of the continent. Tell us the destination and we will confirm any import paperwork before the parcel leaves us.
Living abroad? Order from wherever you are and we deliver to your family here in Kenya. Kenyans in the UK, the United States, Canada, South Africa and the Gulf order from us regularly for parents and relatives at home. A laxative like this one taken steadily month after month does far more than a single pack, so tell us who it is for and how many months you want covered and we will set up the repeat.
Why Buy Your NOW Castor Oil Softgels from HealthAlone Kenya?
HealthAlone is a pharmacist-led health ecosystem licensed by the Pharmacy and Poisons Board, and our stock is original, sealed and correctly stored. Kahawa Sukari is a real counter with real pharmacists behind it.
Our pharmacists will tell you plainly what one or two softgels will and will not do, and will put something that suits pregnancy in your hand instead if that is where you are. Our doctor is here too if you would rather have the whole question looked at properly.
It is one more step in our vision: building Africa’s most trusted health ecosystem, accessible to everyone, everywhere.
NOW Castor Oil Softgels: Your Questions Answered
What is in each softgel?
650 mg of castor oil with a little fennel oil, in a swallowed softgel rather than a spoonful of oil. A hundred and twenty softgels to the bottle.
How many should I take?
One softgel once or twice daily with food, swallowed whole with water and plenty more water through the day.
Will one or two softgels work as a laxative?
Probably not tonight, and you should know that before you buy. The published laxative dose for castor oil is 2 to 5 g as a single dose, where one or two softgels comes to between 0.65 and 1.3 g. At that amount this is a gentle daily oil. Ask our pharmacist if you need something stronger.
Can I take it in pregnancy?
No. Castor oil is contraindicated in pregnancy because it can influence labour, and in breastfeeding too. Come and talk to us and we will give you something that suits pregnancy instead.
Can it be used to bring on labour?
Please do not try it. It was used that way for generations and it is no longer used in hospitals in countries that have moved on from it, because the risks to mother and baby are real and the evidence for it is thin. If you are overdue, that is a conversation with your midwife or our doctor.
Can children take it?
It is not recommended under eighteen years, because the safety and efficacy data in children and adolescents are lacking. Ask us for something made for the age concerned.
How long can I take it for?
Use beyond one week needs medical supervision, and the published pattern is two or three doses in a week rather than every day.
Who should avoid it?
Anyone pregnant or breastfeeding, anyone under eighteen, and anyone with a blockage or narrowing of the bowel, a bowel that has stopped moving, appendicitis, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, abdominal pain of unknown cause or severe dehydration.
Why is there fennel oil in it?
Traditionally to settle the griping that castor oil can cause. It is part of the formula rather than a benefit we may promise you.
Is castor oil the same as the castor bean, which is poisonous?
The bean contains ricin, which is highly toxic, and the pressing and refining process leaves it behind because ricin does not carry over into the oil. The oil sold for swallowing is a food-grade product, and this one is a sealed softgel.
Can I use it on my hair or skin?
People do, and plenty buy it for that. Those uses sit outside anything we are permitted to claim, so we hold back from promising a result and simply sell you a clean oil.
What would you suggest for stubborn constipation instead?
Usually a bulk-forming fibre such as Fybogel or an osmotic such as Movicol or lactulose first, because all three can be used for far longer and none leads to dependence. Ask our pharmacist and we will go through the shelf with you.
When should I see a doctor rather than buy a laxative?
Blood in your stool, weight you did not mean to lose, a bowel habit that has changed and stayed changed, new constipation after fifty, or bowel cancer in the family. Our doctor is at the pharmacy for exactly that.
Where can I buy NOW Castor Oil Softgels 120s in Kenya, and what does it cost?
From HealthAlone, online for delivery countrywide or over the counter at Kahawa Sukari Shopping Center, Nairobi. The current price is shown above. We deliver across Nairobi — the CBD, Westlands, Parklands, Gigiri, Muthaiga, Runda, Kitisuru, Lavington, Kilimani, Karen, Langata, South B, South C, Eastleigh, Kasarani, Roysambu, Githurai, Ruaka and Banana Hill — and to Kiambu, Thika, Juja, Ruiru, Kikuyu, Limuru, Ngong, Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, Eldoret, Nyeri, Machakos, Kitengela, Naivasha, Narok, Kericho, Kisii, Migori, Homa Bay, Bungoma, Busia, Kakamega, Kitale, Embu, Meru, Nanyuki, Nyahururu, Isiolo, Marsabit, Wajir, Mandera, Garissa, Lodwar, Kitui, Makueni, Voi, Taveta, Mariakani, Diani, Ukunda, Kilifi, Watamu, Malindi and Lamu. Outside Kenya we have delivered to Uganda, Tanzania, Somaliland and Malawi, and we quote for Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa and the rest of Africa on request. Please tell us if you are pregnant or breastfeeding when you order, because this is one we would swap for something else.
