Castor oil and Jamaican Black Castor oil are two products that are frequently mentioned on natural hair blogs and forums. To date I have only tried the Home Health brand of Castor oil and my hair loves it so much that I believe I am on my third bottle already (in less than 2 years).
Initially I started doing a Castor oil challenge which consisted of applying Castor oil mixed with a lighter oil to my scalp 2-3 times a week. Prior to the challenge I had some scalp issues that included flaking and itching, especially in the crown area. After the challenge was over I noticed that even now I don't have any problems with flaking and even though my scalp still itches at times, there has been a great improvement to the amount of itching that I was experiencing. Castor oil acts as a humectant so it's possible that the Castor oil helped to draw in some much needed moisture to my scalp and roots. I know that many individuals are adamantly against oiling the scalp but it worked for me and when it comes to my hair I do what works. You should always do the say for your hair.
While researching information regarding the difference between Castor oil and Jamaican Black Castor oil I came upon the Tropic Isle Living site and there is actually has short statement on their site explaining the difference. According to the site the major difference is that the Castor beans for the JBCO are roasted until the brown color is reached and the oil is extracted. I wasn't able to find a lot of information about JBCO from reliable sources so we will just have to educate each other (leave comments below). Castor oil is typically extracted from the seed of Ricinus communis Linn. When the slow roasting is omitted, it makes sense that the color would remain light and not turn the brown color of the JBCO. (This is coming from a girl that just browned some white chocolate by accident the other day - on low heat btw)
There are numerous articles available that further explain the medicinal and health & beauty benefits that can result from the use of Castor oil. In your free time you may want to Google Castor oil and read some of that information for your self.
In your opinion is a huge difference between JBCO and CO? Which do you prefer?
I haven't tried JBCO (yet) but my sister has so I am turning to her for a first-hand review. Coming up...my sister reviews Jamaican Black Castor Oil
References
Tropical Isle Living Castor Oil Comparison
Welch, Holme, & Clark Co - Castor Oil
Castor Oil Facts
The Beauty Brains