where does castor oil come from

Castor oil comes from the seeds of the castor bean plant, scientifically known as Ricinus communis. The oil is a vegetable oil that is pressed from the castor beans, which contain 40 to 60 percent oil. This plant is indigenous to the southeastern Mediterranean Basin, East Africa, and India, but is now widely cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. The seeds are collected, cleaned, de-hulled, and then pressed or solvent-extracted to obtain the castor oil. The oil has been used since ancient times for medicinal, industrial, and cosmetic purposes.