Castor oil benefits - facts or fad?

You can hardly turn a digital corner today without bumping into stories, posts, advice, success anecdotes, directions for use, reviews, and explorations on the laureates of castor oil. Is there any real merit to these stories that go as far as to claim that castor oil can dissolve bone spurs and even tumors, in addition to all other skin and health castor oil benefits? We all know that not all neatly produced interesting content on social media is accurate, as the currency that validates it is clicks, likes, shares, and interactions. The more outrageous the claim, the more of these you'll get, if only just out of curiosity. We also know that anecdotal evidence is not proof, but it is worth exploring if the results are consistently reproducible. It's one of those "where there's smoke, there's a fire" situation.

So, we are here today to break down some claims on castor oil we've been bombarded by and to see if we can separate truth from fiction and help you make an informed decision before you decimate your wallet by purchasing gallons of quite pricy oil. So, castor oil benefits - truth or click-collecting buzz? Coming right up.

What is castor oil?

Castor oil is a vegetable oil extracted from the seed of the castor bean plant (Ricinus communis), and its active ingredient is a fatty acid called ricinoleic acid. Sidebar: All seed oils are vegetable oils, but not all vegetable oils are seed oils, such as avocado, olive, or coconut oil. Castor oil was used in ancient Egypt as a lamp oil, and there are some insinuations of cosmetic and medicinal uses.

Before being made into oil, the seeds and the castor plant contain a dangerous toxin, ricin, which gets filtered out through the production process. That's a good thing as ricin causes death by symptoms of severe "food poisoning," such as vomiting and bloody diarrhea, and one milligram of ricin - inhaled,  injected, or ingested in food or water - can kill an adult.

Once produced, castor oil has no distinct smell, is quite viscose, and has a yellowish tint. The odorless quality would seemingly put it in the category of cooking oils, but we don't use it for cooking. The taste is unpleasant, so castor oil is not considered edible, although some reported benefits of castor oil require ingestion. It is possible to find castor oil in food, sometimes as an additive to various candies, but this is rare.

It is also a valuable oil for industry. We can find it in paints, high-gloss finish varnishes, cosmetic items, and lubricants, as well as in fuel for airplanes and plastics and nylon materials. Not a bad range of applications. But what about castor oil health and wellness claims floating around the mediasphere as facts?

The most popular castor oil benefits

Some claims on the benefits of castor oil are proven effective, while castor oil in belly button is more neutral. Some - for example, long-term ingestion or castor oil used directly on the eyes - are completely unfounded and can be downright dangerous. Others, like castor oil being a cure for cancer, border on delusional. Delulu is most often not the solulu; it's simply believing a lie and hoping the phantasy is real. If something seems too good to be true, it usually isn't. That's the way reality works, although we leave space for all of the things we might not yet know.

Castor Oil in Bellybutton

It seems like a strange thing to fiddle with your well-oiled belly button daily, but this practice is not a new Internet craze of the moment. Navel pulling is an Ayurvedic practice that has been used in this holistic Indian medical system for over 3000 years. The original name of this practice is nabhi chikitsa, and it is a therapy designed to restore balance to the body through the nabhi (navel), which is a very important energetic point in Ayurveda.

This principle gained a second wind when the socialites of the digital got a hold of it. Now, we're hearing infinite stories where applying generous amounts of castor oil into the navel can treat constipation, flatten your stomach, and detoxify the body. The Ayurvedic beginnings of this practice claim that the navel's Pechoti gland can absorb oils. To this day, proof of the existence of this gland is yet to be discovered.

You will most likely not do any harm by pouring castor oil into your navel. You might even like how the finger inside the belly button feels, and you might get a light massage. Final verdict? There are no proven results for digestion from topical applications of castor oil, but you might enjoy the massage and may even get some placebo relief because you've relaxed. It will not do any harm, so if it feels good, enjoy it, but manage your expectations.

Castor oil packs

Some prefer to rub castor oil into the skin, and others apply castor oil packs. These packs are usually pieces of cloth, most often cotton or wool, which get fastened to the skin and are supposed to help with various conditions, such as cramps, unclear skin, slow digestion, and detox toxin accumulations. These are often advised to be used with hot water bottles. Here, we enter the twilight zone of the zero-proof due to claims of melted bone spurs and the breaking down of tumors. Understand that these claims are unfounded. Please don't buy into it or give false hope to people battling a serious illness. Without proof, claiming a cancer cure is just cruel.

Regarding the digestion and bloating part, there is no evidence that applying castor oil to the skin will help relieve your problem. Drinking it might, but we'll get to that in a minute. Detoxing is an inbuilt function of the body, and we detox every day through the help of faithful organs that work around the clock, such as the liver, kidneys, bladder, colon, lymphatic system, lungs, and skin (yes, lungs and skin are also elimination organs).

Most likely, there will be no adverse reaction, but it will also not be anything to write home about. For most of the conditions claimed to be helped by castor oil packs, there are proven methods that give proven results, for example:

• A heating pad on the stomach or back or over-the-counter painkillers help with cramps. We suspect that the heat does most of the work here when combined with the castor oil pack, relaxing the muscles, and castor oil gets the glory.

   

• Problematic skin can be helped by adopting healthy life habits, from not relying on junk and processed foods as the pillar of your diet to getting serious about cleansing and skincare and makeup that will not be comedogenic for you.

   

• Frequent digestion troubles or stomach upsets can mean that there is either a problem with your food choices or there might be something going on with your GI tract or gut microbiome that you'd be wise to check out.

   

• The benefits of rubbing castor oil on the stomach are not proven, although you might get some good skin moisturization. The detox part is mostly just a matter of getting out of your own way and stopping exposure to toxins the best you can. Once you minimize the toxin load - nutritional, from bad habits, dirty cosmetics, or environmental - the body will take over to detox you naturally. 

Castor oil for hair

Castor oil for hair growth, nourishment, and gloss are common claims. Castor oil can indeed be found as an ingredient in some shampoos, conditioners, and a bucket of other hair products due to its moisturization properties. Still, there is no solid proof that it can combat hair thinning or hair loss. But since it is an occlusive seed oil, it can give you clogged pores, irritate a sensitive scalp, or cause scalp acne. One of the rarer unwanted effects is acute hair felting, where your hair becomes sort of like a mat, hard and unchangeable, and it has to be cut off (or shaven, depending on how close to the scalp the felting had occurred).

Other scientifically anchored methods could help with hair loss, such as using rosemary oil or technologies that stimulate the hair follicles to produce healthier and stronger hair, such as red LED therapy for hair growth.

If you still choose to try castor oil on the hair, maybe it would be best to use it only on the ends. So, are castor oil hair growth stories a myth or a result of a distorted perception of reality because we want it to work and see what's not there? Is castor the best oil for hair? We don't know, but we wouldn't bet on it until more hard proof emerges.

Castor oil for skin

Castor oil is rich in ricinoleic acid, a monosaturated fatty acid. It moisturizes by forming a film that locks moisture into the skin and prevents transepidermal water loss. That is a valid property and the reason why it found its way into commercial skincare and haircare products. However, believers in holistic and clean beauty wish to bypass the middleman and go straight to the source by using pure organic castor oil with no artificial dyes or perfumes added. This is commendable, and we should all strive to find clean alternatives in the overcrowded market.

Still, keep in mind that undiluted castor oil can irritate the skin and cause allergic reactions in some people, especially if using castor oil on very sensitive skin such as your nether regions. The benefits of castor oil on private parts are reportedly relief for dry skin and vaginal dryness. But please don't improvise here. Talk to your doctor to make sure to avoid infection or irritation. If you still use castor oil for face care or down under, dilute it with other natural skincare ingredients or more neutral carrier oil such as jojoba, sweet almond, or argan oil.

Castor oil for constipation

Can you ingest castor oil, and is this use legitimate? Yes, and yes. FDA took a look at the data and approved castor oil as a natural laxative and treatment for temporary constipation. It works because the ricinoleic acid that is so moisturizing in topical applications, once ingested, attaches to your intestines and causes muscle contractions, which will (fingers crossed) help your bowels evacuate the poop that was packed in. Still, castor oil for constipation is pretty aggressive and can cause unpleasant cramping, so it has fallen a bit of grace in the last few decades as better options have emerged.

Nonetheless, it is ok for short-term, occasional use, although it could give you runs and nausea, which might be just as bad as constipation. We suggest always trying to ease occasional constipation with a lot of water and high-fiber healthy food, such as kiwis, psyllium husks, prunes, or apples. This could give you some more bulk and help you move things faster. Lying on your back and massaging your belly or doing some physical activity (sex counts) can also help with constipation. If the problem is chronic, seeing a professional to explore why this happens so often would be good.

Castor oil for labor

There's this old midwife trick supposedly used from ancient times, claiming that giving a woman - who is ready to give birth but the contractions are not starting - castor oil. It has been reproduced in some studies and seems to be legit help in inducing labor and enabling vaginal birth with no complications. However, one thing to keep in mind is that it can cause an upset stomach and diarrhea in the amounts used (about 2 ounces orally). This shouldn't be done before reaching a full-term pregnancy at 40 weeks and is not recommended for women who've had a prior C-section. Either way, maybe you don't want additional bothers, such as a stomach ache and diarrhea while going through immense pain already. The use of castor oil is also associated with fast contractions and less blood flow to the baby, so it must absolutely be done under professional supervision.

Castor oil for eyelashes and eye health

Eyelashes are also hair, so there is no evidence for improving growth and volume, just as with hair. It could, however, make your eyelashes appear healthier and shinier, and that's a nice bonus. People also claim it makes the undereye area appear younger and fresher. 

But, there is also a dangerous trend of putting castor oil directly in your eye to cure eye dryness, improve eyesight, and even glaucoma. Anything nonsterile in your eye is a problem, and you can experience irritation and blurriness and even get chemical burns and eye damage. So, not a good idea. 

Anti-inflammatory properties and wound healing

The research seems to suggest that castor oil has some beneficial anti-inflammatory effects and can help heal wounds, and more research should be done in this area to confirm and solidify its use for these purposes. How does castor oil work for these? purposes? Ricinoleic acid applied to the skin can reduce inflammation-caused swelling and pain. It has been tested for knee arthritis and compared to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, showing a similar effect. The wound healing property is likely a combination of the anti-inflammatory effects and the hydration capabilities, keeping the healing skin moist and flexible. Still, you should let a professional treat your wound rather than trying to do so privately with non-sterile equipment or a random oil you have at home.

Risks & side effects of castor oil

Although once processed, the ricin toxin is no longer in your castor oil; we still need to be aware of some potential risks of uncontrolled use. We've mentioned most of them already, but here is a more comprehensive list where you can find these risks in a single place.

Allergies to castor

Some people are allergic to the plant. If you see any rash, swelling, or itching, you're one of them.

Gastrointestinal distress

Although a legitimate natural route to relieve constipation, keep in mind that nausea, abdominal pain, cramping, dizziness, vomiting, and bloating are also on the table here. You most likely won't be constipated anymore, but you won't have much fun getting there, either. Also, appendicitis, inflammatory bowel disease, or another GI condition can get worse with castor oil use.

Eye problems

We've mentioned the bad idea of putting castor oil directly in your eye. This can lead to burning, pain, blurred vision, redness, and even eye damage, so please visit a professional with any eye problems. Fun fact in this bleak section of warnings: Your eye is the only exposed part of your brain, and your retinas are a part of your central nervous system, brain, and spinal cord.

Medication interactions

Please don't take it with any of your other medications, as the laxative effect interacts with medications such as antibiotics and blood thinners. Keeping in mind the possible side effects of ingestion for constipation, please don't combine it with any other laxatives or diuretics to boost the effect.

Can you overdose?

Yes, you can, and it will present as chest pain, shortness of breath, cramps, dizziness, diarrhea, and a rash.

In conclusion, while castor oil certainly holds some value for wellness and personal care, it is essential not to buy into every new trend and to approach every claim with a critical eye and explore everything you plan to try using further. Some of the claims surrounding castor oil, such as curing cancer or dissolving bone spurs, remain unsupported by science and can often lead to disappointment and unrealistic expectations. However, castor oil has legitimate uses, especially in moisturizing and relieving constipation when ingested sparingly, and its potential anti-inflammatory properties need more research. Like any trend, remember that clicks and getting on the bandwagon of buzzwords of the moment are the name of the game. So consult with a professional before slathering castor oil everywhere from eye to toe.

Stay curious, be healthy, make informed choices, and enjoy living in your skin, dear friends.