Castor oil packs (cloth soaked in castor oil applied to the skin) are all the buzz. They’re touted for easing digestive issues, skin problems, poor circulation, pain, and other ailments. Castor oil is a well-known holistic remedy, which is one reason for its recent rise in TikTok popularity. But many people wonder if caster oil claims are truly backed by science.
This article examines the available scientific evidence and evaluates claims surrounding castor oil packs, determining whether they’re indeed effective for treating common health concerns.
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What Are Castor Oil Packs?
Castor oil packs are as simple as they sound. They are pieces of cloth soaked in castor oil you can place just about anywhere on your body.
Components and Preparation
Ingredients in castor oil packs are castor oil, cloth, and a heat source. You can purchase castor oil (prepared from castor beans) in many grocery stores, health food stores, and pharmacies. A step-by-step preparation process is as follows:
Ingredients
- Hexane-free castor oil
- Cotton, flannel, or other types of cloth
- Tongs
- Scissors
- Medium or large bowl
- Plastic coating (garbage bag, saran wrap, small tablecloth, etc.)
- A heating pad or another heat source
Instructions
- Cut the cloth into rectangular pieces, strips, or squares.
- Soak the cloth in castor oil.
- Layer the soaked cloth on saran wrap or plastic.
- Place the pack on your skin covered in the saran wrap or plastic.
- Place a heating pad over the top.
- Keep the castor oil pack on your skin with heat for 15-90 minutes.
- Remove the pack and rinse off your skin.
- Seal the pack in a container and place it in the refrigerator.
- You can often reuse castor oil packs up to 30 times.
You can purchase castor oil pack kits online if this is the preferred preparation method.
Traditional Uses and Historical Background
Historically, castor oil has been used in various cultures for:
- Laxatives
- Stimulating uterine contractions
- Antimicrobial activity
- Lipid metabolism
- Constipation relief
- Wound healing
- Headache relief
- Arthritis pain relief
- Reduced menstrual cramps
- Labor induction
- Dry eye, eyelid inflammation, and other eye conditions
- Skin conditions
- Detoxification
- Relief from digestive issues
Castor oil is safe and effective, according to the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). It’s helpful for use as a bowel prep before undergoing diagnostic testing, such as colonoscopies. Off-label uses that aren’t FDA-approved have been used in alternative medicine treatment for hundreds of years.
How Castor Oil Packs Are Believed to Work
Castor oil packs are believed to work by:
Mechanism of Action
The mechanism of action of caster oil packs is absorption through your skin. Its potential systemic effects, such as its laxative, labor induction, and pain-reducing properties, occur because of castor oil’s ricinoleic acid content — which makes up about 90% of this oil.
Common Claims
Common caster oil pack claims include:
- Detoxification
- Antimicrobial activity
- Lipid metabolism
- Uterine contraction stimulation
- Arthritis pain relief
- Liver support
- Generalized pain relief
- Lymphatic drainage
- Improved circulation
- Reduced inflammation
- Less constipation
- Healthier skin
- Faster hair growth
- Shinier hair
- Reduced menstrual cramping
- Improved eye health
- Wound healing
- Fewer Headaches
Some of these claims are backed by research studies, case studies, or anecdotal reports. Castor oil's only FDA-approved use is as a stimulant laxative.
Scientific Evidence Supporting Castor Oil Packs
Research studying the effects of castor oil packs include:
Research Studies and Clinical Trials
One research study examining the health effects of castor oil packs found that they helped decrease straining during bowel movements and other symptoms of constipation in the elderly population.
A review studying the effects of topical castor oil found that while more research is needed, castor oil appears to play a beneficial role in managing cholesterol levels, liver function, heart disease, eye lubrication, constipation, and pain caused by neurogenic inflammation.
Additional research demonstrates helpful effects of topical castor oil on decreasing inflammation, reducing pimples, softening the skin, and having antimicrobial properties. It also enhances tissue smoothness, healthy pores, and skin moisturization and cleansing.
Researchers suggest that while more research is needed, topical castor oil cream appears to be an effective treatment for hyperpigmentation of the skin.
Biological Mechanisms Explored in Research
While the mechanisms of action after ingesting castor oil have been noted in research, more studies are needed to establish the mechanisms thereby influencing body functions of topical castor oil (including castor oil packs). They appear to be linked to the high ricinoleic acid content of castor oil, which is a natural pain reducer and anti-inflammatory substance.
Evaluating the Claims: What the Science Says
Researchers have reported the following findings regarding castor oil pack claims:
Detoxification
A common caster oil pack claim is that it helps detoxify the body, particularly the liver. While the University of Texas Cancer Center reports that caster oil does not detoxify the body, anecdotal reports and case studies suggest castor oil packs help detox the liver.
More clinical research is needed to back these claims of detoxification. However, research does suggest that topical castor oil appears to positively impact liver function, which may affect its detox ability.
Pain Relief and Inflammation
Research supports the use of castor oil packs for certain types of pain relief and inflammation. While not all castor oil uses are FDA-approved, such as menstrual cramping, arthritis pain, and headaches, preliminary evidence shows beneficial effects of topical castor oil on reducing pain caused by neurogenic inflammation (nervous system-activated inflammation).
Older research suggests that using castor oil in place of ultrasound gel or vaseline during extracorporeal shock wave therapy worked more effectively to ease discomfort.
Additional studies demonstrate that castor oil has pain-reducing, antifungal, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties.
Furthermore, case studies found that using castor oil packs can reduce painful periods and eliminate chronic pain.
Improved Circulation and Lymphatic Drainage
While anecdotal reports have touted the benefits of castor oil packs for improved blood circulation and lymphatic drainage, scientific research studies are needed to support or dispute these claims.
Liver Health
Improving liver health is another reported claim of castor oil packs. Preliminary evidence supports the use of topical castor oil for normalizing liver enzymes and positively affecting liver function. Researchers suggest that castor oil seeds have been used to cure inflammation and treat liver infections in Indian medicine systems for years.
Potential Benefits of Castor Oil Packs
The potential benefits of castor oil packs based on scientific research include:
Pain Management
Based on research studies and anecdotal reports, types of pain castor oil may positively affect include:
- Menstrual cramps
- Arthritis pain
- Headaches
- Nerve pain
- Discomfort during extracorporeal shockwave therapy
- Post-herpetic neuralgia
- Diabetic neuropathy
- Other neuropathic disorders
Individuals struggling with pain disorders should ask their healthcare provider before using castor oil for symptom relief.
Stress and Anxiety Reduction
Because of castor oil’s effects on the nervous system, researchers found that castor oil may provide relief from anxiety and stress. Preliminary evidence from animal studies shows that in mice, castor oil has anti-anxiety effects. Using castor oil packs is often a relaxing, stress-reducing experience.
Skin Health
A main benefit of topical castor oil for skin health is less hyperpigmentation. Other research-backed uses of castor oil packs for skin include improvements in softness, smoothness, facial pores, moisturization, cleansing, and hydration. However, researchers found that castor oil is not as effective for wound healing.
Risks and Considerations
While castor oil packs may offer an array of health and wellness benefits, potential risks and other considerations include:
Possible Side Effects
Possible side effects of applying castor oil directly to your skin include skin irritation, allergic reactions, rashes, itchiness, and redness. Ingesting castor oil may lead to vomiting, abdominal cramping, diarrhea, vomiting, dizziness, or bloating. It might cause blurred vision, burning, redness, or pain when putting castor oil in the eyes.
Contraindications
Avoid using castor oil packs until you first check in with a healthcare provider. Steer clear of using castor oil packs if you have signs of allergic skin reactions. Pregnant and nursing women should avoid castor oil packs.
Consulting Healthcare Professionals
It’s important to consult with a healthcare professional before applying castor oil topically or ingesting it to ensure utmost safety and effectiveness.
How to Use Castor Oil Packs Safely
Using castor oil packs safely is a simple process.
Step-by-Step Guide
- Cut a piece of cloth in the size of the area you’d like to treat.
- Soak cloth in castor oil.
- Place the cloth on your skin and cover it with plastic wrap.
- Place a heating pad over the top.
- Relax for 15-90 minutes, allowing the oil to soak into your skin.
- Wipe off your skin.
Place the cloth in the refrigerator to reuse up to 30 times.
Best Practices
While there’s no official guidelines for using castor oil packs, some providers suggest applications several times daily for at least four consecutive days over the course of a few weeks. Some research studies had participants use castor oil packs for 1 1/2 hours five days per week for two weeks or 60-90 minutes on three consecutive days.
Tips for Maximizing Benefits
To enhance the effectiveness of castor oil packs, it’s vital to see a healthcare provider to manage any chronic diseases. Eat nutritious foods, exercise regularly, minimize stress, stay hydrated, maintain an ideal weight, and get 7-9 hours of sleep each night.
Comparing Castor Oil Packs to Other Alternative Therapies
Other alternative therapies to consider in place of or in addition to castor oil packs include:
- Coconut oil or other natural oils
- Essential oils
- Heat therapy
- Acupuncture
- Hypnosis
- Ultrasound therapy
- Physical therapy
- Massage
- Biofeedback
- Yoga
- Tai chi
- Relaxation training (mindfulness, meditation, breathing exercises, etc.)
These methods can also help to ease pain, reduce the risk of disease complications, lessen stress, and optimize healing.
While all of the above holistic methods are backed by research for managing specific health conditions, castor oil might be a more cost effective, convenient, easily utilized form of alternative therapy.
A drawback of castor oil, however, is its potential for allergic skin reactions and its potential messiness when applied topically. It also has contraindications for pregnant and nursing women.
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Key Takeaways
- Castor oil packs are all the buzz on TikTok. While they offer potential health benefits, many of the reported beneficial effects linked to castor oil packs are anecdotal and more research is needed.
- The available research supports the use of castor oil packs for improving liver health, skin health, anxiety, heart health, inflammation, and pain – particularly nerve-related pain.
- Anecdotal and case study evidence suggests that castor oil is effective for reducing headaches, arthritis pain, IBS symptoms, and menstrual cramps, while improving digestion, detoxification, and circulation.
- It’s critical to consult with a healthcare professional before using castor oil packs to reduce symptoms or better manage common medical conditions.
- Informed decision-making and a balanced viewpoint based on scientific evidence is critical. While castor oil can reduce symptoms and help manage diseases, it’s not a cure.
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