Castor Oil for Detox and Healing: Myth or Miracle?

The Real Story Behind a Trending Remedy

A popular trend making the rounds on social media, castor oil has been promoted as a natural miracle worker for everything from detoxification to hair growth and even improving eyesight. Traditionally, castor oil has been used to ease constipation, promote labor, alleviate joint pain, improve wound healing, and boost moisture in the skin. On first glance, it seems as though it is a perfect natural remedy for a range of conditions. Here we’ll separate fact from fiction by looking at what research has to say. Let’s dive in!

Science-Backed Uses

Castor oil has a long history of use in natural medicine, and there are plenty of anecdotal stories surrounding its effectiveness for constipation, inducing labor, wound healing, and easing arthritis.

A case in point is 2012 research that found castor oil taken orally encouraged laxation and uterine contraction via activation of prostaglandin EP3 receptors in animal studies.¹ Long used as a folk remedy for both these purposes, the researchers established that the oil does in fact have a strong laxative effect and induces labor in full-term pregnant women. However, the latter use has been replaced by modern pharmaceuticals due to unwanted side effects, such as nausea.²

Another study examined the usefulness of castor oil for wound healing. The team found that castor oil demonstrated a higher healing rate of wounds in a shorter time period when compared with balsam applications.³ Likewise, research in 2016 established castor oil had antibacterial action against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterobacter aerogenes, and Staphylococcus aureus in vitro.⁴ This is an important finding as Staphylococcus aureus can lead to dangerous staph skin infections.

Castor oil shows promise for knee osteoarthritis pain and inflammation as well. When patients were given a 0.9mL capsule of the oil three times a day for 4 weeks, symptoms of the condition were alleviated as much as those who took the conventional medication diclofenac sodium.⁵ What’s more, a study published in the journal Mediators Inflammation found that topical application of castor oil demonstrated significant analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects for joints, muscles, and tissues.⁶ See our Joint & Movement Bundle for a safe and effective alternative.

Is Castor Oil Helpful for Detoxification, Hair Growth, and Vision Issues?

Interestingly, one study established that castor oil contains flavonoids, phenolic compounds, fatty acids, amino acids, terpenoids, phytosterol, and ricinoleic acid. These compounds have been shown to exhibit “anticonceptive, antidiabetic, antifertility, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant, hepatoprotective, insecticidal and wound-healing activities. They also showed free radical scavenging and Hg scavenging activities, and repellent properties.”⁷

The authors note the oil has been traditionally used for abdominal disorders, arthritis, backache, muscle aches, bilharziasis, chronic backache and sciatica, chronic headache, constipation, expulsion of placenta, gallbladder pain, period pain, menstrual cramps, rheumatism, sleeplessness, and insomnia. However, beyond what has been established in the studies noted above, these uses have not been verified by scientific investigation.

Many influencers have promoted the near miraculous effect castor oil has on hair health — and there is some scientific backing to this. Research has shown that antioxidants and omega-6 fatty acids found in the oil may help to ease hair loss, promote hair growth, and calm inflammation in the hair follicle.^10,11

While the claim that castor oil can improve vision is unfounded, it has been used to treat inflammation of the eyelid and reduce dry eyes by increasing the protective lipid layer.^8,9 It is important to use only commercially formulated artificial tears containing castor oil to avoid contamination that can lead to an eye infection.

Traditionally, castor oil packs applied to the skin over the liver were believed to help improve detoxification by opening the bile ducts and improving the circulation of blood and lymph fluids. While there are plenty of anecdotal stories attesting to the effectiveness of castor oil packs for detoxification, there is no hard and fast research to back this claim. For tried and true detoxification practices, see this post.

Safety

Even though castor oil has been shown to have certain beneficial properties, it doesn’t come without risks. The oil can cause skin irritation, rash, and allergic reactions; cramping, diarrhea, and vomiting when ingested; burning, pain, redness, and eye damage; and clogged pores/acne. Castor oil can also interact with antibiotics, blood thinners, and diuretics. It may worsen appendicitis, inflammatory bowel disease, and other gastrointestinal conditions.¹⁹

Trusted Herbal Remedies for Liver Health

If you would like to detox safely, I recommend traditional remedies that support your major detoxification organs: the liver and kidneys. These herbs include dandelion root, milk thistle seed, and schisandra berries — each is found in our Liver Blend. Here are their specific benefits:

DANDELION ROOT (TARAXACUM OFFICINALE)

• Known as a diuretic
• Helps lower liver inflammation and lipid accumulation in the liver
• Helps flush toxins from the liver
• A good source of inulin to promote healthy gut bacteria
• Enhances detoxification of the liver, gallbladder, and kidneys^12,13

MILK THISTLE SEED (SILYBUM MARIANUM)

• Contains silymarin, which may help with liver repair and protection¹⁴
• Helps detoxify and support the liver by helping clear environmental toxins, chemotherapy toxins, poison, and harmful drugs from the body¹⁵
• Exhibits antioxidant, lipid-lowering, antihypertensive, antidiabetic, antiatherosclerotic, and anti-obesity effects due to the bioactive compound silymarin¹⁶
• Known to assist with cirrhosis, fatty liver disease, jaundice, and hepatitis¹⁴

SCHISANDRA BERRIES (SCHISANDRA CHINENSIS)

• Promotes liver regeneration
• ‘Helps address non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)¹⁷
• Helpful to support kidney, neurological, gastrointestinal, and liver disorders¹⁸

When it comes to safe, effective detox support, quality matters. Our Liver Blend combines science-backed, highly concentrated extracts of dandelion root, milk thistle seed, and schisandra berries — which are considered the gold standard in herbal liver care. Each botanical is selected for its proven ability to help your body eliminate toxins, protect liver cells, and restore balance to your detoxification pathways. Whether you’re supporting recovery, improving vitality, or simply giving your body the maintenance it deserves, this potent formulation delivers real results you can trust.

Visit the apothecary today and experience the difference our herbal extracts can make!

Nicole Apelian

Nicole’s Apothecary Products in this Post

References

1. Tunaru S, Althoff TF, Nüsing RM, Diener M, Offermanns S. Castor oil induces laxation and uterus contraction via ricinoleic acid activating prostaglandin EP3 receptors. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2012 Jun 5;109(23):9179-84. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1201627109. Epub 2012 May 21. PMID: 22615395; PMCID: PMC3384204.
2. Garry D, Figueroa R, Guillaume J, Cucco V. Use of castor oil in pregnancies at term. Altern Ther Health Med. 2000 Jan;6(1):77-9. PMID: 10631825.
3. Narayanan S, Van Vleet J, Strunk B, Ross RN, Gray M. Comparison of pressure ulcer treatments in long-term care facilities: clinical outcomes and impact on cost. J Wound Ostomy Continence Nurs. 2005 May-Jun;32(3):163-70. doi: 10.1097/00152192-200505000-00004. PMID: 15931146.
4. Al-Mamun MA, Akter Z, Uddin MJ, Ferdaus KM, Hoque KM, Ferdousi Z, Reza MA. Characterization and evaluation of antibacterial and antiproliferative activities of crude protein extracts isolated from the seed of Ricinus communis in Bangladesh. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2016 Jul 12;16:211. doi: 10.1186/s12906-016-1185-y. PMID: 27405609; PMCID: PMC4942971.
5. Medhi B, Kishore K, Singh U, Seth SD. Comparative clinical trial of castor oil and diclofenac sodium in patients with osteoarthritis. Phytother Res. 2009 Oct;23(10):1469-73. doi: 10.1002/ptr.2804. PMID: 19288533.
6. Vieira C, Evangelista S, Cirillo R, Lippi A, Maggi CA, Manzini S. Effect of ricinoleic acid in acute and subchronic experimental models of inflammation. Mediators Inflamm. 2000;9(5):223-8. doi: 10.1080/09629350020025737. PMID: 11200362; PMCID: PMC1781768.
7. Marwat, Sarfaraz Khan et al. “Review – Ricinus communis – Ethnomedicinal uses and pharmacological activities.” Pakistan journal of pharmaceutical sciences vol. 30,5 (2017): 1815-1827.
8. Alex Muntz, Emma Sandford, Marna Claassen, Lauren Curd, Alice K. Jackson, Grant Watters, Michael T.M. Wang, Jennifer P. Craig, Randomized trial of topical periocular castor oil treatment for blepharitis, The Ocular Surface, Volume 19, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtos.2020.05.007.
9. Sandford, Emma C et al. “Therapeutic potential of castor oil in managing blepharitis, meibomian gland dysfunction and dry eye.” Clinical & experimental optometry vol. 104,3 (2021): 315-322. doi:10.1111/cxo.13148
10. Ju Park H, Jin GR, Jung JH, Hwang SB, Hyun Lee S, Lee BH. Hair growth promotion effect of nelumbinis semen extract with high antioxidant activity. EBCAM. 2021;6661373:(1):1-11. doi:10.1155/2021/6661373
11. Mount Sinai. Omega-6 Fatty Acids. https://www.mountsinai.org
12. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/338326919_Hepatoprotection_by_dandelion_Taraxacum_officinale_and_mechanisms 
13. Abenavoli, L., Capasso, R., Milic, N., & Capasso, F. (2010). Milk thistle in liver diseases: past, present, future. Phytotherapy research : PTR, 24(10), 1423–1432. https://doi.org/10.1002/ptr.3207 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20564545/ 
14. Hackett, E S et al. “Milk thistle and its derivative compounds: a review of opportunities for treatment of liver disease.” Journal of veterinary internal medicine vol. 27,1 (2013): 10-6. doi:10.1111/jvim.12002
15. Tajmohammadi, Atefeh et al. “Silybum marianum (milk thistle) and its main constituent, silymarin, as a potential therapeutic plant in metabolic syndrome: A review.” Phytotherapy research : PTR vol. 32,10 (2018): 1933-1949. doi:10.1002/ptr.6153
16. Hackett, E. S., Twedt, D. C., & Gustafson, D. L. (2013). Milk thistle and its derivative compounds: a review of opportunities for treatment of liver disease. Journal of veterinary internal medicine, 27(1), 10–16. https://doi.org/10.1111/jvim.12002
17. Leong, Pou Kuan, and Kam Ming Ko. “Schisandrin B: A Double-Edged Sword in Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.” Oxidative medicine and cellular longevityvol. 2016 (2016): 6171658. doi:10.1155/2016/6171658
18. Zhang, Feng et al. “A Comprehensive Review of the Main Lignan Components of Schisandra chinensis (North Wu Wei Zi) and Schisandra sphenanthera (South Wu Wei Zi) and the Lignan-Induced Drug-Drug Interactions Based on the Inhibition of Cytochrome P450 and P-Glycoprotein Activities.” Frontiers in pharmacology vol. 13 816036. 11 Mar. 2022, doi:10.3389/fphar.2022.816036
19. Cleveland Clinic | Health Essentials, December 8, 2023. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/castor-oil-benefits