I Looked Up Castor Oil Benefits and Found Way More Uses Than I Expected

My Coworker Put Castor Oil in Her Belly Button, So Naturally I Had Questions

A woman I worked with casually told me one day that she had started putting castor oil in her belly button.

And of course, I had questions.

What exactly was the castor oil supposed to be doing in there?

Was this another internet thing I somehow missed?

And if people were putting castor oil in their belly buttons, what else were they using it for?

That one conversation sent me looking.

I knew about castor oil, but I honestly thought of it as one of those old fashioned things somebody's grandmother kept in the house.

I had no idea women were putting it on their stomachs, faces, scalps, eyebrows, eyelashes, feet and just about everywhere else.

Once I started looking into it, I realized castor oil isn't completely overhyped.

It actually can be useful.

But the internet has also given this poor bottle of oil way more responsibility than any oil should have.

So here is what I found out about the everyday ways we can use castor oil, what it might actually help with, and where I think some of the claims get a little carried away.

First, What Exactly Is Castor Oil?

Castor oil comes from castor beans.

It is a very thick oil, much thicker than something like olive oil or coconut oil, and one of the reasons people like it is because it holds moisture really well.

That explains a lot of its everyday uses.

If our skin is dry, it can help soften it.

If our hair feels dry, it can coat the hair and make it feel smoother.

If our cuticles look like they have been through something, castor oil can help there too.

Some of the information looked promising, although there still isn't enough information to turn every castor oil claim we see online into a fact.

Basically, castor oil does have some useful qualities.

It just isn't magic.

So, Let's Talk About the Belly Button

This is where my curiosity started.

People are putting a few drops of castor oil into their belly buttons before bed and saying it helps with everything from bloating and digestion to sleep, stress, cramps and dry skin.

The biggest thing I learned is that our belly button isn't some secret entrance into the rest of our body.

Putting castor oil there isn't sending it straight to our stomach, intestines or other organs.

So if somebody tells me that a few drops in my belly button are going to detox my entire body overnight, I am going to need a little more than a TikTok video.

There really isn't good proof that putting castor oil specifically in the belly button improves digestion or cleans toxins out of our bodies.

But could it moisturize the skin there?

Absolutely.

Could rubbing our stomach with it and taking a few quiet minutes before bed feel relaxing?

Absolutely.

Could using a warm castor oil pack on our stomach feel comforting when we're bloated or crampy?

I can understand that too.

I just wouldn't assume that because it feels good on the outside, something major is being fixed on the inside.

Castor Oil Packs on the Stomach

This was another thing I kept seeing.

A castor oil pack is basically cloth with castor oil on it that we place over the stomach, or a cotton ball soaked with castor oil and placed in the belly button, usually while lying down and relaxing.

Some women swear by them for bloating, constipation, cramps and general stomach discomfort.

This is one of those things where I think we have to leave room for two things to be true at once.

A warm, oily pack sitting on our stomach while we are lying still for thirty minutes can feel very soothing.

That doesn't necessarily mean the oil itself is curing whatever caused the discomfort.

There isn't strong proof that castor oil packs detox our organs or fix digestive problems.

But if somebody tells me she enjoys hers because it forces her to lie down, relax and stop doing seventeen things at once, I completely understand it.

Sometimes the ritual is part of what feels good.

Castor Oil Can Actually Help with Constipation

Now this one is different.

Castor oil isn't just an internet remedy for constipation.

It is actually used as a laxative.

When taken by mouth, castor oil makes the muscles in our intestines move more, which can help us have a bowel movement.

So when people say castor oil can make you go to the bathroom, that part is very real.

Possibly a little too real.

It can also cause stomach pain, nausea, diarrhea and vomiting.

It isn't meant to become something we depend on every day.

This is definitely one of those situations where more is not better.

And drinking castor oil because we are constipated is completely different from rubbing it on our stomach and expecting the same result.

If I were dealing with constipation once in a while, I would know castor oil exists as an option.

But if I were dealing with constipation all the time, I would want to know why instead of continuously reaching for the bottle.

Castor Oil for Dry Skin

This is probably the everyday use that makes the most sense to me.

Castor oil is very moisturizing.

Because it is so thick, it can help our skin hold onto moisture instead of drying out so quickly.

That makes it useful for areas that always seem to get dry no matter what we do.

Hands.

Elbows.

Knees.

Heels.

Feet.

Cuticles.

Those random rough patches that seem to appear out of nowhere.

I can definitely see using a little castor oil on my heels before bed or rubbing some into really dry hands.

The one thing I wouldn't do is assume that because it is natural, my skin can't react to it.

Some people can get redness, itching or irritation from castor oil, especially when using it straight on the skin.

So this isn't one of those situations where I would open the bottle and immediately cover myself from forehead to ankle.

Try a small skin area first.

See what happens.

What About Using Castor Oil on Our Face?

This one interested me because castor oil shows up in a lot of beauty conversations.

Because it holds moisture, it may make dry skin look softer and smoother.

And when our skin is well moisturized, fine lines can sometimes look less noticeable because the skin isn't as dry.

There is also newer research looking at castor oil and skin hydration, elasticity, signs of aging and dark spots.

That doesn't mean I would start calling castor oil a wrinkle remover.

I wouldn't.

But if my skin likes it, I can understand using a small amount as part of a moisturizing routine.

Especially on dry areas.

I would just be careful if I have sensitive skin or skin that breaks out easily because pure castor oil can irritate some people.

Can It Help Dark Spots?

This is another area where I found enough information to make me curious, but not enough to make me promise anything.

Some newer skin research has looked at castor oil and dark spots, and there may be something there.

But that is very different from saying plain castor oil will erase every dark mark on our face.

Would I expect a dark spot to disappear in three nights because somebody made a video about it?

No.

Would I completely dismiss castor oil as a skin care ingredient?

Also no.

This is one of those things I am putting in my interesting, but let's see where the research goes pile.

Castor Oil for Lips

Dry lips are another pretty logical use.

Castor oil is already used in some lip products because it can help hold moisture.

So if our lips are dry, a product containing castor oil may help keep them feeling softer.

I would personally lean toward something made for lips rather than grabbing whatever giant bottle of castor oil happens to be sitting under the bathroom sink.

Same ingredient.

Different purpose.

And Then There Is the Hair

This is probably the claim I see the most.

Castor oil grows hair.

Castor oil thickens hair.

Castor oil grows edges back.

Castor oil makes hair grow faster.

This is where things aren't quite as exciting as I wanted them to be.

Castor oil can help hair look shinier, and because it coats the hair, it may help dry hair feel softer and more manageable.

Newer research is still looking at whether it could play a bigger role in hair loss, but we don't have strong proof that putting plain castor oil on our scalp makes our hair suddenly grow faster.

That doesn't make it useless for hair.

If my hair is dry and breaking because it desperately needs moisture, keeping it softer and better conditioned can help me hold onto the hair I already have.

And sometimes that alone makes our hair look fuller and healthier.

But moisture and new hair growth aren't the same thing.

That distinction gets lost online a lot.

Castor Oil for a Dry Scalp

This is another place where the moisturizing part can come in handy.

A little castor oil may help soften a scalp that feels dry.

I would emphasize a little.

Castor oil is thick.

Very thick.

Using too much can lead to buildup, clogged pores and irritation.

There have even been rare cases where heavy castor oil use caused hair to become extremely tangled and matted.

So I don't think our scalp needs to be marinating in it.

If I used it, I would put it on my finger and rub it on my scalp parts see how my scalp responded.

What About Eyebrows?

I was hoping this one was going to give me something exciting too.

Castor oil can coat and moisturize eyebrow hairs.

That may make the hairs we already have look shinier, smoother or even a little fuller.

What it hasn't been clearly proven to do is create a bunch of new eyebrow hairs where none were growing before.

Still, if my eyebrows are dry or brittle, conditioning them isn't a bad thing.

I just wouldn't expect to go to sleep with 1998 eyebrow hairs and wake up with 2026 eyebrow hairs.

Unfortunately.

And Eyelashes?

Pretty much the same answer.

Castor oil can moisturize and condition the lashes we already have.

What we don't have strong proof of is plain castor oil causing new eyelashes to grow.

And this is one area where I would be careful.

Regular castor oil isn't something I would accidently drip into my eyes.

It can cause irritation, pain and blurred vision.

There are eye products that contain specially prepared castor oil, but that isn't the same thing as putting cosmetic castor oil straight into our eyes.

My eyeballs aren't where I personally want to experiment.

Castor Oil for Nails and Cuticles

This may be one of the easiest uses of all.

If our cuticles are dry, castor oil can help moisturize and soften them.

The same goes for the dry skin around our nails.

Will it magically make our nails grow an inch by next Thursday?

I couldn't find anything convincing that says that.

But if my hands look less dry and my cuticles look better, I am perfectly happy letting castor oil take that win.

The Thing I Like Most About What I Found

I started researching castor oil because I wanted to know whether putting it in our belly buttons was actually doing anything.

Instead, I found something a little more useful.

Castor oil doesn't have to be either a miracle or a scam.

There are things it genuinely can do.

It can moisturize dry skin.

It can soften rough areas.

It can moisturize cuticles.

It can make dry hair feel softer and look shinier.

It may help a dry scalp if we use a small amount.

It can condition eyebrow and eyelash hairs.

And when taken properly as a laxative, it really can help with occasional constipation.

Then there are things people enjoy even though we don't have much proof behind the bigger claims.

Putting it in the belly button.

Rubbing it over the stomach.

Using castor oil packs.

Using it for bloating or cramps.

If those things feel soothing and aren't irritating our skin, I can understand why women keep doing them.

I just wouldn't turn that into a promise that our organs are being cleansed or something inside our body is being cured.

That is probably where I landed after going down this whole castor oil rabbit hole.

I am actually more interested in trying castor oil now than I was before.

Just for different reasons.

Maybe I would try it on my heels.

Maybe my cuticles.

Maybe a tiny amount on dry hair.

And yes, after everything that started this conversation, I admit I am still curious about the belly button.

Some things we try because the evidence is strong.

Some things we try because they feel good and don't hurt anything.

I just like knowing which one I am dealing with.

Because if I am going to put oil in my belly button before bed, I at least want to know what I am expecting it to do.

And now I do.

#EvolvingWomanhood

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A quick note: This post is based on my personal research and is for general information only. Castor oil can affect everyone differently and isn’t a replacement for medical advice. If you’re pregnant, take medications, have a health condition, or plan to take castor oil by mouth, check with your doctor or healthcare provider first.