Until some years ago, castor oil was only known to have one benefit: taking care of everyone's worst hair woes. And while it does an excellent job at hair growth and is perhaps the most trusted home remedy passed onto all of us from our grandmums, there is a lot more to it than just hair and eyelash growth. If you've been bombarded by castor oil content on Instagram like I have, allow me to break down the hype surrounding this strange belly button remedy.
Taking It From The Top
Castor oil packs are not as new as we think they are. They were first used in the 1930s for their healing properties, and became quite popular, too. Massaging castor oil into the navel is an Ayurvedic practice, as well. In time, with societal progress and traditional medicine coming into play, these 'miracle workers' were forgotten and deemed ancient. Until now.
What Changed?
For starters, people have once again started to turn to natural and clean living. Nobody wants to be swallowing a bunch of pills on the daily, or put any chemicals into their body. Organic, plant-based beauty and wellness products have stolen the spotlight and how.
The Claims
By applying castor oil to your belly button, a cloth or a ready-made pack available online, and placing it over areas like the liver and abdomen, people claim that this pack helps to stimulate circulation, improve lymphatic drainage, and promote detoxification. This, in turn, helps in dealing with menstrual cramps, bloating, irregularity, sleep issues and inflammation. It definitely is not a magic trick for weight loss and good health, but can drastically improve positive results that you want to see in your body by following a clean lifestyle.
The Advocates
Wellness influencers and fitness gurus on Instagram are sharing their experiences with castor oil packs, touting them as a simple way to detoxify and cleanse the body, without invasive procedures. They also share the method that you should be introducing castor oil to your body in, because it is highly stimulating.
The 'How To' Guide
Firstly, you need to pick an organic, hextor-free brand of castor oil, like EriCare or Soulflower. Next, you either want to purchase an oil pack from Amazon, like this one, or patches to seal the oil in. Start with massaging your belly button with just 4-5 drops and then once you see no adverse effects, you can go up to covering your entire belly button, and abdomen. Another thing to keep in mind is to wear an old t-shirt to bed, in case of any leaks. Voila, that's the recipe to waking up to a flat tummy and happy hormones!
The Inside Scoop
We asked Shruti Maheshwari Baid, Functional Medicine Specialist at Nutrition by Shruti, what she thinks of this viral hack, "Castor oil packs definitely deliver the plant’s benefits without ingestion-related side effects. When applied to the skin, it's generally safe and gets absorbed straight into the blood stream."
"That being said, no fancy remedy can replace great lifestyle habits. Castor oil is definitely convenient and worth trying, but will be rendered useless without nutrient dense foods, supplements and restorative sleep. I'd say give it a couple weeks' time, if you do not see any difference, then it's time to move on."
Disclaimer: Please do not try this out if you are pregnant, lactating or menstruating. Always consult your doctor before starting, if you have any health issues and do a patch test.