Are TikTok's liver-detoxing castor oil packs a fact or fad?
The investigation you didn’t know you needed
Lifestyle
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TikTok has thrown some pretty weird and wacky theories our way over the past few years, but the latest one involving castor oil might take the cake. Here’s why you should think twice about every trend you hear about.
In a recent doom scroll through TikTok, I was inundated with videos of various 'morning shed' routines. The trend shows creators peeling off their various slept-in beauty aids, from heatless curl rollers to hair bonnets, under eye patches, chin straps, mouth tapes, and even castor oil packs strapped to their abdomen.
The latter caught me off guard when I first came across it – 'What on earth is on their stomach?' I wondered as I ran to the comments section to find answers. As I soon discovered, castor oil packs have taken off for their alleged liver-detoxing benefits. But one comment under a castor oil detox video got me thinking.
"Detox for what?" the viewer wrote. "Your kidneys do that already."
It posed an interesting conundrum – why are we spending money and time on trending wellness products if they purportedly serve the same function as our existing vital organs?
To find out more, I spoke with two medical experts about the efficacy of caster oil packs for living detoxing, and if any kind of detox is necessary when our body is already working hard to do so.
What are the alleged benefits of castor oil packs?
In a TikTok video with more than 7 million views, creator Courtney Snell demonstrates the first step in her morning routine video – removing her castor oil pack. In a follow up video, she explains the purpose of the obscure accoutrement. Like many people who spruik this technique, Snell prepares a large piece of fabric by covering it with 1-2 tablespoons of castor oil.
After completing the rest of her skincare routine, she returns to the cloth wrap, explaining that she wears it over her liver to “support detoxification”.
“Specifically with excess oestrogen which can cause different PMS,” Snell continues. “And it helps with digestion, constipation, and inflammation. You can put it over your ovaries and it helps with cysts, pain relief, and weight loss. Just research it and see for yourself.”
She also adds a disclaimer that she doesn’t wear the castor oil pack during menstruation, as it can cause heavy bleeding.
A holistic nutritionist from US health and wellness brand Holistic Market Co. also shared several videos on their page demonstrating how to use castor oil with a compressed cloth.
“Castor oil packs are an ancient remedy that’s been making a strong comeback in so many wellness routines,” the nutritionist said. “I’ve studied the many benefits of castor oil packs – it’s a really thick and deeply penetrating oil with anti-inflammatory and detox properties.”
But how much truth do these claims actually have? While social media is full of health and wellness hacks and routines, it’s always important to take advice from the internet with a grain of salt – and of course, speak to a medical professional before engaging in new products or practices.
What is the function of our liver and kidneys?
In case you missed it in school, here’s a crash course on what two of our crucial organs – the liver and kidneys – actually do. The liver plays a major role in detoxification, processing nutrients, metabolising medicine, and producing essential proteins (and bile) to aid with digestion.
Our kidneys, on the other hand, help to filter waste products from the blood, regulate electrolytes, and help us to maintain a balance in bodily fluids.
If we’re talking about detoxing from things like alcohol, this is the main function of our liver – it actually metabolises alcohol at a steady pace of about one drink per hour. If you drink a lot in one night, it will continue to work overtime, even the next day to detoxify the body.
That being said, why are so many people jumping on the castor oil bandwagon, even with the knowledge of how our organs function?
Cosmetique CEO Dr Vivek Eranki says that growing wellness trends on social media, particularly platforms like TikTok, are constantly feeding the popularity of fads like castor oil packs.
“Many people are drawn to the idea of quick, natural fixes for complex health concerns,” Dr Eranki explains. “The allure of a simple pack that supposedly detoxifies the liver can be quite compelling.”
However he says it’s important to be able to distinguish between viral trends – often not backed by scientific data – and evidence-based medical practices.
Are castor oil packs safe to use?
On that note, General Practitioner and Western Sydney University associate professor Dr Carolyn Ee, chair of integrative medicine at the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, tells Body+Soul that there actually hasn’t been any scientific research on castor oil packs and their benefit to our liver health.
“Anecdotal evidence is very prone to error, for example, benefits can be due to a number of factors unrelated to the new treatment tried,” Dr Ee explains. “So this means that we don’t really know either way if castor oil packs work for liver health or not.”
It’s not necessarily a bad thing that people are wanting to optimise their wellbeing, and Dr Ee says that castor oil packs won’t cause any direct harm – apart from harm to one’s wallet.
But wearing one every night may cause people to believe they are being “healthy” and therefore they might renege on other important lifestyle factors that have been scientifically proven to aid with liver health.
“These include limiting alcohol intake as alcohol causes cirrhosis of the liver, an irreversible fibrosis or hardening of the liver,” Dr Ee explains. “People can also keep their liver healthy by exercising regularly, maintaining a healthy weight, and eating an unprocessed, wholefood diet – therefore avoiding the very common condition called ‘fatty liver disease’.”
She also recommends getting vaccinated against Hepatitis A, B and C if you are at risk of transmission of these viruses, which damage the liver.
As Dr Ee said, there’s no real harm in using castor oil packs if you’re finding personal, anecdotal benefits – as long as you’re still focusing on your general health and wellbeing, too.
The best way to support your organs is not through a quick fix or TikTok fad, but by adhering to good ol’ fashioned lifestyle practices. It may be more boring and less appealing than a trendy routine, but nothing beats a balanced diet, adequate hydration, and regular exercise.
“There is no scenario where a castor oil pack would be necessary to assist the liver or kidneys in their natural detoxification processes,” Dr Eranki adds. “These organs are highly efficient in performing their roles, and any claims that external products like castor oil can enhance or aid in their functions are not supported by scientific evidence.”
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