Introduction

Castor oil is a type of vegetable oil which is not used for cooking food unlike every other vegetable oil. Castor oil is basically extracted from ricinus plant also known as castor beans plant.

Castor oil is generally colorless but it can be found in yellow or light yellow color sometimes. Castor oil is used in manufacturing soaps and also used as a lubricant in various industries.

It has various health benefits and that is why it has been used in some medicines for quite a long time.

Castor oil has been used by Indians and Egyptians from ancient time for its various medicinal benefits for hair, skin and other conditions.

Castor oil has many great proven benefits for the eyes and is said to do wonders when used rightly.

It is almost safe to use castor oil drops directly in the eyes but The American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) does not recommend the usage of any non sterile material in the eyes American Academy Of Ophthalmology

So it has been recommended that you need to consult a doctor before using castor oil in your eyes or you can use the castor oil which has been prescribed by your doctor.

So don’t just go in the supermarket and get any castor oil for your eyes, use the one recommended by your doctor. There are various types of castor oil available in the market but the most suitable one for the eyes is the cold pressed castor oil.

Cold pressed castor oil involves pressing organic seeds which have been added without using additional heat that is why It has the maximum nutrients and comes in two variants – refined and unrefined.

Refined cold pressed castor oil has no impurities. Use 100% organic castor oil for eyes and also make sure that it is hexane-free.

Your doctor might recommend pharmaceutical grade castor oil or sterile castor oil.

Benefits of Castor oil for eyes

• Castor oil treats eye allergies

Castor oil treats dry eyes by increasing the amount of production of lipid production in the eyes.

Due to ricinoleic acid present in castor oil it has various anti inflammatory properties which reduces redness, swelling and hence treats eye allergies.

• Castor oil treats bloodshot eyes

If red veins from your eyes are visible and your eyes become bloodshot then it is severe form of eye redness. Using few drops of castor oil will give you relief from it.

• Castor oil might treat cataract

Cataract is an eye condition where the eye lens gets covered by some kind of cloud and it blurs the vision.

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To treat this condition the patient has to get surgery in general. But if it is diagnosed earlier there might be number of ways in which this condition could be treated.

You can use castor oil to treat or using it after the surgery could speed up the overall process.

• Castor oil treats dry, itchy or irritated eyes

Using castor oil helps in the moisturizing of the eyes and hence removes the dryness of the eyes.

• Castor Oil Treats Puffy Eyes

Puffy eyes is a condition where the region beneath the eyes gets puffed up. The soothing effect of castor oil will benefit you in this condition.

• Castor Oil treats Swollen Eyes

When your eyelids gets swollen up or it gets inflammation in the eyes then the anti inflammatory action of the castor oil will reduce the swelling. This condition is also known as blepharitis.

• Castor Oil treats Sunken Eyes

The soothing effect of castor oil also treats sunken eyes.

• Castor Oil removes dark circles

In the era where people’s lifestyle don’t let them get enough sleep, which is the reason of the dark circles. Castor oil helps in nourishing the skin and getting rid of the dark circles.

• Castor Oil Removes Wrinkles Around The Eyes

As discussed earlier castor oil is said to have beneficial effects on skin and hair.

So, castor oil is used to reduce wrinkles on your face. The area around the eyes is most likely to get wrinkled with time and castor oil can help reduce these wrinkles.

• Castor oil thickens eyelashes and eyebrows

Castor oil contains protein and fatty acids which nourishes the hair follicles and helps in their growth.

• Castor oil treats stye

Stye is a condition where a red bump appears in the edge of the eyelid. Using castor oil will help you get rid of such bumps.

Castor Oil helps in treating Conjunctivitis (pink eye) : Conjunctivitis is a common eye disease specially in children. Castor oil helps in treating this condition.

How to use Castor Oil for eyes

The best time for using the castor oil for the eyes is just before the night’s sleep. For using the castor oil inside the eyes use a clean sterilized dropper.

The dropper can be easily available in any medical shop. You might also get a dropper with your prescribed castor oil. Just before the sleep put one drop of castor oil in each eyes and go to sleep.

You will experience cloudiness in front of your eyes for few minutes but it will go when you will wake up in the morning.

For using the castor oil on the skin near your eyes, first wash your face with any cleanser and then towel dry the face.

Take dry cotton and clean the region near your eyes. Take a drop of castor oil on your finger and rub it on the region. Make sure that your finger is clean and washed.

For using the castor oil on your eyebrows or eyelashes, cleanse your face, eyebrows or eyelashes with warm water.

Use cotton or an eyeliner brush to apply castor oil on your eyebrows or eyelashes.

Side Effects or Risks of using Castor Oil in the eyes

As discussed earlier that one should only use the castor oil which has been prescribed by the doctor.

And in general there are no negative effects of using castor oil. But it must be used in proper dosage as prescribed by the doctor.

But for some people it might trigger allergic reaction or skin and eye irritation.

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Therefore it is advised that before using castor oil for eyes one must apply castor on the palm or a part of the skin and then wait for a while to see that if the skin is getting irritated or not.

If no reaction is seen on the skin then it is safe to use in the eyes. But even after testing it on the skin, when you use it in the eyes and experience any kind of irritation then you must rinse your eyes with water and stop using it.

Padmini Kumari

Health Counselor and Primary Care Physician by profession, I have 12 years experience in primary health care services. Years of practical experience in women’s health care  & ANC services and study have gained me a lot of knowledge on several health issues and I wish to share these medical advice and suggestion through this blog.