Castor Oil for Your Eyes: Dry Eyes, Eye Bags, Eye Floaters, Cataracts

Summary

This video explores the traditional and internet-popularized uses of castor oil for eye health, including claims about its benefits for dry eyes, eyelashes, and eye conditions like cataracts and floaters. The script reviews research on castor oil's effectiveness, particularly in preventing tear film evaporation and its use in eye drops for dry eyes. It also discusses a study on castor oil's impact on blepharitis and addresses safety concerns about using pure castor oil directly on the eyes. The video concludes with a call for more research and advises viewers to consult with healthcare professionals before trying castor oil treatments.

Takeaways

• 🌿 Castor oil is a traditional remedy with historical use dating back to grandparents' era.
• 👁️ Castor oil is used in many over-the-counter eye drops to alleviate dry eyes, serving as a lubricant and preventing tear film evaporation.
• 🔍 Research indicates that castor oil can improve the stability of the tear film and reduce symptoms of dry eye and meibomian gland disruption.
• 🚫 Despite benefits, using undiluted 100% castor oil directly on the eyes is not recommended due to safety concerns and potential cytotoxic effects.
• 🧪 A 2021 study found that applying 100% castor oil to the eyelids can improve blepharitis symptoms and eyelid health.
• 👁️‍🗨️ There's no scientific evidence to support the use of castor oil for under-eye bags, cataracts, or eye floaters.
• 🌱 Castor oil's historical use for hair loss and its chemical similarity to prostaglandins suggest potential for eyelash health, though no specific studies confirm eyelash growth.
• 🧐 The ability of castor oil to penetrate deep ocular tissues is unlikely, questioning its effectiveness on conditions like cataracts.
• ⚠️ Safety concerns include the cytotoxicity of undiluted castor oil to eye cells and the risk of infection from non-sterile store-bought oil.
• ❗️ It's crucial to consult with an eye care professional before using any form of castor oil for eye treatments.

Q & A

What is the traditional use of castor oil mentioned in the video?

Castor oil has been traditionally used for various purposes, and the video suggests that it has been around for a long time, likely used by grandparents' generations.

Does castor oil help with dry eyes according to the research discussed in the video?

Yes, castor oil is beneficial for dry eyes as it helps prevent the tear film from evaporating and provides extra lubrication, which is supported by research showing improved tear film stability and reduced symptoms of dry eye.

In what form is castor oil used in over-the-counter eye drops for dry eyes?

Castor oil is used as an ingredient in many over-the-counter eye drops for dry eyes, but it is typically found in a diluted form, not 100% pure.

What is the role of castor oil in prescription medications for dry eyes?

Castor oil serves as a vehicle for some prescription medications for dry eyes, such as Restasis, helping to deliver the medication effectively.

What are the benefits of applying 100% castor oil to the eyelids as per the 2021 study mentioned?

Applying 100% castor oil to the eyelids has shown significant improvements in blepharitis symptoms, including reduced lid margin thickness, telangiectasia, madarosis, eyelash crusting, and lid wiper epitheliopathy.

Can castor oil help reduce under-eye bags due to its anti-inflammatory properties?

While there are no specific studies on under-eye bags, the reduction in lid margin thickening suggests it might help reduce swelling associated with under-eye bags.

Is there any research supporting castor oil for eyelash growth?

No specific research was found linking castor oil to eyelash growth, but its historical use in treating hair loss and its chemical similarity to prostaglandins, which promote hair growth, suggest it might support lash health.

What does the video say about the use of castor oil for cataracts and eye floaters?

The video states that there is no research supporting the use of castor oil for cataracts or eye floaters, and it is unlikely that castor oil could penetrate deep enough into the eye to affect these conditions.

What are the safety concerns associated with using 100% castor oil directly on the eyes?

Using 100% castor oil directly on the eyes can cause blurry vision due to its thickness, it has been found cytotoxic to conjunctival cells, and it may not be sterile, potentially causing infection. The video advises consulting a doctor before using it.

What is the recommended concentration of castor oil in eye drops according to the video?

The recommended concentration of castor oil in eye drops is about 2%, as higher concentrations can cause irritation and damage to the eye.

What is the video's conclusion on the use of castor oil for eye health?

The video concludes that while there are some benefits of castor oil for eyelid health and dry eye syndrome when used in diluted form, more research is needed, and safety concerns should be considered before using 100% castor oil on the eyes.

Outlines

00:00

👀 Castor Oil for Eye Health: Benefits and Research

This paragraph discusses the historical use of castor oil for eye health and its purported benefits, including the treatment of dry eyes, eyelashes, eye bags, cataracts, and eye floaters. It highlights that castor oil is an ingredient in many over-the-counter eye drops and has been used as a vehicle for prescription medications like Restasis. The oil's mechanism is explained as preventing tear film evaporation and providing lubrication. A study is mentioned that shows improved tear film stability and reduced meibomian gland disruption with castor oil use. However, the study used a diluted form of castor oil, not 100%, due to safety concerns, which are briefly alluded to but not detailed in this paragraph.

05:04

🌿 Castor Oil for Eyelid Health and Safety Considerations

This paragraph delves into the use of 100% castor oil for treating blepharitis, an eyelid inflammation, and the benefits observed in a 2021 study. It mentions the reduction in lid margin thickness, telangiectasia, madarosis, eyelash crusting, and lid wiper epitheliopathy. The paragraph also addresses the lack of evidence for castor oil's effectiveness in treating cataracts and eye floaters, and the improbability of castor oil penetrating deep eye tissues. Safety concerns are discussed, including the cytotoxicity of undiluted castor oil to conjunctival cells, the importance of proper storage to maintain pH, and the potential for infection from non-sterile store-bought castor oil. The paragraph concludes with a recommendation to consult a doctor before using castor oil for eye treatments and acknowledges the need for more research.

Keywords

💡Castor Oil

Castor oil is a vegetable oil derived from the seeds of the castor oil plant. It is known for its thick, sticky consistency and has been traditionally used for various medicinal purposes. In the context of the video, castor oil is discussed for its potential benefits to eye health, particularly in treating dry eyes and blepharitis. The video mentions that castor oil is an ingredient in many over-the-counter eye drops and has been studied for its effects on the eye.

💡Dry Eyes

Dry eyes refer to a condition where the eyes do not produce enough tears or the tears evaporate too quickly, leading to discomfort, redness, and an unstable tear film. The video discusses how castor oil can help with dry eyes by acting as a lubricant and preventing the tear film from evaporating, thus providing relief. The script refers to studies where castor oil was used in eye drops to improve symptoms and signs of dry eye.

💡Meibomian Gland Dysfunction

Meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) is a common cause of dry eye syndrome, where the meibomian glands in the eyelids do not produce an adequate amount of oil for the tear film. The video highlights a study where castor oil eye drops improved not only dry eye symptoms but also reduced problems associated with MGD, such as a more stable tear film and less gland disruption.

💡Blepharitis

Blepharitis is a common inflammatory condition of the eyelids, often characterized by redness, swelling, and crusting of the eyelashes. The video references a study where 100% castor oil was applied to the eyelids to treat blepharitis, showing significant improvements in symptoms and a reduction in lid margin thickness and other related issues.

💡Tear Film

The tear film is a thin layer of fluid that covers the surface of the eye, providing lubrication, nourishment, and protection. The video explains that castor oil helps in dry eye treatment by stabilizing the tear film and preventing it from evaporating, which is crucial for maintaining eye comfort and reducing friction between the eyelid and the eyeball.

💡Cataracts

Cataracts are a clouding of the eye's lens that affects vision, often associated with aging. The video script mentions that there is no research supporting the use of castor oil for cataracts, and it is unlikely that castor oil could penetrate deeply enough into the eye to affect cataracts due to its physical properties and the eye's protective barriers.

💡Eye Floaters

Eye floaters are specks or shapes that appear to float across the field of vision and are caused by small clumps of cells in the vitreous humor of the eye. Similar to cataracts, the video states that there is no evidence to support the use of castor oil for treating eye floaters, and it questions the ability of castor oil to reach the necessary depth within the eye to have an effect.

💡Conjunctival Cells

The conjunctiva is a thin, transparent membrane that covers the white part of the eye and the inner surface of the eyelids. The video discusses that castor oil at high concentrations can be cytotoxic to conjunctival cells, potentially causing irritation and damage, which is a safety concern when considering the use of undiluted castor oil on the eyes.

💡Pharmacokinetics

Pharmacokinetics is the study of how substances are absorbed, distributed, metabolized, and excreted by the body. The video mentions that the research into the pharmacokinetics of castor oil suggests it is unlikely to penetrate deeply into the eye, which is relevant to discussions about its potential effects on conditions like cataracts and eye floaters.

💡Prostaglandins

Prostaglandins are a group of lipid compounds that have various effects in the body, including the promotion of hair growth. The video notes that castor oil shares a similar chemical structure to prostaglandins, which might explain its historical use in treating hair loss and its potential to support eyelash health, although no specific studies on eyelash growth were found.

Highlights

Castor oil is commonly found in over-the-counter eye drops for dry eyes.

Castor oil prevents tear film evaporation and provides extra lubrication for the eyelid.

A study showed improved tear film stability and reduced meibomian gland disruption with castor oil use.

Diluted castor oil is used in eye drops due to safety concerns with undiluted oil.

A 2021 study found castor oil beneficial for treating blepharitis, an eyelid inflammation.

Castor oil applied to the eyelids showed improvements in blepharitis symptoms and reduced eyelid issues.

There is no specific research on castor oil's effect on under-eye bags, but it may reduce swelling.

No research supports castor oil's ability to promote eyelash growth, despite historical use for hair loss.

Castor oil has not been studied for treating cataracts or eye floaters, and it's unlikely to penetrate deep eye tissues.

High concentrations of castor oil can be cytotoxic to conjunctival cells and cause irritation.

Castor oil's storage conditions can affect its pH, potentially leading to increased eye irritation.

Castor oil from stores is not regulated or sterile, posing a risk of infection if used in the eyes.

Studies suggest castor oil can be beneficial for eyelid health and dry eye syndrome when used in diluted form.

It's recommended to consult a doctor before using castor oil for eye treatments.

Transcripts

Castor oil has been around forever. Your  grandparents probably used it. And chances are,  

if you've clicked on this video, you've heard  somewhere on the internet that castor oil was  

super good for the eyes. Claims saying that it  helps with dry eyes, that it helps with eyelashes,  

eye bags, even cataracts and eye  floaters. But does it really? Well,  

I've been digging into the research to find  out these answers. And here is what I found.  

And I'll let you know, there's some cool stuff  that I learned about castor oil and the eyes.

So first, let's talk about castor oil for dry  eyes, because that's where I think most eye  

doctors are familiar with castor oil being  put onto the eye. And that's because castor  

oil is found as an ingredient in a lot of  over-the-counter eye drops. If you go to the  

store and look at the inactive ingredients,  you may notice castor oil in a lot of those  

drops. It's also been used as a vehicle for  some prescription medications for dry eye,  

including Restasis, for example. The reason  that castor oil works with dry eye is because  

it helps prevent the tear film on the surface  of the eye from evaporating into the air,  

and it acts as an extra lubrication for the top  eyelid to not rub so hard on the eyeball itself.

One thing I loved in this study here is that  they showed images of how irregular the tear  

film was before treatment here on the left side,  and then how stable and better the tear film  

looked here on the right side after treatment  with castor oil. And in that same study where  

they used eye drops that contained castor oil six  times a day for 2 weeks, the participants had not  

only improved symptoms of dry eye, but they  had improved signs of a more stable tear film  

and less problems with meibomian gland disruption,  which is really significant because so many people  

have problems with meibomian gland dysfunction or  these clogged oil glands on the eyelids. However,  

the one big thing of this study I do want  to point out is that they did not use 100%  

castor oil in these drops. Instead, they used  only a small amount of castor oil diluted in  

the drops. So why not just use 100% castor oil  and put that directly onto the eye? Turns out  

there are some safety concerns, and I want  to review those with everyone. But first,  

I want to talk about some cool studies that show  benefits of using 100% castor oil for the eyelids.

This study here from 2021 is a randomized study  where they applied castor oil to the eyelid as a  

treatment for blepharitis, which is a condition  of inflammation that affects the eyelids and the  

eyelashes. And in this study, they applied  100% cold pressed castor oil to the eyelids  

just outside of the lash line as seen in this  picture here. And they did this twice a day,  

both morning and night, for 4 weeks. And what they  found was not only a significant improvement in  

the signs and symptoms of blepharitis, but they  found a reduction in the lid margin thickness,  

they found a reduction in telangiectasia,  which are the growth of spider veins on the  

surface of the eyelid, they found a decrease  in madarosis, which is the loss of eyelashes,  

and they found a decrease in eyelash crusting  as well as lid wiper epitheliopathy, which is,  

again, the kind of friction between  the upper eyelid pushing on the eyeball  

when it's dry. So overall, some pretty  awesome findings and support for the use  

of castor oil on the eyelids. And  while, yes, it was a small study,  

I think overall it showed some pretty awesome  support for the use of castor oil on the eyelids.

Alright, so what does this all mean? Because  there's a lot of claims out there about castor  

oil and the eyes. For example, one benefit  for castor oil is that it can help with  

under-eye bags because castor oil has some  anti-inflammatory properties in it. Well,  

I couldn't find any studies out there specifically  looking at eyebags and castor oil, but at least  

this one study did show that there was a reduction  in lid margin thickening. So perhaps it could help  

reduce the swelling of under-eye bags, maybe.  But of course, we still need real studies on  

that subject. But certainly, let me know if  you've used castor oil ever on your eyelids  

and you feel like it helped with eye bags. Let  me know in the comments. I want to know that.

So what about castor oil for eyelash  growth? Because even for this bottle  

that I found at the store, it's kind of  advertising that it supports stronger,  

fuller-looking hair, lashes, and brows. Well,  again, could not find anything in the research  

specifically showing that castor oil  helps grow your eyelashes. However,  

it has been used historically for early treatment  of hair loss and shares a very similar chemical  

structure to that of prostaglandins  which are known to promote hair growth,  

including growth of the eyelashes. In fact, that's  how glaucoma medications and some eyelash serums  

work. They have prostaglandin analogs in them  to help grow eyelashes. And remember that this  

study reported a reduction in madarosis  or a loss of eyelashes. So perhaps castor  

oil can help support the health of the lashes  themselves and prevent them from falling out.

Okay, now what about the two big questions? Does  castor oil help with cataracts and eye floaters?  

Well, again, could not find a single study on  castor oil for either of these two things. So we  

really have no evidence for or against these sort  of claims. But a good question that I had in my  

investigation was, is it even possible for castor  oil to absorb into the ocular tissues? Because  

both cataracts and the vitreous humor where the  floaters form inside the eye, they're both deep  

structures inside of the eyeball. So I sifted  through a lot of research in pharmacokinetics  

to try and find out if it was even possible for  castor oil to penetrate that deep into the eye,  

to get past the cornea, the conjunctiva, the  sclera, or the blood vessels. And I'll admit,  

some of that research is a bit above my pay grade,  but it seems highly unlikely that castor oil would  

be able to penetrate that deep inside of the  eye. So even though hypothetically, knowing that  

castor oil has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory  properties, it just seems super unlikely that it  

would be able to penetrate deep enough into the  eye to help prevent things like cataracts or  

help with eye floaters. And I think that anybody  who maybe has tried castor oil for these reasons  

and noticed an improvement in their eyesight has  probably just been either noticing placebo effect  

or it's been treating some of their dry eye and  their vision has improved because of it. That  

seems a lot more likely to me. But as always,  and just like before, we need more research.

Alright, so now after everything being said and  the research I've shown you, I know there's some  

people out there who still will think that they  want to try and get 100% castor oil and just put  

it directly onto their eyes. But first, there are  some safety concerns and some things I think you  

should know about first. Remember that it's all  about concentration. The studies using castor oil  

as an eye drop for dry eyes, they always dilute  the castor oil down so that it's about 2% in  

those formulations. And that's because castor oil  at 100% is very thick and will not mix well with  

the tear film and leaves kind of ropey strings  on the eye as you can see in this photo here,  

and that results in very blurry vision. Secondly,  castor oil has been found to be cytotoxic to  

conjunctival cells. The conjunctiva is that clear  membrane that covers the white part of the eye,  

and so it can result in irritation and damage  to those cells when castor oil is in a high  

concentration. Also, that previous study on  castor oil eye drops did raise a concern about the  

storage of castor oil, as they found that castor  oil kept at a warmer temperature for those four  

weeks ended up resulting in a lower pH or acidity  level of the castor oil, dropping down to 5.8,  

which ends up resulting in more irritation to  the eye. And then finally, and this is probably  

the reason that most doctors are concerned about  people ever using castor oil and putting it in  

their eye, is because castor oil you get from the  store is not regulated the way medications are,  

and so there's no way to know exactly what  is in it, and it's usually not sterile,  

and so it could potentially cause infection or  other complications to the eye. Plus, again,  

there's no real research to tell us if it's even  safe to be putting in the eye. So no matter what,  

please, before you put anything, anything in  the eye, ask your local doctor what they think  

about it, so they can at least share their  two cents as well as document and follow you  

over time if there are any benefits, yay  or nay. But at least from this research,  

even though there's smaller studies, it seems like  castor oil can be beneficial for eyelid health in  

the cases of blepharitis, as well as being helpful  for dry eye syndrome when there are eye drops that  

contain diluted castor oil, especially in  the cases of meibomian gland dysfunction.

From here, please let me know in the  comment section if you've ever used  

castor oil for anything and what kind  of benefits you had from that. Plus,  

let me know any questions you have about  castor oil specifically as it pertains  

to the eyes. If you're wondering what brands of  eye drops at the store have castor oil in them,  

or if you want to know some of my favorite eye  drops for dry eyes, then check out this video  

over here to this side. Otherwise, want to say  thank you so much for watching. I hope this video  

helps you out in some way. Otherwise, keep an  eye on it, and we'll see you in that next video.