Photo by Chris Bethell
In news both strange and yet strangely predictable, wellness influencers on TikTok have started using an ancient laxative to try to cure itchy skin conditions and baldness.Castor oil has long been infamous for its ability to leave people groaning on the toilet. It was used in small quantities to induce labour in Ancient Egypt and in far larger doses as a humiliating torture method by Benito Mussolini’s fascist blackshirts.In fairness, it does have some proven superficial benefits – for example, it can make your hair shiny and your skin look fresh. Increasingly, though, it’s being hailed on social media as a kind of miracle juice that can cure any number of ailments – news that is distressing experts.Despite what the TikTok creators are saying, castor oil can’t be used to effectively battle psoriasis and eczema, or to reverse hair loss. There are even videos claiming it can be used topically to cure breast cancer."The most dangerous myths we see, time and again on platforms such as TikTok – not just from creators themselves but especially in the comments – are that one, castor oil is a cure-all for everything, including cancer, and that two, castor oil is a miracle for weight loss," nurse Jane Clarke told Newsweek."There is no scientific evidence that castor oil will have any impact whatsoever on serious illnesses such as cancer. This is simply untrue and these myths are harmful."Anyone following the advice of TikTok creators by drinking it as a “detox” method will simply be forced to endure an extended spell of “explosive diarrhoea,” followed by a heady cocktail of “malnutrition, dehydration, and electrolyte imbalance,” Clarke said.
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