Applying castor oil to the belly button is a popular wellness trend rooted in Ayurvedic practices. There is no scientific evidence that the belly button offers unique absorption benefits for castor oil. Castor oil does have proven benefits for skin hydration and, when used topically in packs, may help with constipation and cramping. The benefits come from the oil being absorbed through the skin in general, not specifically the navel. What Is Castor Oil? Castor oil is a vegetable oil produced by pressing the seeds of the Ricinus communis plant. While raw castor beans are toxic, containing a poison called ricin, the oil manufacturing process removes this toxin completely. The final, commercially produced castor oil is safe for use and has been valued for centuries for its powerful medicinal and therapeutic properties. Used for centuries in traditional medicine by cultures like the ancient Egyptians and Greeks, castor oil has long been valued for its therapeutic proper...
In Ayurveda, the Sanskrit word ojus is synonymous with resistance to disease. There are two types of ojus, which are formed in the womb and fully perfected by the eighth month of pregnancy, called para-ojus and apara-ojus . Within para-ojus, there are exactly eight drops, which are located in the heart and the great vessels surrounding the heart. These eight drops are with you for your whole life, and their purpose is to keep the the body free from diseases. The textbooks say that if this ojus is reduced, the person’s life is threatened, so it cannot be replaced or refilled. Once lost, it’s gone for good. The second kind, apara-ojus, is present at the time of birth, but also keeps accumulating as you grow. This quantity is said to be about one palmful of your own hand, depending on the health of your tissues. In Ayurveda, we have seven classifications of tissues: plasma, blood, muscle, fat, bone, bone marrow, and reproductive. Each of these tissu...