This review found that castor oil can thicken and stabilize your tear film's lipid layer, which helps reduce dry eye symptoms and tear evaporation. It has anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties that may help with blepharitis and meibomian gland dysfunction—conditions that make dry eye worse. Studies showed topical castor oil stays on the eye longer than many treatments, improving comfort and reducing surface damage.

This is a literature review that examined existing research on castor oil's chemical properties and how they work against dry eye disease, rather than a new clinical trial testing castor oil directly.

Funding not disclosed in abstract