Efficacy of castor oil cream in treating infraorbital hyperpigmentation: An exploratory single-arm clinical trial

Introduction: Infraorbital hyperpigmentation represents one of the most prevalent conditions in cosmetic dermatology. To treat this condition, many patients prefer natural remedies. This study explored the efficacy of topical castor oil cream in treating patients with infraorbital hyperpigmentation.Methods: We conducted an exploratory single-arm clinical trial at the Shahid Faghihi Dermatology Clinic and Molecular Dermatology Research Center of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran, during 2021-2022. Using the convenience sampling method, we enrolled 25 patients with infraorbital hyperpigmentation. We instructed the patients to apply topical castor oil cream twice daily for 2 months. The darkness, melanin, and erythema levels were evaluated by VisioFace (R) 1000 D and SkinColorCatch (R) devices. We used a visual analog scale to assess skin laxity, wrinkles, and patient satisfaction. Data analysis was done with Stata version 14.2.Results: The data of 22 patients with a mean age of 40.92 +/- 7.33 years were analyzed. The VisioFace (R) scores decreased significantly by the end of the study [right eyes: mean difference (MD): -5.63 (95% CI: -7.12 to -4.15), p < 0.001; left eyes: MD: -5.91 (95% CI: -7.46 to -4.36), p < 0.001]. Moreover, castor oil cream significantly reduced the melanin level, wrinkles, and skin laxity in the infraorbital region (p < 0.05).Conclusions: Castor oil cream seems to be an effective alternative for treating infraorbital hyperpigmentation. Randomized clinical trials are needed to confirm our findings.