LOVE Island alum Montana Brown divided fans after she showed a natural remedy she used after giving birth.
Montana, 29, welcomed her second child with fiancé Mark O’Connor earlier this year, showed how she used a castor oil pack on her stomach every night to help with inflammation and “excess skin postpartum.”
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The TV star posted a video to Instagram showing how she wrapped a cloth soaked in castor oil around her belly and then removed it to show her belly.
“Why [do] I use a castor oil pack every night before bed?” Montana caption the post and added her reason in dot points.
They included that it reportedly, aids digestion, keeps skin hydrated overnight to help with excess skin postpartum, it’s cheap, supports lymphatic drainage and reduces inflammation.”
While castor oil packs are generally considered safe to use and castor oil has become all the rage amongst celebrities, including Kelsey Parker, some of Montana’s fans slammed her in the comments.
“That’s a whole lot of nonsense. I know you’re pretending for the video but even then, that’s too much work just say something about buying a dumb e-book already…”
While others raved about the castor oil packs and said they had used them in the past.
“I love them too! Helped me with hormones, inflammation and skin redness!” wrote one person.
Other people in the comments such as health professionals and fitness coaches pointed out there was no scientific evidence to show they worked.
One person commented: “Totally fine if it works for you but as a postnatal specialist, there is little evidence to show this is effective. Research actually shows potential allergic reactions and that’s why it’s key to test on smaller areas of skin first. Research overall is incredibly limited. What works for one may not necessarily work for another, especially if you’re implying people should use it every night.”
Castor oil is safe and effective, according to the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), who has approved its use as a laxative only.
The castor oil packs used by Montana are purported to work by absorbing the oil into the skin and can have systemic effects, such as laxative, labor induction, and pain reduction, per Rupa Health.
Montana, who shot to fame on the third series of Love Island, opened up on her pregnancy struggles, including with her second child, a daughter named Miley.
“Miley was breeched my whole pregnancy and she did not turn which meant I had a bit of a task on my hands to try and have my home birth,” Montana revealed on Instagram in January.
“Most importantly she’s here safe and sound and we couldn’t be happier.”
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