Itchy Ears and Perimenopause: Castor Oil, Skin Changes, and What Finally Fed My Skin
Let’s just get this out of the way.
Perimenopause… or, as I like to call it, Second Puberty…. is a thing. And instead of struggling in silence like generations before us, the internet has finally made it possible for women to compare notes and realize this isn’t just a few night sweats and “the end.” It’s a full-body transition, and there are far more options than what the medical system often offers….a system that’s deeply invested in the idea that aging bodies are wrong, broken, and in need of fixing. (Yes, that is mainstream medicine’s biggest marketing strategy.)
The anti-aging beauty industry delivers the same message, just with better lighting and prettier packaging…. because many of its loudest voices are deeply entangled with the same pharmaceutical model.
But that’s not what this conversation is about.
This isn’t about fighting aging.
It’s about understanding change.
And remembering that there is always another way….
For a long time, castor oil was my quiet workaround.
When my skin started changing…. getting drier in ways it hadn’t before….. I didn’t panic. I didn’t suddenly decide aging was a problem. I just noticed that what used to work… wasn’t working the same anymore.
So I reached for castor oil.
I’d use it on my face when things felt tight and dry. I’d use it in my ears when they got itchy (a very real and very under-discussed perimenopausal thing). And I’ve used castor oil packs on my abdomen for years because they help my digestion soften and move when my system gets stuck.
Castor oil worked.
But it didn’t answer the deeper question I eventually had to face:
Why does it work….. and what is it actually doing?
Because “it helps” isn’t enough forever.
Castor oil isn’t magic. It’s mechanical.
Here’s the distinction that changed everything for me:
Castor oil behaves very differently depending on the tissue you’re applying it to.
On the skin, castor oil acts primarily as an occlusive.
That means it seals.
It sits on the surface and slows water loss. That’s why it feels soothing when skin is dry or irritated. It reduces exposure. It creates a protective barrier.
But here’s the part I didn’t want to ignore anymore:
If the tissue underneath is already dehydrated, sealing alone isn’t enough.
You can seal scarcity.
You can soothe symptoms.
But you’re not actually feeding anything.
Why castor oil packs work on the abdomen
This is where people get confused, because castor oil seems to do the opposite here.
When you apply castor oil to the abdomen….. especially with warmth…. it doesn’t “pull toxins out” in a dramatic detox sense. What it does is far more interesting (and far more useful):
It helps smooth muscle relax
It improves local circulation
It encourages lymphatic movement
It supports parasympathetic (rest-and-digest) signaling
In other words, it doesn’t extract.
It reduces resistance.
When the body stops bracing, things move:
bile flows
digestion resumes
bowels soften
stagnation resolves
Castor oil isn’t forcing the body to do anything. It’s giving the body permission to do what it already knows how to do.
That’s why it helps loosen poop. That’s why it helps with abdominal tension. That’s why it’s been used for generations without needing a marketing department.
So why didn’t castor oil fully solve my skin issues?
Because my skin didn’t need more sealing. It needed water-binding support.
As hormones shift in perimenopause, skin changes at a tissue level:
moisture retention decreases
barrier function changes
dryness becomes deeper, not just surface-level
Castor oil helped temporarily. But the dryness kept coming back.
That was my clue.
The difference between sealing and feeding
This was the missing piece for me:
Occlusives (like castor oil) seal moisture in
Humectants (like hyaluronic acid) bind water into tissue
Hyaluronic acid doesn’t sit on top.
It acts like a sponge…..drawing and holding water in the skin.
And when I finally added a skincare routine that included proper humectants, something unexpected happened:
My itchy ears stopped.
Within days.
Not because I was “anti-aging.” Not because I was chasing smoother skin. But because tissue that had been dry and irritated was finally being fed.
Trying new tools isn’t self-betrayal
There’s a quiet belief many of us carry into midlife:
You’re supposed to stay the same.
You picked what you use.
You don’t get to change your mind.
I don’t agree with that anymore.
I’m not interested in pretending my body isn’t changing. I’m also not interested in fighting it.
What I am interested in is learning what supports me now. That’s why I eventually decided to try Arbonne’s five-step DermResults skincare… not because I needed to “fix” aging, but because I trust my own experience.
I had already seen what consistent nutritional support did for my body over months. So I gave myself permission to experiment.
And it worked.
Not because I look younger. But because my skin feels calmer, more hydrated, and less reactive.
Aging isn’t the enemy. Deprivation is.
I don’t believe aging is something to correct. I don’t believe our bodies are wrong for changing.
But I do believe that starving tissue…. nutritionally, hormonally, emotionally….. creates unnecessary suffering.
And relief is allowed.
Trying new tools is allowed. Changing approaches is allowed. Listening more closely is allowed.
That’s not capitalism…..That’s literacy.
Where this leaves me now
I still use castor oil. It still has a place.
But I understand why I’m using it… and when something else is needed.
That difference matters.
And if you’re curious about the skincare that finally helped feed my skin at a tissue level, I’ll link it here…. not because you “should” use it, but because lived experience is the only thing I ever offer.
No anti-aging promises.
No fixing.
Just support, when the soil is ready.
P.S. I didn’t start with skincare. I started with nutrition.
The only reason I even considered Arbonne’s skincare is because their nutrition products earned my trust first….over months of daily use, not a quick win.
I have access to skincare through the spa world. I work alongside estheticians. I can ask questions, compare products, and hear opinions anytime I want.
But skincare requires its own trust process, and in this case, that trust was already established through how my body responded to consistent nutritional support. When I finally tried the skincare, it wasn’t about brand loyalty or convenience…it was about continuity.
I already trusted the standards, the ingredient restrictions, and the way the company formulates products. If you’re curious, I’ve linked what I use below…not because it’s the only option, but because it’s the one that made sense for me, in the order my body needed it.
Arbonne.. TUNE INTO YOUR BODY!… look around… ask me questions!