Liver Doc hits out at 'antiseptic Ayurvedic cream' Boroline: 'It has nothing to do with Ayurveda'

'It is still not Ayurvedic, even if you did consider it boric acid. Boric acid was not used in Ayurvedic medicine,' Dr Abby Philips aka the Liver Doc said. (Image credit: @theliverdr/Instagram, @Uttupaaji/X)

Clinician-scientist and liver specialist Dr Cyriac Abby Philips, popularly known as "The Liver Doctor" on social media, has called out Boroline for labelling itself as an Ayurvedic product because boric acid -- a key ingredient of the antiseptic cream -- was not used in Ayurvedic medicine.

The over-the-counter ointment is a popular household name, especially among Bengalis, and is widely used for cuts, burns, skin infections, and even chapped lips.

"Did you know that the 'Ayurvedic' Boroline contains boric acid, zinc oxide and lanolin (extracted from sheep's wool containing refined versions of animal skin grease and animal sweat salt) and has NOTHING to do with Ayurveda?" Dr Philips wrote on X.

Did you know that the "Ayurvedic" Boroline contains boric acid, zinc oxide and lanolin (extracted from sheep's wool containing refined versions of animal skin grease and animal sweat salt) and has NOTHING to do with Ayurveda? https://t.co/cFQkkCn7Bp
TheLiverDoc (@theliverdr) October 13, 2024

In a separate tweet, he said the company listed "tankan amla (boric acid)" as an ingredient, but "amla is Indian gooseberry and tankan amla is powdered gooseberry and has nothing to do with boric acid".

"This is called mislabeling which is very common on Ayurvedic over-the-counter supplements sold globally. Mislabelling is consumer fraud and also one of the major reasons for severe adverse effects seen in consumers of these herbal mumbo-jumbo," he said. "Someone must actually look at these ingredients, test them for the labelled components and look at how much the company was lying to their loyal customers for more than 80 years."

Later, however, when an X user pointed out that "amla" on the Boroline's list translated to "acid" and not Indian gooseberry, Dr Philips agreed, but added: "It is still not Ayurvedic, even if you did consider it boric acid. Boric acid was not used in Ayurvedic medicine."

Boroline has been in existence since 1929 and according to its website, its products are "natural and ayurvedic". The Liver Doc, on the other hand, has been known for dispelling misinformation related to alternative medicine, including Ayurvedic ones, and frequently discusses his findings and research work on effects caused by them.

Moneycontrol has reached out to Boroline for a comment. This story will be updated when the company responds.