Castor oil comes from a plant and used to be one of my go-to items that were always by my bed and in my bathroom. I used it for everything skin- and immune-related and it can be viewed as an alternative to cortisone or antibiotic creams. The ricinoleic acid in castor oil prevents the growth of bacteria, yeast and viruses, plus it is anti-inflammatory.
Here is how it is commonly used in natural health practices:
On sore joints.
On swollen glands in the neck/gland area.
On the belly for constipation (massaged in a clockwise direction – the same direction things move through the large intestine.
For a cold or congestion – I’ll mix in a little comfrey and eucalyptus and massage it into the chest.
Health Benefits of Castor Oil
Internal Castor Oil Uses
I am not a huge advocate of taking castor oil. It is not something we effectively digest therefore most of the ‘health benefits’ are due predominantly to its laxative effect – basically your body saying, “WTF is this? I want it out and I will expel anything in its path too.” If you are working with a qualified practitioner who recommends it, ensure you are consuming the cleanest brand you can find that is free of harmful pesticides and processing chemicals.
Has a laxative effect. (Anyone who grew up in the West Indies, India or some South American countries will likely have vile memories of lining up with their siblings to take down a spoonful of this bitterness.)
Some people really do not like drinking castor oil because of both the taste (it’s quite strong and bitter) and the consistency. Thankfully, there are also a number of benefits when you use castor oil topically.
Topical Castor Oil Uses
These are applications I can get behind wholeheartedly.
Helps with wound healing and reduces inflammation and infections. (The best way to use this as a topical ‘cream’ is to pre-soak the infected area with Epsom salt to soften the skin, then wrap the area with a cotton cloth soaked in castor oil – this works like a charm for me on sunburns.)
Massaging the body with castor oil prior to a bath once a week will help the skin retain its natural healing properties as well as stimulate the body’s muscles and internal organs.
Rubbing castor oil on hands and feet at night will help maintain healthy and soft skin, as well as reduce callouses and dry skin.
Note: Castor oil will stain your clothes so be careful while using it, or wear old and ugly clothes that you don’t care about!
Castor Oil Warnings
Some cautions about using castor oil:
It can be very powerful, particularly the laxative effect. If you take too much you may find yourself spending a lot of time in the bathroom.
Castor oil can induce labour so be especially careful if you are pregnant. Work with a natural health practitioner if you are trying to induce labour.
Use good quality castor oil. Oils undergo a lot of processing so you want to ensure you use an oil that still maintains its nutrients if you want to reap the benefits.
How to Make and Use Castor Oil Packs
A castor oil pack is one of the most common ways people apply castor oil for its health benefits. Here’s how to do it:
Take a cotton flannel or cloth and soak with castor oil.
Apply the cloth to the skin area that needs the benefits of castor oil, cover with a little plastic wrap and then lay on a hot water bottle or heat pack on top. If you are avoiding plastic, you could use an old t-shirt or towel to lay on top.
Leave the pack on for anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour. Castor oil packs soak through the skin and improve the body’s ability to assimilate nutrients, eliminate toxins and stimulate circulation.
The castor oil pack can be repeated many times – save your soaked cloth and store it in a container for re-use.
Castor oil packs can be done daily, several times a week, once a week, once a month – depends on what health issues you are working on and what you need.
As the battle for natural remedies to have a place in our modern world continues on, there has been a bill passed in Canada to remove the validity of ‘traditional use cases’, meaning, something being cited as effective because it’s been used for thousands of years.
Castor oil, along other herbal remedies, have centuries of tradition and come traditional medicine practices such as Ayurveda. There is now a call for double blind placebo studies which would only validate a single use (where above I have outlined several uses and benefits). Most natural remedies have several benefits as nothing in nature heals in isolation, making this a silly hoop to have to try and climb through. The reality is that if a treatment does no harm and brings relief, then go forth, recognizing this post, and others like it as education and that you are taking full responsibility for how you wish to proceed and you health. As every human should.
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