Castor oil packs are gaining lots of buzz in the natural health space as an easy and inexpensive at-home natural remedy to improve your health and wellness goals and promote detoxification in the body. In this article, we’re going to cover some of the health wonders of castor oil.
What Is Castor Oil?
The castor plant is native to Eastern Africa and India and is the world’s most poisonous plant. Don’t be fooled by this fact because the castor plant it’s grown for various health modalities and used many times as an ornamental plant. The castor seed plant is grown and harvested in India from castor beans.
Castor vegetable oil is a derivative of the castor seed, and its active ingredient is ricinoleic acid. In particular, the ricinoleic acid in castor oil encourages the movement of chemical energy in the body, to create a detoxifying effect.
Castor oil has been used in the natural treatment of detoxification of toxins in bodily organs because of the active property of Ricinus communis which is harvested from the castor bean. This key ingredient of castor oil is ricinoleic acid, a type of fatty acid shown to possess valuable benefits for health, skin, ovarian cysts, clearing a stagnant lymphatic system, and lower abdomen complaints.
Organic Castor Oil
Not all castor oil is the same so be aware when purchasing castor oil. Much of the castor oil sold on the market today comes from castor seeds that have been sprayed with chemicals and pesticides. When these toxins are sprayed on the plants they can damage the phytonutrients and contaminate the oil with pollutants and unwanted chemicals. If you’re considering buying this oil look for organic hexane-free castor oil for all your castor oil packs or personal care products. As another suggestion, we recommend purchasing organic castor oil preferably in a dark glass bottle.
Castor Oil Pack Application
Castor oil packs can be applied topically to the skin prior to the pack or the most common way is to place it on a clean flannel cloth, and then place it over the abdomen or organ you are targeting for healing. Cotton flannel can be found at most fabric stores and is very sturdy when you use castor oil packs because it helps to keep the pack from leaking.
Castor packs require very few supplies and are quite inexpensive to use for remarkable health benefits. All you need is an organic white flannel cloth large enough to cover the targeted area your packing. If you really want to be economical you can buy it by the yard and cut it to fit the size of the area you want to treat. Along with the fabric, you’ll need plastic bags or plastic wrap to place over the castor oil packs to keep the liquid from leaking out onto your clothes or the bedding.
A tip to keep in mind when packing is it’s best to make sure to wear old clothes when using a castor oil pack to avoid stains and make sure to have an old towel on hand to clean up oil spills. These oils are hard to remove from clothes and bedding.
Finally, castor packs can be more effective in detoxing the toxins from the organs when using a heat source such as an electric heating pad or hot water bottle. We recommend a heating pad with a low setting or a hot water bottle to apply over the pack on the abdomen or targeted organ for better absorption of the oil through the skin into the tissues below.
The heat applied on top of the pack will drive the castor oil into deeper layers of the organs underneath. The result of absorbing the castor oil into the organs helps to increase lymphocyte production and improves the circulation of the lymphatic system especially when the lymphatic system is congested or stagnant.
The castor oil pack is absorbed into the skin more effectively when applied to the body for at least an hour. This will allow the oil to absorb slowly and leave the skin feeling and looking very soft and moisturized. There are many products on the market that contain this oil in combination with other oils, however, clean organic castor oils are best because they contain pure quality ingrdidients.
How To Do A Castor Oil Pack
- Pour 1-2 Tablespoons of organic castor oil on the three layers of flannel cloth
- Place castor cloth on the body in the selected area
- Cover flannel cloth with plastic wrap 1-2 inches larger than the castor oil cloth
- Place a heating pad or hot water bottle over a plastic covering
- A heating pad must be set on low heat for 30-60 mins
- Place a large towel underneath the pack to catch any excess solution
- Rest while the pack is in place and be careful not to fall asleep with a heating pad on it may cause burns
- Relax and avoid using electronics to give your body a peaceful experience
- After removal of the castor oil pack, cleanse the area with mild soap and water to remove excess solution.
- Apply the pack at least 5 of 7 days consecutively to achieve the best results of castor oil packs for your wellness goals
How Castor Packs Work
Castor oil has a drawing effect that helps to clear the body of excess toxins. The packs help by stimulating the lymphatic and circulation systems to clear and relieve the toxic burden on the body.
Lymphatic congestion is a major risk factor that can lead to inflammation and disease. The lymphatic system is designed to remove toxins and waste from the body if it’s working optimally. However, if the lymphatic system is congested castor packs may help move some of this stagnation and help to stimulate the flow of lymph when placed on targeted areas of the body.
The lymphatic tissue also stores and produces lymphocytes which are the immune system’s disease-fighting cells. Therefore, when this mixture of castor oil gets absorbed into your skin it can also help to improve the lymphocyte count which in turn can expedite the removal of toxins from the tissues.
Finally, castor packs can help to increase circulation in the body making it possible to bring in fresh oxygenated, nutrient-rich fresh blood into the area being targeted.
Benefits of Castor Packs
The beauty of using a castor oil pack is you can place it where you want to achieve your health benefits. This is a very convenient way of helping your body detox without making appointments and having to rely on others to help you achieve your best health. Castor packs can be done in the comfort of your own home at your convenience, as many times or as long as you need to apply them to achieve your wellness goals.
Some reports of the benefits of castor oil packs can be very interesting because they indicate that when placed on the right side of the abdomen or when used to cover the entire abdominal area it is believed it helps to support the liver, gut issues, digestion efficiency, and helps to calm down abdominal pain.
Many women have noticed when they use castor oil packs near the rib cage this can help with menstrual pain and menstrual irregularities, plus help to ease the pain from ovarian cysts and reduce pain.
Some of the other wonderful nuggets of using castor oil packs is they help to assist the lymphatic system with detoxification, improve digestion, reduce inflammation, improve liver function, reduce swelling, and help with ovarian cysts, and digestive system complaints. These are only a few of the many areas people of the body that people have experimented with.
Some of the other advantages of using castor oil was noticed by people with strained joints or injuries when they’ve used a castor oil-soaked cloth on overstrained joints or muscles They reported that it has helped tremendously to reduce pain.
Castor packs are not a substitute for professional medical advice, always seek guidance from your healthcare provider before using castor packs for serious injuries or more critical problems.
Antimicrobial And Antifungal Properties
Did you know this wonderful oil also has antimicrobial and antifungal properties? This property may help to keep out harmful bacteria and protect the scalp from buildup or unwanted harmful bacteria. Also, it may help soothe an itchy scalp and possibly reduce dandruff. This may aid in optimizing the health of the scalp which may lead to a healthier set of hair locks.
Bowel Regularity
Castor oil has been used as a laxative when taken internally and dates back to ancient Egypt when Egyptians used it for this and the many health benefits including treatment for healthy skin and body. A Castor oil pack can be applied to the abdominal area to promote regular bowel movements. When you do this it lets up on some of the pressure on the organs and also supports the liver in detoxing and helps release excessive toxins freeing up the bowels from overburden.
Toxins
The body is constantly being overburdened with toxins on a daily basis from the air, water, food, and EMF’s to name a few, so it’s important to detox on a regular basis. The body needs to eliminate waste at least once a day to help with this burden. An interesting fact to note is that both men and women pass excessive hormones out of the body through the colon daily, that is if their detox elimination channels are open and optimal, so perhaps this is why so many women and men have hormonal imbalances.
Pregnancy
Castor oil is a derivative of the castor seed with the active ingredient known as ricinoleic acid. Varying opinions exist on the effectiveness of castor oil when taken internally for digestion and inducing labor in pregnant women.
The use of castor oil internally when expecting is still very controversial especially if you use castor oil packs externally towards the end of term because it may induce labor, without all the side effects experienced during labor. On the other hand, castor oil could also cause complications with pregnancy and delivery if not used correctly.
As always It’s best to talk with your obstetrician or midwife before attempting to use these packs to initiate labor or detox when expecting. Something else to consider is when castor oil is taken internally it can cause weakness, vomiting, diarrhea, or nausea.
I’m sure you would agree these side effects are not something to deal with during active labor so always consult with your, doctor. Therefore, with anything regarding pregnancy, it’s best to be cautious and seek the advice of your healthcare provider before consuming castor oil internally or using the castor oil pack externally.
Castor oil should not be used when pregnant or during menstrual cycles unless you have consulted with a qualified practitioner before starting this or any therapy.
How Often Can I Use Castor Packs
The health benefits of castor oil packs are one those valuable remedies that cannot be overused. Generally, when you use castor oil packs for external applications the thought is that “more oil is better.” is not always the best method for wellness routines. It’s recommended that the minimum use of castor packs be used for an hour each day with rest for maybe three consecutive days a week. This frequency and time may often be exceeded in order to bring better and faster relief or healing to the skin and body depending on how you’re feeling.
Castor oil pack treatments are not meant to cure but should always be gentle with no real side effects. A common side effect is a rash that may occur at the site of the pack. This may typically
occur during the first few applications of packing and maybe relieved using the baking soda wash. Rashes and other reactions are rare but should they occur seek medical attention.
Take Away
In short, the benefits of castor oil packs have been said to help assist to detoxify the liver naturally, supporting ovarian health, encourage lymphatic circulation, and helping to reduce inflammation in the body. Therefore, castor oil packs can help to increase lymphatic drainage, assist with detoxification, strengthen the immune system, improve bowel movements, decrease inflammation, and enhance overall health.
Conclusive Studies
To date, there aren’t any conclusive studies on the benefits of castor oil packs and the healthy benefits of using externally or internally (though there are some preliminary ones), but instead a long history of traditional use in many cultures for various ailments.