Have you ever heard of a castor oil pack? It’s one of the world’s oldest pain relieving techniques and has been used medicinally for centuries. You simply apply castor oil to a flannel cloth placed on your belly under a hot water bottle or other gentle heat source. The benefits are amazing even if the process seems old-fashioned.
Castor oil packs work wonders on endometriosis, PCOS, uterine fibroids and ovarian cysts that are not cancerous. The packs can also relieve ovarian pain, help with healing after a ruptured ovarian cyst, diminish caesarean scars and alleviate menstrual cramps. From boosting fertility, treating fibroids, reducing inflammation, boosting lymphatic circulation, improving immunity, and soothing digestion, castor oil packs are a great way to improve your health.
Let’s start with the basics: what is castor oil?
Castor oil is a pale yellow liquid extracted from castor seeds. It is very rich in antioxidants and has a unique odor. The potency and healing ability of castor oil has earned it the name “Palma Christi” or “Hand of Christ”. Castor oil contains a large amount of ricinoleic acid, a type of fatty acid shown to possess anti-inflammatory properties.
What does a castor oil pack do?
When the oil is applied to the skin using a flannel cloth and a gentle heat, the ricinoleic acid interacts with the body to increase circulation, improve elimination, and promote healing of tissues and organs. It also stimulates cutaneous-visceral reflexes that put your body into a relaxed parasympathetic state. The benefits of a castor oil pack include:
IMPROVES IMMUNITY – Castor oil packs improve the immune system by boosting white blood cells and thus fight infections.
STIMULATES LYMPHATIC SYSTEM – Castor oil packs improve blood flow, thymus gland health, and lymphatic drainage.
IMPROVES FERTILITY– Castor oil works to boost fertility work by helping to decrease water retention, improve digestive function, improve circulation, and stimulate liver function during the luteal phase of their menstrual cycles in particular. However, don’t use a castor oil pack while you are bleeding and avoid using them during your luteal phase if you are actively trying to conceive and may potentially be pregnant.
HEALS FIBROIDS – The main benefit of castor oil for fibroids is that they stimulate the lymph, promoting detoxification and cleansing when applied to the pelvic region.
IMPROVES JOINT PAIN – Castor oil’s anti-inflammatory properties make it an ideal oil for relieving joint pain, nerve inflammation and sore muscles.
BOOSTS LIVER FUNCTION – Castor oil packs help detoxify the liver naturally, support uterine and ovarian health, improve lymphatic circulation, and reduce inflammation.
What do I need to make a castor oil pack?
Castor oil packs are simple to make. You’ll need relatively easy to source ingredients, listed below. Castor oil can leave stains so many of the needed items are to protect your clothing, heating bottle/pad, or bedding and for storage to reuse the oil saturated flannel. Because the materials are inexpensive, castor oil packs are an economical and effective home treatment.
Materials
Organic, unbleached cotton flannel
Organic castor oil
Hot water bottle or other gentle heating pad
Protective absorbent cloth or plastic wrap slightly larger than the flannel
Storage container with a lid for saturating the flannel and for storage
Old clothes and sheets to keep the castor oil pack from staining
How do I use a castor oil pack?
Once you have all the ingredients together, make sure you have a clean, comfortable area to lay down for an extended period of time, preferably with your feet elevated. It’s best to do it 2-3 hours after a meal. The typical duration of castor oil therapy is about 45-90 minutes 3-5 times a week for 4-16 weeks.
Instructions
Place the flannel in the container
Soak it with castor oil so that it is saturated, but not dripping
Place the pack over your abdomen and pelvic area
Cover with plastic
Place the hot water bottle over the pack
Rest and relax for 45-90 minutes
To clean up, add a little baking soda to warm water to clean the skin.
How do I maintain my castor oil pack?
Once you have everything together, you basically have a castor oil pack kit ready to go! Store the pack in a glass container in the refrigerator for re-use. If it changes color or starts to get smelly, you can either dispose of it or wash it out with cold water. Castor oil packs get a bad rap for being difficult to use and clean-up, but once you get the hang of it they're ridiculously simple and surprisingly relaxing.
