Castor oil may be known as folk medicine dating back to ancient times, but today it serves many useful purposes. If you’re looking for a cost-effective way to increase healing, reduce inflammation and improve circulation, adding a castor oil pack to your routine will be your best bet.
What are castor oil packs?
They are not as complicated as they sound. Castor oil packs involve using a cloth soaked in castor oil, then placed on the skin. A heat source such as a heating pack or hot water bottle is then placed over the cloth. The combination of heat and castor oil over your body brings many healing benefits.
Benefits of castor oil packs
Castor oil packs can be used for a variety of chronic diseases, or simply to support your daily health practices.
Many people use their castor oil packs over their liver (area under the right ribcage) to support detoxification, but you can place it on any painful, inflamed area of the body, such as swollen joints and muscle strains. It can also be placed over the abdomen for constipation or indigestion, or over the lower abdomen for uterine fibroids and ovarian cysts.
How to use a castor oil pack
Start by picking your star ingredient, the castor oil. Only this particular oil should be used because it contains high levels of ricinoleic acid, which is responsible for its beneficial properties.
Because the castor oil pack is a therapeutic treatment, it is best to prioritize getting the best quality castor oil. Make sure to choose one that is cold-pressed, organic and comes in a glass bottle. This ensures the chances of the oil being rancid are low.
Best options for castor oil: St. Francis Castor Oil 250m, Heritage Castor Oil Black 240mL
Next, you’ll need an old cloth big enough to cover your desired area, preferably one that is undyed and cotton, but use what you can find. If you would like to keep electronics out of the pictures, you can use a hot water bottle pack. Otherwise, an electric heating pad can be used.
- Layout your cloth in a container. Soak it in castor oil so that it is completely saturated.
- Prepare the area where you will be using the pack. It is best to wear old clothes because castor oil is known to leave stains.
- Place the castor oil cloth over the desired area.
- To keep your clothes and heating pack clean, you can lay another old cloth or towel over the castor oil pack, then add your heat source.
- Lie or sit down, resting in this position for 30-60 minutes.
Making castor oil packs a part of your routine
If you’ve never used castor oil packs before, they made seem time-consuming. But think of your castor oil pack as your wind-down routine before bed. It can be a very relaxing process once you get the hang of it. Start with using them once a week, then work your way up to three times a week for maximum benefits!
Please note: castor oil packs are not recommended for pregnant women or during menstruation.
Author
Grace Tien is a women’s health holistic nutritionist. She helps her clients optimize their nutrition habits so that they can get rid of afternoon slumps and live each day full of energy. Grace specializes in nutrition for healthy periods, you can find out more at @gracetien.ca on Instagram.
