Jane Hayes Acupuncture

Castor Oil Packs For Everyday Health

Castor Oil Packs For Everyday Health

Every Day Wisdom |

New Respect for Ancient Knowledge

Castor Oil Packs help to regulate your nervous system and support your body’s lymphatic and detox processes.

What is Castor Oil and Why It’s Good for You?

Castor oil is derived from the castor bean, which is grown in tropical and subtropical climates world wide. It’s use dates back thousands of years in Egypt, and there is evidence that Cleopatra found it useful to whiten her eyes and to soften her skin. In modern times, we rely on it’s lymphatic system support. It contains ricinoleic acid, which assists in lymphatic processes. One of the lymphatic system’s jobs is to remove toxins from our circulatory system and move them to the kidney and liver where they can be safely excreted through our natural outputs. The lymphatic detox process takes place while we are laying down overnight. There is no pump that moves the lymphatic system outside of physical motion of the body and gravity. As such, during the overnight, lymph fluid can move freely.

Science and Research on the use of Castor Oil

If you’ve every experienced swelling, a swollen gland or throat, post surgical bleeding of clear fluid, you have see some of the things that the lymphatic system does to supports your health. We rarely focus on lymphatic nutrients or what it needs, yet we expect it to perform miracles like call support in the growth of new tissue after injury or surgery. Do you get annoyed when our immune system doesn’t fix problems you see and inflammatory swelling? It’s common to feel that way.

  • Lymphatic fluid manages removing waste from your cells at the end of their life cycles, and macrophages which can harm us without healthy white blood cell levels.
  • Castor oil helps the body activate parasympathetic hormones which allows us to make white blood cells.
  • The fatty acid compound in castor oil is ricinoleic acid, which has been used in traditional and alternative medicine for thousands of years.

Try applying a Castor Oil pack, which you can use over and over again, before bedtime!

What People Love About Castor Oil Packs
  • Relieve constipation
  • Reduce swelling
  • Support detoxification
  • Support lymphatic drainage and lymph fluid quality
  • Reduce the incidence of new skin tags
  • Cancer treatment support
  • Moisten your skin
  • Calm your nervous system

Make Your Own Personal Castor Oil Pack

Supplies for your castor oil pack include castor oil, some uncut flannel or cotton sheets, a container or resealable bag to keep the oiled textile in between uses, and a (useful but optional) towel or plastic wrap.

Castor Oil Packs for Everyday Health

Constructing and Using Your Castor Oil Pack
  • Make a simple castor oil pack from any piece of cotton, ideally a flannel with an absorbant pile.
  • Cut a rectangle which is the best size and shape to fit over your abdomen, or anywhere you want to treat with a castor oil pack.
  • Apply it where it’s needed! Knees and ankles, and arthritic areas are a great location candidates.
  • For abdominal application, lay on your back and pour 1-3 T of oil on your abdomen and spread it around.
  • Place the fabric or multiple layers of cotton on top so that the oil stays were you pour it and does not fall off. You may want to lay on top of a towel to be sure it does not drip on to sheets.
  • Cover yourself as needed to stay warm during your castor oil pack treatment. You may need an oil-protective layer above the pack. You could use plastic wrap, wax paper, or a dish towel to avoid the oil leaking onto covers.
  • Rest with the pack applied for 30-60 minutes or as long as you can.
  • When you get up, remove the covering and the castor oil pack and keep it in a bowl or container so it’s ready for next treatment.
  • You will need to add less oil over time as the cloth becomes saturated.
  • Don’t wash the cloth, but just keep going with the same one unless you feel its too soiled.
  • Start with a daily frequency and add companion activities podcasts, reading, low lighting or sleep stories.
Dive into our links on the research and modern uses of Castor Oil here
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