Castor Oil

Castor oil comes from castor beans. Raw castor beans are inappropriate for human consumption. The oil, however, is apparently packed with healing benefits. Castor oil contains some germ-killing substances, including undecylenic acid, which is particularly useful at killing fungus and yeast.

This compound also kills Candida albicans, just so you know, and is available as a stand-alone dietary supplement that we use called Elim-A-Cand. But we’re concerned here about using the oil externally. It’s easy to make and use a castor oil pack.

Castor Oil Pack

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You will need:

  • A bottle of castor oil (sold at all health food stores)
  • Wool or flannel cloth, about 24 inches by 24 inches square (sold at health food stores)
  • Plastic bag or plastic sheeting (You can use plastic food wrap.)
  • 2 towels: One to cover the bed or chair you are lying on, and one to cover your abdomen
  • A hot water bottle, or microwaveable heating pad
  • Baking soda for clean up

After you’ve obtained the above items, you’ll want to dress appropriately. Definitely wear something that you are not attached to. I always change into a garment I don’t care about because no matter how hard I try, I always seem to get a drop of castor oil on my clothing, and it doesn’t come out in the laundry. So wear boxers, undies, an old robe, or old towels that you don’t care about when applying a castor oil pack.

Directions for the Castor Oil Treatment

Fold the wool cloth in half, and then again. Saturate the cloth with the castor oil. You want it wet, but not dripping. If you squirt too much castor oil onto the cloth, then you may have to wring it out. I use gloves because the oil is really hard to get off skin, as well as clothing. You can either heat the cloth now, or just apply it to your skin and put a hot pack over it.

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If you opt to heat the cloth immediately, do so carefully. You could microwave it for no more than 20 seconds, or put it in a toaster oven for about 1 minute (yes, it heats up fast). Make sure you test the temperature of the cloth by touching it to your arm before you place it on your abdomen. Most people just apply the pack directly to their skin without preheating, and then apply warmth by putting the hot pack on top. This reduces the risk of getting scalded. Either way, it’s up to you.

Apply the castor oil pack to your abdomen, over the area of pain, or over your liver or whichever organ you are attempting to detox. You want to place the oil-saturated cloth directly over the area of discomfort. Put the plastic sheet over it, and then cover it with a towel. Now apply the warm hot water bottle, or heating pad. Keep it on your abdomen for about an hour. You can do this 3 times a week, or even daily.

Many people find that placing the pack over the left side of the abdomen where the pain is radiating feels better. However, because castor oil packs are thought to stimulate gallbladder and liver drainage, applying it to the right side could be even more helpful. You can alternate sites with each application. After each application of castor oil, you should remove the oil from your body with a solution of water and baking soda (about a tablespoon to a cup).

Wool cloth is sold very inexpensively at health food stores, as is castor oil (you can order both from Amazon). You can use the same cloth multiple times, perhaps up to 25 times. After each use, store the wool in a glass jar on the counter or in the refrigerator. You know when you need to replace your cloth because over time it gets stained dark, perhaps with moldy spots from skin micro-organisms or repeated heatings. Again, replacing the wool after 25 times (or sooner) should be fine if you store it properly.

While castor oil packs may not be exactly what most conventional doctors recommend for cancer or pain, I feel this safe, old-fashioned treatment is useful and comforting. Castor oil packs have brought relief to many people with abdominal pain from many causes, as well as those with uterine fibroids, monthly cramps, gallbladder disease, liver dysfunction, or fertility problem.