Castor oil

Castor oil's healing properties

Castor oil for a younger skin

How to make and use castor oil packs

Taking castor oil internally

Warnings / contraindications for castor oil

Is castor oil toxic?

References

Castor oil is made from castor beans, the seed of the ricinus communis plant. The main component of castor oil is ricinoleic acid, an unsaturated omega-9 fatty acid. Ricinoleic acid has analgesic (painkiller) and anti-inflammatory properties. Castor oil is an under-rated remedy. Edgar Cayce used it as one of his famous cures.

Castor oil has been used for thousands of years as a cure for a wide variety of ailments. It was used in ancient Egypt, Persia, China, Africa, Greece and Rome. In the 17th century it was discovered by people in Europe, and after that it found its way to the Americas. It is used as a laxative, as a hot compress, and to get a healthy skin and treat many skin ailments.

In traditional Ayurvedic medicine, castor oil is used for pain relief (for arthritis, lower back pain and sciatica); constipation; dysentery; inflammatory bowel disease; bladder and vaginal infections; and asthma.

Castor oil's healing properties

• Antibiotic, antimicrobial. It has antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal abilities.
• Pain relief.
• Inflammation - soothes and reduces. (8)
• Lymphatic system - stimulates and improves circulation and drainage.
• Skin's blood circulation.
• Detoxification of / elimination from tissues and organs under the skin, with subsequent healing.
• Liver - stimulates the liver's capacity to detoxify.
• gallbladder - stimulates.
• Digestion - improves.
• Immune system - strengthens, particularly by boosting the lymphatic system and the thymus gland, increasing lymphocyte production. (7)
• Labour stimulant for pregnant women.

Castor oil for a younger skin

Don't use proprietary, factory-made, store-bought products on your skin. Moisturisers, night treatments, exfoliants, cleansers and so on nearly always contain chemicals to improve shelf life, handling, spreading and so on. Pure unadulterated castor oil is cheaper, healthier and more effective.

Castor oil is a thick oil, quite heavy to spread with your fingers. You don't need to put much on - just enough to cover the skin. Apply it and leave it on for a couple of hours. You can leave it on overnight, though it is a little messy on your pillowcase or bedclothes.

Regular use of castor oil reduces wrinkles, treats many different kinds of skin blemishes including liver spots (age spots), keratosis, and helps you get a beautiful, clear, healthy and younger-looking skin.

How to make and use castor oil packs

Castor oil packs are a traditional treatment for a range of conditions including:

• Pain, both deep and shallow pain. Treats pain caused by a variety of conditions.
• Lymphatic stimulation. (7) This healing property does not require you take the oil internally, but only apply it externally. Lymphocytes are one of your immune system's disease-fighting cells. They are produced and stored mainly in your lymphatic system (thymus gland, spleen, and lymph nodes). Hundreds of kilometres of lymphatic tubes collect waste from around your body, and then transfer that waste into your blood for elimination, a process referred to as lymphatic drainage. When your lymphatic system is not working properly, wastes and toxins can build up and make you sick. This lymphatic congestion is a major cause of inflammation and consequent diseases.
  
  Castor oil is a great lymphatic stimulator. When castor oil is absorbed through your skin your lymphocyte count increases and lymphatic drainage improves. This speeds up the removal of toxins, reduces lymphatic congestion, reduces inflammation and promotes healing.
• Skin infections, skin inflammation. Skin conditions like acne, dermatitis, keratosis, wound healing, ringworm, warts and other viral skin infections, sebaceous cysts, itching, and even hair loss. Castor oil and ricinoleic acid also enhance the absorption of other healing agents through your skin. (5)
• Liver. Various liver complaints including cirrhosis and torpid liver.
• Gallbladder inflammation (cholecystitis).
• Digestive complaints related to the colon, including colitis, intestinal stricture and colon impaction.
• Scleroderma, a long-term autoimmune disease that causes a hardening of the skin and eventually, damage to internal organs.
• Arthritis. (6)
• Muscles and joints that are swollen or damaged.
• Nerve disorders including neuritis, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, cerebral palsy.
• Migraines and headaches.
• Epilepsy.
• Appendicitis.
• Gynaecological problems including menstrual or female reproductive problems.
• Eye irritations. (1)
• Cancers. (1)
• AIDS.

A warm castor oil pack placed on the skin will increase the circulation, promote the elimination of various toxins, and stimulate the healing of tissues and organs beneath the skin.

Wet a piece of clean undyed wool or cotton flannel with castor oil so that it is saturated but not dripping. Place the material on your skin, and cover the flannel with a sheet of plastic. Place a hot water bottle over the plastic to heat the pack. Rest comfortably for 45-60 minutes with the pack in place. I recommend that you lie on a towel because the oil can be messy.

A castor oil pack is commonly used on the following areas: over inflamed and swollen joints, muscle strains and bursitis; on the right side of the abdomen to stimulate the liver or gallbladder; on the centre of the abdomen to relieve constipation and other digestive disorders; on the lower abdomen to relieve menstrual irregularities or uterine / ovarian cysts.

When you have finished, you can clean the skin by wiping with a clean dry cloth. If you need to completely clean off all the oil, use a dilute solution of baking soda in water.

It is generally recommended that a castor oil pack be used for only 3 to 4 days in a week rather than every day, to treat a condition or for detoxification.

Store the pack in a covered container in the refrigerator. Each pack may be reused up to 25-30 times.

Taking castor oil internally

• Constipation. One tablespoon for adults and one teaspoon for children taken orally usually results in a "purging" of the digestive tract in about four to six hours. Ricinoleic acid irritates the lining of your intestines, freeing up constipated stools. However, it may cause digestive discomfort or even diarrhoea for some people.
• Parasites. Mainly used as a carrier for the ingestion of other anit-parasitics, such as pure gum turpentine or herbal remedies such as wormwood, black walnut hull and artemisia.
• Cancer. Castor oil has a suppressive effect on some types of tumours. (1, 5) May be used both internally and externally.
• Arthritis. (6) May be used both internally and externally.
• Inflammation. (8) May be used both internally and externally.
• Better, deeper sleep - claimed by some users.

Warnings / contraindications for castor oil

• Castor oil is made by cold-pressing the seeds and subsequent clarification of the oil with heat.
  Only use pure castor oil. Try to buy castor oil that says "food grade" on the container; if you can't find such a product then it should at least say "pure".
  Take care about the source of your castor oil. A lot of the oil is derived from castor seeds that have been sprayed with pesticides, and then processed with solvents to extract the oil. Some suppliers deodorise the oil, which damages it and may also contaminate it.
• If using castor oil internally, proceed carefully and start with cautious small doses so that you can minimise any unexpected reactions. This applies particularly if you suffer from digestive irritations such as cramps, irritable bowel, colitis, diverticulitis, haemorrhoids, ulcers, or have recently undergone surgery.
• Pregnant women should not take castor oil internally or use it on the skin because it stimulates labour. (1)

Your comments about any of your experiences - positive or negative - with your use of castor oil are welcome at Grow Youthful. I am always curious about your use of and experience with natural remedies, and your feedback is very welcome.

Is castor oil toxic?

The LD50 oral (rat) in numerous safety datasheets (MSDS) is more than 5000mg/kg. (3, 4)

A National Toxicology Program (NTP) subchronic oral toxicity study using castor oil at concentrations up to 10% in the diet of rats was not toxic. (1)

In a study people ingested castor oil at dietary concentrations as high as 10% for 90 days and were closely monitored. They did not experience any ill side effects. (2)

Castor oil is classified by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as generally recognized as safe and effective for use as a stimulant laxative.

As a food additive, the Joint Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)/World Health Organization (WHO) Expert Committee on Food Additives established a human acceptable daily castor oil intake of 0.7 mg/kg body weight.

Castor oil extract had a strong suppressive effect on S(180) body tumours and ARS ascites cancer in a study of male Kunming mice. No dose-related reproductive toxicity was found in mice fed up to 10% castor oil for 13 weeks. (1)

The instillation of a castor oil solution into the eyes of nine patients resulted in mild and transient discomfort and minor epithelial changes. (1)

On human skin in the 48 hour dermal patch test castor oil was found non-irritating. (2)

References

1. Final report on the safety assessment of Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Glyceryl Ricinoleate, Glyceryl Ricinoleate SE, Ricinoleic Acid, Potassium Ricinoleate, Sodium Ricinoleate, Zinc Ricinoleate, Cetyl Ricinoleate, Ethyl Ricinoleate, Glycol Ricinoleate, Isopropyl Ricinoleate, Methyl Ricinoleate, and Octyldodecyl Ricinoleate. Int J Toxicol. 2007;26 Suppl 3:31-77. doi: 10.1080/10915810701663150.

2. International Castor Oil Association. www.icoa.org FAQs, retrieved 7 March 2017.

3. Fujimoto M, N Higashi A, Kume K, Ueda K, Hino N.
Environ Dermatol, 4:268-276, 1997.

4. Hino N, Ikushima=Fujimoto M, Higashi N, Kume A, Ueda K, Hino N.
Environ Dermatol, 7:144-153, 2000.

5. Final Report on the Safety Assessment of Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Glyceryl Ricinoleate, Glyceryl Ricinoleate SE, Ricinoleic Acid, Potassium Ricinoleate, Sodium Ricinoleate, Zinc Ricinoleate, Cetyl Ricinoleate, Ethyl Ricinoleate, Glycol Ricinoleate, Isopropyl Ricinoleate, Methyl Ricinoleate, and Octyldodecyl Ricinoleate. International Journal of Toxicology, Volume: 26 issue: 3_suppl, page(s): 31-77, 1 May 2007.

6. B Medhi, K Kishore, U Singh, S D Seth. Comparative clinical trial of castor oil and diclofenac sodium in patients with osteoarthritis. Phytother Res. 2009 Oct;23(10):1469-73. PMID: 19288533.

7. Harvey Grady. Immunomodulation Through Castor Oil Packs. Journal of Naturopathic Medicine, Volume 7, Number 1 1999.

8. Celme Vieira, Stefano Evangelista, Rocco Cirillo, Annalisa Lippi, Carlo Alberto Maggi, Stefano Manzini. Effect of ricinoleic acid in acute and subchronic experimental models of inflammation. Mediators of Inflammation, 9, 223-228 (2000).