Castor Oil Packs: The Ultimate Wellness Tool
If castor oil packs were a religion I would be their number one evangelist. Maybe it’s a coincidence that castor oil has also been called “palma christe” or palm of Christ, due to the shape of its leaves. My grandmother, a folk medicine woman (and mama to eleven sturdy children) used it for everything and following in her footsteps, so do I.
Why castor oil?
It stimulates hair growth, lightens pigmentation, nourishes aging skin and treats constipation (although I don’t recommend ingesting it.) I started using it in salves to help the medicine from plants penetrate deeper into the skin. Then I started rubbing it onto my overplucked from the nineties eyebrows to help the hair grow back. Then I added it to my face mix for oil cleansing. But when I started incorporating it into castor oil packs, I was sold.
It all started with a nasty chest cold that persisted last fall. I felt good but the cough just wouldn’t let it up, and I could feel the congestion lingering around in there, stuck and refusing to be purged. I had read about castor oil packs for uterus and liver congestion so I tried it on my lungs. The next day my cough was more productive and the mucus thinned. Two more nights and I was cured.
The way I use it most now is to detox my liver during my follicular phase and to bring circulation to my womb during my luteal phase.
The ricinoleic acid in castor oil decreases inflammation, while increasing circulation. It helps break down old scar tissue and encourages detoxification of the lymph by moving it into the circulatory system to be broken down. A study in the journal of naturopathic medicine studied the affects on 36 subjects of using castor oil packs on the abdomen. Their blood was drawn both before and after treatment, and the subjects had a significant increase in lymphocyte production after doing the treatment. These are the body’s disease fighters and they are crucial to a healthy thriving immune system.
Regardless of the medical benefits, castor oil packs are a great self care practice encouraging you to slow down, rest and bring warmth to areas of the body that need support.
So how do you do a castor oil pack?
Here’s my personal routine.
After my period is done, just to make sure my uterus is properly cleansed, I do a vaginal steam bath with soothing herbs. The following day, I do a castor oil pack on my liver. The liver is located in the right side of the body just below the rib cage. There are three easy steps for trying your own castor oil pack.
1. Start by squirting a quarter size dollop of oil onto you skin and rub it in slightly.
2. Cover that with an old rag (I use the same one for these packs because the oil stains and soaks in).
3. Place a heating pad or hot water bottle over the rag and relax for around 45-60 minutes.
I try to do castor oil packs on my liver 2-3 times during the week after my period and prior to ovulation. I take a break during ovulation and then resume my castor oil packs in the two weeks following and prior to my period. This time I use the castor oil pack on my uterus and ovaries.
Its the same process as before, squirt a dollop of oil onto the womb space (the triangle between your hip bones and below your belly button). Apply the washcloth or flannel, followed by the heating pad and rest. Again, three times a week is great, and within a month or two of doing this, you should notice less cramping and stagnation around your period as well as more effective blood flow. It is also believed to support conception by removing blockages from the fallopian tubes and clearing adhesions from the uterus.
This practice, alongside herbs for fertility cleansing will greatly improve your reproductive wellness, whether you’re hoping to conceive or just get your cycles on track.
https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/seed-and-nut/health-benefits-of-castor-seed-oil.html