Castor Oil Uses and Castor Oil Packs
Castor Oil has been used throughout the ages as a natural therapy. Today, it is used as an emollient and skin softener, for Castor Oil pack application, as a massage oil for muscles and joints, for gastrointestinal problems, and other skin conditions such as psoriasis.
Topical use of Castor oil has been shown to be beneficial for [source]
- Blepharitis and dry eyes (it is used in ophthalmic eye drop preparations, proving effective in counteracting tear film lipid insufficiency and tear film instability, and showing potential in managing dry eye disease without reported side effects.)
- Abdominal disorders
- Arthritis, including osteoarthritis of the knee
- Backache
- Sciatica
- Dry skin
- Fungal skin infections, like ringworm
- Hair growth
- Headaches
- Muscle aches
- Constipation
- Gallbladder pain
- Menstrual pain
- Rheumatism
- Insomnia
Suggested Uses:
- Skincare: As a skin softener or moisturizer, apply as needed to maintain a soft, smooth, youthful appearance. Excellent for joint and muscle massage.
- Eyebrows and Eyelashes: Apply a small amount to the base of eyelashes and massage into eyebrows. Keep out of eyes.
- Haircare: Apply a few drops onto the scalp and roots of your hair. Gently massage the oil in for about 3 to 5 minutes, cover your head with a shower cap and let the castor oil sit for 1 to 2 hours. When the treatment is done, wash out the castor oil with shampoo and conditioner. Repeat this process 1 to 2 times a week to help and repair hair.
- Nails and Cuticles: Apply a few drops of castor oil onto a cotton swap and gently massage nails for a more penetrating result. Or add a few drops of castor oil to a warm bowl of water and soak nails for 10 minutes.
- Muscles and Joints: Apply a small amount onto the area of the sore and stiff muscle or joint, massage gently to relieve the pain and swelling.
Choose Quality Castor Oil
Castor oil is deemed safe and tolerable, with strong antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-nociceptive (blocks the detection of pain), analgesic (provides relief from pain), wound healing and vaso-constrictive properties. [source]
Be sure that castor oil is cold-pressed, cold-processed, hexane-free with no other ingredients.
Castor Oil Packs
Castor oil applied externally in the form of a “pack” works to better concentrate the oil’s penetration allowing its natural healing properties to work. Packs may be applied to enhance assimilation, elimination and circulation; especially of the lymphatic system. A piece of wool (or cotton) flannel is saturated with castor oil and applied to a specified area with, or without, heat.
- A common area to apply the Castor Oil pack is across the abdomen covering from the right to the left side of the body, covering from the sternum to the pubic or groin area and sitting slightly to the right to cover the liver.
- Application is usually for 1 to 2 hours.
- A heating pad is placed on top of the Palma Christi or Palma Christos Castor Oil pack to keep it warm during application. It is best to consult your health care practitioner to determine frequency of application.
Cotton or Wool
Baar Products Wool Flannel is natural and unbleached with an extra-thick weave and is specifically designed for Castor Oil pack therapy. Approximately 12 x 28 inches (fold into 3 layers).
Baar Products Cotton Flannel is natural, unbleached, reusable and specifically designed for Castor Oil pack therapy. It is reusable for 1-1.5 months. Approximately 11 x 30 inches (fold into 3 layers).
How to Make the Pack [source]
Materials needed: castor oil, unbleached wool or cotton flannel (3-4 pieces or layers about 12″ x 14″ each), a 13-gallon trash bag (cut along the edges that seal it thus giving you two identical rectangular pieces), a standard or extra-large electric heating pad or hot water bottle, a large plastic sheet (such as an inexpensive shower curtain liner), an old sheet, paper towels, baking soda, and a wash cloth or sponge.
It is important to heat the pack before placing it on the body. The easiest way to do this is to put the flannel on top of the heating pad (the heating pad is first covered by one of the pieces of the 13-gallon trash bag) and turn the heat on. Saturate the flannel with castor oil (the first time the flannel is used, it will require a large amount of castor oil to saturate it.) This will warm up in about 15 minutes.
Additional amounts of castor oil will need to be added to the pack before each use. Note, Heat is not recommended with active infections, bleeding, excessive gas or a recent injury (less than 48 hours old). Please do not heat the pack in a microwave oven.
Note: This method is one of the most efficient ways of making a pack. The easier and neater it is, the more likely it will be used. Saturate the flannel, but not to dripping.
Where to Place the Pack
The pack’s placement depends on the issue being addressed. For general use, it should be placed over the liver on the right side of the body, extending, top to bottom, from about the sternum (breastbone) to about 4 inches below the navel or to the groin or pubic bone. From left to right, it extends at least from the navel, around the body as far as it will go, covering as much of the right side as possible. A larger pack, consisting of a king-size heating pad (12″ x 24″) and matching sized flannel, will cover the liver and abdominal area more easily and is highly recommended.
Using the Pack
If possible, use the pack in the evening, when you are best able to rest. This is an ideal time to pray, meditate, read spiritually uplifting material, or listen to relaxing music. Decide where in your home you will be doing the pack. Set it up so you will be comfortable, with a pillow under your head and another under your knees. Oil always drips from the pack so it is important to protect bedding, cushions, or pillows (some people prefer to use the pack undressed in order to avoid soiling their clothes).
Here are the steps for a mess-free pack:
- Place the large piece of plastic over the area where you will be laying.
- Place an old sheet over the plastic.
- Take the second piece of the 13-gallon trash bag and position it across the sheet, under your lower back and beneath the area of your abdomen.
- Lie down on your back on the plastic bag.
- Place the saturated pack on your abdomen, with the oiled flannel against your skin and the plastic-covered heating pad on top.
- Adjust the heating pad control to the warmest setting you can tolerate comfortably. It should be very warm (“as hot as the body can stand”), but not so hot it burns you.
And please note that it’s easy to fall asleep with the pack in place so if you find that happening, be doubly careful of the temperature setting on your heating pad and lower it if necessary. With a sleeping child, you might want to shut it off completely and allow body heat to keep it warm.
Keep the pack on for at least 1 to 1½ hours; this is one treatment where more may be better. It can even be used overnight. Abdominal binders/supports (available from a medical supply store) or a wide bodybuilder’s midriff support with Velcro fasteners are useful in holding a pack in place if you wish to sleep with the pack. A large bath towel, folded lengthwise, placed around the entire torso and fastened with safety pins, can also be used.
When You Are Finished
Turn off the heating pad and put it aside. Take-off the pack with the trash bag and fold it in on itself and store it in a leak-proof container. Wipe off excess oil (keep paper towels near). Cleanse the skin with a solution containing a pint of warm water and a teaspoon of baking soda. Now is the best time for an abdominal and spinal massage if you are using the packs as a remedy for epilepsy.
Persistence and consistency are called for with many chronic conditions. Use the pack for 3 days in a row. Then take a break for 4 days, and then repeat. This is a typical series of castor oil packs but other variations were given, too (4 days on with 3 days off, or 5 days on with 2 days off, every other day, etc.).
The flannel pack can be used repeatedly and be kept in the refrigerator between usages, although this is usually not necessary as castor oil is very resistant to spoilage even at room temperature. Replace the pack only if it smells rancid or discolors from toxins being released from the body.
If despite all precautions, oil gets on the bedding or clothing, launder with an extra amount of your usual detergent and a couple of cups of baking soda.
This Kit Includes 1 each of the following:
Castor Oil
100 % Pure, Cold Pressed and Cold Processed Oil. Our Castor Oil is ideal for use in Castor Oil Packs and excellent for massage into joints and muscles. The external uses of this ancient oil can be enhanced through the use of the “Castor Oil Pack” – a piece of flannel saturated with castor oil and then applied to the body to better to concentrate the oil’s penetration, allowing the natural, healthy properties of the oil to work. 16 oz.
Wool Flannel
100% Natural and Extra Thick Weave. This natural wool has not been dyed and contains no synthetics. It is reusable and will last 2-3 months if cared properly. 12 x 28 in.
Two Disposables “Flannel Like” For Easy Use
Disposables are plastic coated on one side for added protection and ease of use. Just pour your castor oil on the absorbent side up (with your heating pad underneath to warm it up), then flip on to your body and you are ready to go. No more messy plastic wrap. They are Disposable so your packs remain fresh and impurity free. Can be used for approx. 8-12 applications. These disposable packs can also be used to protect you bed. Place one on your bed when you are using your pack. 30×19 in & 24 x 17 in
CastorWash
After Treatment Wash For Cleansing the skin after using a castor oil pack. “There will be accumulations that will arise from the activity of the pack. That is why the soda is needed to produce a reaction of an alkaline nature in the body”. 16 oz.
Electric Heating Pad King Size
This heating pad is equipped with a 3-heat setting slide switch for custom comfort and a convenient automatic shut-off button. It has a cloth cover that is machine washable. Absorbent sponge insert is included for moist heat application. 11.5 x 20.5 inches 120V AC 60Hz 49W (for use with USA electrical system)
Customer Experiences reported by Baar Products
” I wouldn’t be without my castor oil for my skin and hair ever. It makes my skin look great. I hardly have any wrinkles and I’m almost 66.” – T.B., Rocklin, CA
“Baar’s Palma Christos Castor Oil on my hip and knee joints allows me to walk without pain. I don’t know how it works, but it does!” – P. M., Surprise, AZ
“I was in agony for a long time; I could hardly walk. I went to Podiatrists and they said, ‘you’ve got Plantar Fasciitis.’ But nothing ever helped, and I was just hobbling around. Well, when I found out about the Castor Oil, I ended up rubbing it all over the bottom of my foot. I did that every day for a long time. The pain went away immediately, the first application. That’s why I loved it right away.” – B.P.M., Ukiah, CA
“I’ve tried the Baar Castor Oil for my eczema and it has been a God send. Great Product!” – K.J.S., Atlanta, GA
“I have used Castor Oil for myself and patients for the past 50 years. My kids say they are going to put on my tombstone, ‘Here she lies, in spite of Castor Oil.’ I have used it as a pack, without heat, for threatened miscarriages, abdominal and back discomfort during pregnancies, and any other time that a pregnant woman chooses to use it. With heat it helps menstrual pain and can be placed on the part of the body where the pain is the greatest.” – Dr. Gladys McGarey, MD, MD(H), Scottsdale, AZ
“Thank you for the Castor Oil Packs, I have a flare up of the sciatica spasms, & Castor Oil has eased the pain for me greatly these last three days.” – T.G.
“I have been using the Castor Oil packs on a bad knee which really helps. I was in a bicycle accident a year ago and it helped the recovery of these injuries a great deal. Thanks” – G.J.
“I love your products! Castor oil packs are wonderful. I have used them for all kinds of ailments for me, my family and my employees.” – J.L., OR
“I LOVE your Castor Oil. I put it on my face every night. My skin is smooth & it also disintegrated a couple of small warts I had.” – S.F., Danville, PA
“I had a puffy mole on my cheek. Every night I massaged Castor Oil into it, and the mole started to flake off! It was a natural way of removing it, and I didn’t have to go to a surgeon or anything to remove it. It’s gone completely now and no scar! My neighbor has done it too!” – K.F., Williamsburg, VA
“My husband was suffering from a kidney stone that was trying to pass, and he also had a hernia that had reappeared. I heated your Castor Oil and put it in flannel, and he sat in this for about an hour. It seemed like the hernia had gone down a bit. That evening, we put the flannel pack back on with the heating pad for about 3-4 hours, and the stone felt like it was no more and the hernia didn’t bother him anymore! They were gone! Also, my sister found a lump on her spine. I massaged her with Castor Oil and when I was done, the lump was practically gone! Her therapist announced the lump was gone the next time she went to her. This Castor Oil is great!” – J.A., Cantonment, FL
*Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Palma Christos® is a registered trademark for Baar Products’ organic Castor Oil.
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