Castor Oil’s many forgotten uses (Part 1 – Medicinal)
These days, castor oil, like many of mother nature’s gifts, are at best dismissed as an ‘alternative’ therapy. However, castor oil has been used and recommended for its powerful medicinal and curative effects for centuries by physicians.
But as science and cynicism have replaced the desire to heal sickness with the modern-day desire to protect drug & pharmaceutical profits, much of this valuable information has been forgotten.
What is Castor Oil?
Castor oil is extracted from the seeds of the castor oil plant (ricinus communis). The seeds produce 1/4 of their weight in oil. The extracted oil is pale yellow and transparent. It has little taste or smell, and causes a slight burning in the throat when swallowed on its own.
When handling castor oil, be sure to protect your clothing or bedding from drips as castor oil can stain fabric irreversibly (although Arm & Hammer washing soda may help remove castor oil stains).
In Spanish, castor oil is called Aceite de Ricino or Aceite de Castor. In India, where the plant is native, it is called Erand Oil (Velakennai in Tamil). It is known as Kharwa in Arabic. In China, it is known as Ma Hong Liang. It is known as Minyak Jarak in Indonesia.
Castor Oil use through the ages
There is evidence that it was cultivated in England as early as 1562 but castor oil use goes back even further. In ancient Rome, the castor oil plant was also called the Palma Christi, or the hand of Christ. 4,000 year-old castor bean seeds have been discovered in Egyptian tombs. Historical documents reveal that castor oil was used medicinally in Egypt, India, and China as well as Persia, Africa, Greece and Rome.
The Healing Properties of Castor Oil
While the castor bean contains toxins that makes it poisonous, the expressed oil only has trace amounts of those toxins. So when castor oil is taken internally or ingested, it causes purgative (laxative) effects instead of poisoning the body.
When used externally (rubbed into the skin), castor oil is able to penetrate deeper than any other essential plant oil. Rubbing castor oil on the skin can relieve pain, reduce inflammation, detoxify the body and boost lymphatic circulation.
Castor oil also contains ricinoleic acid, a very unusual fatty acid that can be found only in castor beans and ergot (a fungus). Ricinoleic acid inhibits the growth of many bacteria, viruses, molds and yeasts. This is why castor oil has been known to work well on acne as well as other skin conditions like ringworm, keratoses, scars, and fungal infections. (Read more about castor oil’s uses for beautiful, healthy skin and hair.)
Many ailments can be cured with Castor Oil – but skepticism abounds
Castor Oil has many medicinal uses, including constipation (when taken internally), relief from pain, inflammation and stomach problems. It also has cosmetic uses and has been said to restore a youthful glow, and maintain smooth and supple skin.
Unfortunately, castor oil’s humble nature and its long list of medicinal uses generally cause people to view it with skepticism. It is also virtually unknown within the medical community or dismissed as a poison, which is unfortunate because so many take their cue from those folks in white coats. I personally think it is far too long that we have equated skepticism and cynicism with intelligence. There is much more to healing than what science can adequately explain.
1. Castor Oil is a mild and effective laxative
A half ounce of castor oil taken internally will have a quick and mild laxative effect, giving relief for constipation. To improve the taste, take the oil by floating in a glass of warm milk or mixing it with a fresh egg yolk.
2. Castor Oil expels tape worms and other intestinal worms
Castor oil taken internally has been documented to discharge tape worms successfully. Take a tablespoon of castor oil in a glass of warm milk in the morning and at night. The worms will be passed out of your system.
3. Castor Oil relieves arthritis, back pain and muscle aches
Castor oil applied topically can give immense relief from arthritis, back pain and general muscle aches and soreness.
You can improve its effectiveness by applying a cloth soaked in castor oil over the painful joint and covering it with plastic (such as cling film). Place a hot water bottle over this (this method is also known as a ‘castor oil pack’). The heat will help the castor oil to penetrate your inflamed tissues and joints.
Even without external heat, a castor oil pack will still work wonders. Just leave it on for longer. You can do this easily by putting the castor oil pack on before going to bed, leaving it to work overnight.
4. Castor oil cures sleeplessness and insomnia
If you suffer from insomnia, rub a little castor oil over your eyelids before going to bed. Castor oil applied this way will bring about a feeling of deep relaxation for a peaceful slumber without the use of drugs.
5. Castor Oil treats skin infections
To treat small skin infections, apply a few drops of castor oil onto a plaster or bandaid and apply it over the area you wish to treat each day. For a larger skin infection, use a piece of clean cloth soaked in castor oil instead.
6. Castor Oil relieves stomachaches and colic in babies
To relieve stomachaches, warm some castor oil by rubbing it between your palms and massage this gently over the abdomen and the bellybutton area (the navel). This relieves stomach pain and helps to expel trapped gas. Castor oil used this way also helps relieve colic in newborns and helps them sleep.
7. Castor Oil alleviates period pain and menstrual cramps
You can similarly massage some hand-warmed castor oil over the lower abdomen to relieve period pain and menstrual cramping. Using the castor oil pack method over the lower abdomen can also help reduce menstrual irregularities and uterine and ovarian cysts. It’s not unusual to feel some ‘fluttering’ over the ovaries (either side or both) when a castor oil pack is applied.
8. Castor Oil shrinks swollen lymph nodes
Rub castor oil over the swollen lymph nodes each day and it will gradually shrink in size. Castor oil works by speeding up the circulation of the lymphatic system.
9. Castor Oil cures vaginal infections and urinary tract infections
Apply castor oil directly to the skin, and cover with a warm washcloth or hot water bottle for half an hour to an hour.
10. Castor Oil shrinks hemorrhoids
Soak a cotton ball with castor oil and apply it to the hemorrhoid. Lie down to do this. However, if the cotton ball stays in place, you can also walk around with a towel wrapped around your waist.
11. Castor Oil relieves gallbladder pain
Pain from gallstones can be relieved by using hot castor oil packs. Place a castor oil pack over the area to relieve pain from gallbladder attacks.
12. Castor Oil relieves aching feet
If you have the type of job where you’re standing on your feet the whole day, you can use castor oil to soothe your tired and aching feet. At the end of the day, simply massage some hand-warmed castor oil over your feet. You should feel immediate relief.
For greater comfort during the day, rub a generous amount of castor oil over your feet and put on cotton socks before leaving the house. You will experience greater comfort while standing on your feet or walking all day.
For severe foot pain, apply a generous amount of castor oil over your feet’s problem areas, wrap it up in some plastic (such as cling film) and finish this off by putting on socks before going to bed. Your foot pain should lessen by morning. Repeated application of this for a few weeks will eventually resolve most foot pain completely.
I was able to heal my very painful heel spurs (calcium deposits) using castor oil, so this is something I can attest to personally. 
(p.s: using castor oil like this will also get rid of corns and soften thick calluses.)
13. Castor Oil boosts the immune system, increases lymphocytes
Castor oil has the remarkable ability to increase our body’s lymphocytes. Lymphocytes, or white blood cells, regulate wound healing. Studies have shown that T lymphocytes may play an important role in healing.
A 1999 paper ‘(Immunomodulation Through Castor Oil Packs’ by Harvey Grady, Journal of Naturopathic Medicine) showed that a 2-hour topical application of castor oil (castor oil packs) produced a significant increase in the number of T-11 cells.
Amazingly, the number of T-11 cell lymphocytes continued to increase for 7 hours after the treatment.
This boost in the body’s lymphocytes could also be why castor oil applications appear to be helpful for anyone with a weakened immune system.
- Those dealing with viral infections, such as shingles. (One commenter, Denise, talked about how castor oil seem to be the only thing helping soothe the pain from her shingles here.)
- Cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.
- People who have AIDS/HIV, lupus or other autoimmune diseases.
14. Castor Oil drains and heals pilonidal cysts with little or no scarring
This one came straight from a lovely lady called Esther who wrote in about her recurring pilonidal cysts that were drained within a week of using castor oil packs daily. I’ve pasted extracts of her comments below, but you can click on the links to read them in full.
On 4 September 2011, she wrote, “Having this cysts was the worst pain I have ever had in my life and I am only in my early 30s!! Needless to say, when I had the cysts come back recently I was not willing to do surgery because I knew it could not possibly be the cure if my cysts had came back….I started using a castor oil soaked in gauze placed on my cysts and a heating pad for an hour. Literally, by the next morning my cysts had gone down in size and the pain started decreasing. It’s my 3rd day using this regimen and one cysts has gone down and the other is forming an opening to start draining!! “
On 14 September 2011, she kindly provided a detailed update, “I would like to give an update about my condition. I hope it will be beneficial to someone who is struggling with painful cysts the way that I was…
I learned that certain foods can trigger cysts to grow in the body. Things such as shellfish and sushi should be limited because it has iodine which increases cysts in the body. Also, cutting back on dairy, processed food, sugars, and the like because those things create unhealthy bacteria in the body which cysts thrive on.
I used a castor oil pack with a heating pad for about an hour each night. By the 5th day my cyst (which was big and very painful when I move) started draining. Be Prepared: when your cyst drains it will be a messy sight because it is pus filled with bacteria and white blood cells, thus it will be a lot of liquid (at least mine was). Hence, it is important to shower right away and cover the cysts with a gauze. I continued putting the castor oil on my cysts every night and covered the area with a gauze (I did not use the heat but it is okay to do so) and within a couple days of it draining it began getting smaller and healing!! Literally, I instantly felt no pain after the cyst had drained so relief will come once that bacteria is out of the body! Post-draining: I put Neosporin on the cysts to help heal it along with the castor oil. It is now, a week after it has drained, thus, this combination works well b/c my cyst is almost not noticeable and the way it is healing is so much better than when I had surgery! My surgery left noticeable scars and now, my cysts are healing with little to no scars!
I have also continued with natural remedies for my body because I want to make sure that I don’t have this problem again. Thus, I started taking Turmeric pills which is a natural antiseptic and antibiotic which will kill unhealthy bacteria in the body, boost your immune system and so on…
For the person who is suffering from painful cysts, I truly hope that you will find a natural approach that will help you to heal from the inside-out!! Nature is truly God’s gift to us and there are so many advantages to looking into natural alternatives. I am soooooo happy that I listened to my intuition and did not do a 2nd surgery or 3rd because I know now that surgery was just a band-aid, it was not getting to the source of my cysts. Hence, it is so essential that you and I listen to our bodies and our intuition! I wish you all good health and happiness!”
A 1923 ad for Squibb’s Castor Oil. The text reads: “A vitally important place in every home”.
Documented case of castor oil being used successfully to expel tapeworms in 1828. Click to enlarge.
Thanx dear 4 giving such a beautiful idea about castor oil.
After my marriage i am hair fall problem as well as suffering from dandruff.should i heat castor oil before applying.
It’s not necessary to heat it first, but you can if it feels comfortable. Also if you wrap your hair up in a towel or cover it with a shower cap – the heat from your head will also do the job nicely.
Dear Samantha, I want to thank you so much for putting a website like this on the internet where people like me can gain more insights about the benefits of castor oil!! It is truly a gift that you have given to people with this information. I would like to give an update about my condition which I used castor oil for. I hope it will be beneficial to someone who is struggling with painful cysts the way that I was. I recently wrote a post about my experience with pilonidal cysts. Instead of opting for a 2nd surgery that my surgeon recommended in less than a year (which was very traumatizing for me b/c anesthesia did nothing. I felt every jabs and cutting), I decided to look into natural alternatives. Thank goodness, I did because I am feeling much better that any surgery would have made me feel! I want to encourage every person looking for an answer about any kind of cysts or other conditions to consider speaking with a naturopathic doctor or nutritionist. The insights you will gain from people who understand the relationship that natural things can heal and the cause for your condition are so worth knowing!
After doing my natural research on the internet: I learned that certain foods can trigger cysts to grow in the body. Things such as shellfish and sushi should be limited b/c it has iodine which increases cysts in the body. Also, cutting back on dairy, processed food, sugars, and the like b/c those things create unhealthy bacteria in the body which cysts thrive on. For clearing up my cysts: I used a castor oil pack with a heating pad for about an hour each night. By the 5th day my cyst (which was big and very painful when I move) started draining. Be Prepared: when your cyst drains it will be a messy sight b/c it is puss filled with bacteria and white blood cells, thus it will be a lot of liquid (at least mine was). Hence, it is important to shower right away and cover the cysts with a gauze. I continued putting the castor oil on my cysts every night and covered the area with a gauze (I did not use the heat but it is okay to do so) and within a couple days of it draining it began getting smaller and healing!! Literally, I instantly felt no pain after the cyst had drained so relief will come once that bacteria is out of the body! Post-draining: I put Neosporin on the cysts to help heal it along with the castor oil. It is now, a week after it has drained, thus, this combination works well b/c my cyst is almost not noticeable and the way it is healing is so much better than when I had surgery! My surgery left noticeable scars and now, my cysts are healing with little to no scars!
I have also continued with natural remedies for my body b/c I want to make sure that I don’t have this problem again. Thus, I started taking Turmeric pills which is a natural antiseptic and antibiotic which will kill unhealthy bacteria in the body, boost your immune system and so on. In addition, I take Acai Organic Berry to boost my immune system and improve cell function, and so much more. I recently started using Colloidal Silver which my nutritionist said is very good to heal a cyst b/c it kills unhealthy bacteria and so forth. I just put a few drops on t he cysts, but I don’t think this is all that necessary b/c the other things I have mentioned will do similar things for your body as well. Additional Recommendations: If you want you can look into doing a detox to cleanse your liver and intestine. I purchased a Berry Detox tea that does both. According to my nutritionist, it should be taken as 3 cups a day for a week. I haven’t started this regimen as yet but will do so soon. It improves the skin and improves a healthy body.
For the person who is suffering from painful cysts, I truly hope that you will find a natural approach that will help you to heal from the inside-out!! Nature is truly God’s gift to us and there are so many advantages to looking into natural alternatives. I am soooooo happy that I listened to my intuition and did not do a 2nd surgery or 3rd b/c I know now that surgery was just a band-aid, it was not getting to the source of my cysts. Hence, it is so essential that you and I listen to our bodies and our intuition! I wish you all good health and happiness!
Thanks very much for the detailed update, Esther. I’m so happy to hear that your cysts have healed well and without much scarring
I’ve updated the article now with your input. Thanks again for sharing!
Thank you Esther and Samantha for the article about the pilonidal cysts! I have had 2 surgeries and still has come back. I was looking online for natural remedies today and found the article that Esther mentioned in her first post and then got to reading this one. I also read that a deficiency in Potassium can cause cysts. I found that on Dr Christopher’s Herbal website. So I went to the store today and bought Bananas, Raisins, and Almonds. I ordered the Castor Oil Starter kit online and hoping to get in the mail very soon. I have been praying for healing about this and I am SO grateful to find these things. I found out that it is also called Palma Christi, which means the Palm of Christ or Hand of Christ. Thank you Jesus!
Best of luck Kristina!
So i’m actually wanting to test these out. Can I be sure that Caster oil will really work? How?
Thanx dear,1more thing i want to know from you,actually i m having a very dry skin which causes pigmentation.plz suggest me something good .
Regards
Hi Amrita, you can try any number of things to put moisture into your skin – castor oil, coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil, and shea butter are just a few examples. Be consistent and patient. With time, you should see results. And go as natural as you can with whatever you choose to use — the last thing you want to do is introduce chemicals to damaged skin.
I DID NT FIND COLD PROCESSED CASTOR OIL.I SEARCHED IN VARIOUS SHOPS AND MEDICINE STORES.PLEASE TELL ME HOW WILL I GET IT,AND IF I LL USE NORMAL CASTOR OIL,IS THERE ANY SIDE EFFECTS.
Hi, this article has info on where to get castor oil at the bottom. Also, any other kind might clog your pores. You can try refined castor oil, but my advice is to use it with caution i.e. stop using if you get any reactions.
Hi,
i have got pigmentation on my both cheeks.its from the facial bleach.I burnt my cheeks now got pigmentation its very dark and my rest skin is fair.
i have done so many things,spend lot of money on laser but its still the same.Will castor oil help to fade pigmentation.
Pls reply me.
Thank you
Yes, I believe it can, but it takes many months of patient use. Castor oil completely removed the deep hyper-pigmentation I got from a serious burn on my leg after 9 months. If you ask most dermatologists, they’d say my type of deep hyperpigmentation is permanent, but it’s not true.
Read “How I healed my scar using castor oil”
I hope that gives you some encouragement!
I have used castor oil and castor oil packs for decades. One example: I used a castor oil pack on my chest once when I had the flu. I was out of bed with energy 4 hours later. No lie. I had my energy back but still had a fever, so I didn’t push it. I was amazed. I also used the castor oil pack when I had an appendicitis pain. After several uses, the pain left and never returned in the decades since. I also used it on my upper back to see what effect it would have after a day full of chainsawing trees and wood, which usually gives me all kinds of pain the next day. After about 90 minutes of the hot pack that night, I had no pain the next day. I KNOW it works because I’ve done it, and I will continue to use it.
where I can buy a castor oil? is there a fake castor? I am from Philippines.. but I dont know if this is original.. I just used it to my skin and 2 days already.. let me know if you have ideas about where I can find an original castor
Where to buy castor oil
I forgot to say thanks for sharing, Jodie. Your experience with castor oil is quite remarkable
I’ve had very painful plantar fasciitis for over two years now. Nothing seems to work. I would like to try the castor oil or castor oil pack approach. Just curious: why do so many people recommend the use of flannel? Why flannel specifically? And why plastic wrap? What actual purpose does this serve? Moreoever, when people say to “soak” the flannel, what exactly is meant by “soak”? Castor oil is viscous and goopy.
Hi michael,
Flannel is probably a throwback from many years ago when castor oil packs were starting to be used within the alternative/holistic health community. I’ve used cotton cloth and cotton gauze with the same success, so it probably doesn’t matter much.
Plastic wrap is to keep castor oil on the skin and prevent staining.
It’s easy to soak cloth with the thick oil unless the fabric is oil-resistant.
There’s no need to overthink it. I’ve found that the basic tenet is really pretty simple — keep castor oil over the areas who want to treat, and use heat if you’d like. The rest are just details.
Consistency and patience is harder and more important, IMO.
Samantha
Thanks for the quick response.
You said “keep castor oil over the affected area”. That brings up another question: what is the difference between massaging the oil onto my
heel and then putting on my socks and going about my day….versus… “soaking” a piece of material (flannel or cotton or whatever) and applying it to the area in question? Presumably, the “application” of a piece of material has something to do with the castor oil needing time to seep in. However, I was wondering if you have had good results just massaging the oil into your heel each day. Its much easier and much less time consuming and certainly makes it easier to turn into a daily ritual.
In the treatment of my heel spurs, I’ve only used castor oil packs overnight so I can’t tell you if simply massaging the oil in can work just as well. Maybe you can try for yourself and find out?
To treat my heel spurs, I preferred a castor oil pack while I slept because it only took a few mins to put on. I forgoed the cotton and just put a generous amount of castor oil all over the bottom of my feet, wrapped this up in plastic, and wore socks over this to bed. When I walked around, my feet would make a “squelching” sound because of all the oil. During the day, I wouldn’t use castor oil at all. About two weeks later, my foot pain was gone and hasn’t returned since.
And to answer your question, I guess the difference is that if you just wear socks over the area, it’s likely some castor oil will end up on your socks rather than be absorbed by your feet. (As an aside, you might want to watch out for staining. Castor oil can dissolve some pigments and dyes. )
I’d suggest just doing what’s most comfortable/easiest for you though. Having a castor oil pack may be a more heavy-duty, intensive method, but that doesn’t mean castor oil massages cannot help with healing either.
Good luck!
Another success story!
I have completely healed my toe nail fungus! I’ve been wrapping my toe nightly with a dab of Grapefruit Seed Extract, topping it generously with Castor Oil, and covering it for the night.
It took some 3-4 months, but was fully worth it! My toe is pink and healthy, no remnant of any infection. Yay! Thank you so much for your inspiration!
That’s amazing, DeAnna. Thanks for sharing and I’m glad to hear your toe is in the pink of health
Thanks, Samantha!
I have another quick question about using Castor Oil on my face.
I’ve been using it at night, after applying moisturizer, since reading in your excellent article that castor oil absorbs better than any other.
I’m wondering if it is even necessary to apply moisturizer first, with castor oil over it, to help it absorb, or does castor oil by itself have enough nourishment/nutrients to be applied without any other cream?
Cheers!
I’ve found castor oil to be more than adequate at moisturising my skin. But if you have a favorite natural moisturiser that’s worked well for you, I don’t see why you can’t mix them. I know shea butter is excellent for dry skin.
Hi,
Pls, I want to first thank you for educating us on the usefulness of castor oil in natural healing. Pls I have a younger brother that’s been suffering from acute folluculitis which has defiled all treatments for more than 10 years now both herbal and orthodox. Do you think astor oil will be helpful or even heal this, he has lost most of the hairs on his head to this. Pls what do you think?
I was just wondering if a Pilonidal Cyst surgery could cause arthritis? I had a Pilonidal Cyst last year, and had surgery to drain it. Since that surgery I’ve had lots of back pain. I’ve tried sleeping on a heating pad, that only made my back feel worse and im gonna buy a back brace tomorrow or the next day.