We’ve all heard the old phrase “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.” But a more accurate phrase might be “a spoonful a day keeps the doctor away.”

You’re probably wondering – “a spoonful of what exactly, will keep the doctor away?” I’m referring to a spoonful of powerful health-boosting castor oil. 

Today we’re going to dive into exactly what castor oil is, take a look at its remarkable health benefits, and explore the best way to harness the power of this mighty oil.

What Is Castor Oil?

Castor oil, sometimes referred to as Ricinus oil, is a fatty oil that comes from a plant known as Ricinus communis, or the Castor plant. The Castor plant produces seeds that can be pressed to extract castor oil – a thick, viscous, translucent liquid rich in fatty acids.¹

Castor beans and oil are primarily produced in India and Brazil, and are popular in the United States – and for good reason. Castor oil has been touted to have some pretty impressive health benefits. Let’s take a look at exactly what these castor oil uses and health-boosting effects are.

Castor Oil Health Benefits

One of the main reasons castor oil is so beneficial is that it’s rich in ricinoleic acid – an incredibly potent anti-inflammatory. Castor oil benefits include:

Boosting hair growth: Applying castor oil to your scalp and hair can help you get luscious long locks in two ways. Firstly, castor oil penetrates into the hair shaft, providing moisture and flexibility – which in turn reduces breakage. Secondly, it reduces inflammation and provides moisture to your scalp, which promotes healthier hair growth.^2,3 

Fighting Acne: While it might sound counterintuitive to use an oil to fight acne, castor oil can actually reduce inflammation and fight off acne-causing bacteria.^4,5

Relieving arthritis pain: Castor oil has been found to be helpful in addressing pain, swelling, and inflammation – particularly in conditions like arthritis. Simply applying castor oil to a painfully inflamed area has been found to significantly reduce discomfort and minimize inflammatory symptoms.^6,7

Labor induction: Castor oil has been used for centuries to help pregnant women deliver by initiating labor. And multiple studies have found that ingesting castor oil can in fact help induce labor and promote a healthy vaginal delivery.⁸

Castor oil has a couple more impressive research-backed benefits – combating constipation and promoting healthy skin. Let’s look a little closer at these.

Castor Oil for Skin Issues and Health

Castor oil is chock-full of ricinoleic acid – a monounsaturated fat that has potent moisturizing capabilities. Castor oil is able to hyper-hydrate skin because it acts as a humectant – meaning it attracts water molecules both from lower layers of the skin and from the environment.⁹

In fact, castor oil is such an effective moisturizer, that it’s frequently used in lotions, creams, and other beauty products. The good news is, you can tap into these potent hydrating effects by slathering on pure castor oil. Plus by using this natural option, you’ll avoid the harmful chemicals and preservatives found in many beauty products. Castor oil is an all-natural way to rejuvenate your skin and get a radiant, glowing complexion.

Castor Oil for Gut Health and Constipation

Ricinoleic acid, the main fatty acid found in castor oil is particularly beneficial when it comes to enhancing gut health and promoting regular healthy bowel movements. It accomplishes this thanks to its ability to:^10,11,12

• Enhance cleansing and detoxification
• Promote liver health and function
• Stimulate smooth muscles – promoting the movement of the intestinal muscles to encourage regular and healthy bowel movements
• Increase antioxidant concentration
• Lower inflammation and bolster your gut-immune axis
• Aid in the regulating and balancing of hormones

More and more research is indicating that the health of your gut is one of the biggest indicators of your overall health. So, what’s the best way to harness the power of castor oil to keep your gut (and the rest of your body) in tip-top shape? 

Well, one of the most potent ways is to use a castor oil pack.

What Is a Castor Oil Pack?

A castor oil pack is simply a “pack” soaked in castor oil that is applied topically to the skin. Once applied to the skin, the castor oil begins to permeate through your skin and into your body where it can work its magic. 

All you have to do is allow the compress to sit directly against your skin and voila, you can start reaping all of the remarkable castor oil pack benefits.

Now let’s look at exactly how to make a castor oil pack on your own.

How to Make a Castor Oil Pack

Making a castor oil pack is just about as straightforward as it sounds. Simply:

1. Saturate a small piece of cloth with a tablespoon or two of castor oil
2. Place over your liver (or area of interest – abdomen, lungs, etc.)
3. Wear an old t-shirt or wrap with an ace bandage
4. Apply a hot water bottle or heat pack on top if the castor oil pack
5. Sit or lay down, relaxing for 45 minutes to 1 hour (safe to wear for a few hours or overnight as well)

While you can certainly make your own castor oil packs at home, the problem is, DIY-ing it can be messy and inconvenient. Fortunately, there’s an easier way to tap into the power of castor oil packs.

Introducing a Simpler Way to Use Castor Oil Packs

Castor oil packs have been used for centuries thanks to their healing and health-promoting properties. But this ancient healing practice has been modernized and simplified to make reaping the benefits of castor oil easier and more effective than ever before. All thanks to the Queen of the Thrones Castor oil compress pack. 

This castor oil pack is:

• Less messy: Made with layers of organic cotton and designed to keep the oil confined within the compress (although it’s always a good idea to wear an old t-shirt that you don’t mind staining while using oil topically).
• Heat-less: There’s no need for a heating pad with this compress. Its special design utilizes the heat of your body.
• Reusable: The compress is made out of organic materials that are designed to be used over and over. 
• Sustainable: This compress’s organic materials will eventually deteriorate – making them much more environmentally friendly and sustainable than plastic alternatives.
• Comfortable: With a simple smooth design this compress is designed with comfort in mind.
• Made with top-notch castor oil: Queen of the Thrones Castor oil is 100% pure, cold-pressed, organic, and hexane-free (meaning it's free of harmful toxins). 

This innovatively designed bundle is designed to make this transformational health practice easy for anyone to use. You won’t find a more effective, or more user-friendly castor oil pack on the market. You can check out Queen of the Thrones Castor Oil Packs by visiting their website here.

Now you might be wondering with all these incredible benefits, are there any risks or side effects that come with using castor oil?

What Are the Side Effects of Castor Oil?

When using castor oil, the risk of side effects is quite small. With that being said, it’s important to note that there’s a small chance of adverse reactions such as:

• An allergic reaction: There is potential for an allergy to castor oil – whether ingested orally or applied topically. So if you have a bad reaction or allergic response to castor oil, stop using it immediately.
• May cause digestive upset: Castor oil works as a laxative and stimulates your bowels. So if taken in larger doses, it may cause digestive upset and diarrhea.
• May make you feel worse before you feel better: Because castor oil can aid in digestion, detoxification, and balancing of hormones, this initial shift may make you feel slightly under the weather. When it comes to detoxing and rebalancing your body, this can be a totally normal reaction and usually subsides within a few days – leaving you feeling even better than before. However, if these side effects don’t subside, it might be a good idea to seek out the guidance of an experienced Integrative and Functional Medicine Doctor.

Overall, the risks of using castor oil are pretty minimal. This all-natural oil is a powerfully safe and effective way to tap into ancient healing techniques.

Ready to Harness the Power of Castor Oil? 

Castor oil has a robust list of science-backed health benefits – making it a powerful tool when it comes to your health. If you’re ready to tap into the healing powers of castor oil, I encourage you to head over and grab your own Queen of Thrones Castor Oil Pack today.

And if you’re ready to have an arsenal of tools to add to your health-boosting tool belt, I also encourage you to check out my blog – it’s chock- full of articles just like this to arm you with the knowledge you need to optimize your health. And if you want to take it to the next level, you can sign up for my newsletter by entering your name and email address in the form below.

Now it’s time to hear from you. Were you surprised to learn about all the health benefits of castor oil? Have you incorporated castor oil into your routine yet? Leave your questions and thoughts in the comments below!

References:

1. Castor oil | natural product | Britannica
2. Hair Cosmetics: An Overview (nih.gov)
3. DANDRUFF: THE MOST COMMERCIALLY EXPLOITED SKIN DISEASE (nih.gov)
4. Characterization and evaluation of antibacterial and antiproliferative activities of crude protein extracts isolated from the seed of Ricinus communis in Bangladesh (nih.gov)
5. The Role of Inflammation in the Pathology of Acne (nih.gov)
6. Effect of ricinoleic acid in acute and subchronic experimental models of inflammation. (nih.gov)
7. Anti-inflammatory effects of a novel ricinoleic acid poloxamer gel system for transdermal delivery – PubMed (nih.gov)
8. Castor oil for induction of labour: a retrospective study – PubMed (nih.gov)
9. Moisturizers: The slippery road Sethi A, Kaur T, Malhotra S K, Gambhir M L – Indian J Dermatol (e-ijd.org)
10. Castor Oil Pack and 500ml Oil Bundle – Queen of the Thrones™ (shopdrmarisol.com)
11. An examination of the effect of castor oil packs on constipation in the elderly – PubMed (nih.gov)
12. Castor-Oil-Packs-Immunomodulation.pdf (drprincetta.com)