Castor Oil

Latin Name: ricinus communis L
Forms Available: oil

Castor oil, derived from the castor bean and obtained by cold pressure, is rich in fatty acids and very moisturizing and lubricating to the skin in general.  It acts as a humectant, attracting moisture to the skin.  Castor oil packs applied with warm flannel are believed effective for pain relief and to draw out cysts, boils and warts.

Ayurvedic medicine has long used castor oil for lumbago, sciatica and rheumatism.  In the Canary Islands the oil is used to prevent sore nipples in nursing mothers and is also rubbed onto their scalps to prevent post natal hair loss.  In soapmaking, although castor oil would appear to require less sodium hydroxide, it sometimes requires more due to its high ricinoleic acid content.  It is also a well-known superfatting agent and well suited for shampoo bars and skin-care products. Without other oils, it produces a transparent soft soap. In combination with over vegetable oils, however, it makes a wonderfully emollient, hard bar of soap.

From folk medicine:  Castor oil fomentations are recommended for ridding the body of hardened mucus in the form of cysts, tumors and polyps.  The castor oil is applied by soaking a flannel cloth in the oil and applying it over the liver.  A hot water bottle or electric heating pad is applied on top of the pack and left on the area for 30 to 60 minutes.  This is repeated daily for three days followed by olive oil massages over the same area for three days.  On the seventh day, it is recommended by some that the patient should rest by fasting on nothing but distilled water.  Depending on the particular case, this procedure should be repeated for between six weeks to six months to properly cleanse the system.

Thought for the day:

Wherever the art of medicine is loved, there is also a love of humanity.
– Hippocrates

Suggested Reading:

1. Castor Oil Pack Therapy: Application & Instruction by ND, Bruce Baar MS
2. Castor Oil and Rosemary Oil for Hair Growth: The Secret to Re-growing Hair and Preventing Hair Loss Naturally by Mark Calhoun
3. Castor Oil: How To Grow Longer Hair, Get Rid Of Scars, Remove Wrinkles, And Other Health And Beauty Recipes (Homemade Body Care Book 4) by Kathy Aquino
4. The 3 Essential Oils: Olive Oil, Coconut Oil and Castor Oil by Cat McEwan
5. Castor Oil (Carrier Oils Book 7) by Miriam Kinai

Reference Links:

1. Ricinus communis by Wikipedia
2. Transdermal Absorption of Castor Oil by Douglas G. Richards, Ph.D., David L. McMillin, M.A., Eric A. Mein, M.D., and Carl D. Nelson, D.C. published in the Meridian Institute.
3. Final report on the safety assessment of Ricinus communis (Castor seed oil), published in the International Journal of Toxicology
4. Benefits of Castor oil by MedIndia
5. Health benefits of Castor oil by Times of India

Your resource for quality Essential Oils. Every batch is
GC tested to ensure purity and authenticity.