The Way I Viewed It As A Child..

As a child I have to admit it was a thing of dread!  I heard stories from Grandparents about their parents administering it to them to make them poo!  Why Why Why I wondered?  Why would you take this unctuous liquid so that you could poo!  Gloopy and thick and in a huge tablespoon, YUK!   Things have moved on since then and now it has become an elixir of youth and good health it seems.

I have watched many tiktok videos about the magical stuff.. I first came across it when I discovered the amazing Barbara O’Neil, who is a marvel indeed, her stories of health and wellbeing from a truly detailed and scientific perspective without the help of pharmaceutical products were literally mind blowing to me.. this was exactly my thing, if you have read my Welcome blog you will know why.   She seemed to have a remedy for almost anything that could be administered naturally and at home.  Castor Oil was amongst the products that she advocated, it amazed me that this once hated stuff was now proving to be a literal miracle to a lot of people.  You could use it for your skins youth and elasticity as well as its rash and wrinkle benefits, you could make compresses with it and wrap it around joints that were aching and hurting, with pain disappearing, arthritis relief was tangible too.  So I wanted to really get to grips with whether it was just a trend that had whipped up without necessarily much evidence of its healing properties, or if indeed there really was something behind it. 

So Castor oil derives from the seeds of the Castor Bean Plant, Ricinus Communis, which can be traced back through history to ancient Egypt around 4000BC and was and is an essential part of traditional medicine for many generations in India.  It contains an enzyme called ricin which is harmful, however the heating of the Castor Oil deactivates this enzyme.  Firstly the seeds are collected and cleaned of any impurities, then they are pressed and finally they are refined.  In other words they are de-hulled and ground into a coarse mixture.  The mixture is heated to aid efficient oil extraction by rupturing the oil cells present in the seeds.  The end result is absolutely pure Castor oil, which is translucent and a pale yellow colour, it has a high boiling point and density  and also this wonderful oil contains many beneficial components, one being Omega 3 fatty acids, Vitamin E and ricinoleic acid, which helps with the digestion process and maintaining healthy skin flora, so is hugely healing for dermatitis, psoriasis and acne.

Reusable Castor Oil Compression Pack Kit Wrap for Abdomen uk seller. from Sis Fashion ebay.

Castor oil holds huge kudos in Ayurvedic medicine, for its potential to heal alopecia, wrinkles, ovarian cysts, constipation, asthma, and arthritis to name but a few!

The oil cools the body when applied externally, the pungent and astringent qualities flush out salts and toxins from the system, thereby lessening skin irritations like Prickly Heat. Castor Oil is anti-inflammatory, anti-infectious, anti-rheumatic, fungicidal, laxative, immunity boosting, anti viral, labour inducing and anti-aging!  Phew!!

Cleopatra is even said to have used it to brighten the whites of her eyes!

The laxative properties of the Castor Oil increase the movement of muscles which  aids with pushing bowel material out, clearing the intestine of waste.  This process is very detoxifying.  It is best to limit ingesting to small amounts however, as too much can result in unpleasant symptoms like abdominal cramps, nausea and diarrhoea.  

Castor Oil can be applied to wounds, as it provides a moist environment that can help with the healing of wounds and prevent sores from drying out.  Many ointments used in clinical settings contain Castor Oil.  It lowers the risk of infection by creating a barrier between the wound and the environment, very good for pressure ulcers.

Acne Treatment

Acne is caused when the skins pores become clogged with dead skin and bacteria, the amazing beneficial healing properties of Castor oil help to lower these symptoms that cause blackheads, white heads and bumps.  When applied topically the Castor Oil’s antibacterial properties battle the bacterial overgrowth.

Castor Oil For Fungal Infections

Dental problems like plaque growth, gum infections and root canal infections can be caused by Candida Albans which is a fungal infection, the strong anti-fungal properties of Castor Oil facilitate removing the bacteria and leaving the mouth fresh and healthy.  This even includes the issues caused by dentures, which can cause great pain from an infected tooth root caused by Candida.  Brushing and soaking dentures in Castor Oil solution gave a remarkable reduction in Candida for people using dentures.

Castor Oil For Immunity Improvement

This truly remarkable oil also strengthens the body’s immunity by increasing white blood cells.  Within a few hours of using Castor Oil evidence has been found proving that it can boost the count of T11 cells and promote the secretion of lymphocytes which are the body’s natural way of fighting disease!  In addition to this it has also been found to improve blood flow and lymphatic drainage, triggering immune system function and is excellent for digestive issues too.

Promotes Libido and Regulates your Cycle

Castor Oil can aid you in balancing your hormones also, by absorbing the fat molecules in the body.  It is known for alleviating PMS symptoms, anxiety and mood swings as well as improving circulation to the sexual organs improving the sexual drive and vitality.

Ricinoleic acid in Castor Oil works as a natural emmenagogue (big word of the day!) and stimulates menstruation in case of a delayed cycle, it eases pain and abdominal cramps also during menstruation.  This fact literally flabbergasts me.. is there no end to its benefits!

My Experiences With Castor Oil

After rediscovering Castor Oil I began with recommending it to some of my market customers as a possibility for pain relief for their bad knees and a way to ease walking.  One particular chap said he would definitely give it a go as he had tried pretty much everything else.  The day I saw him and mentioned it to him he had been mainly hobbling bent backed down the High Street with some difficulty.  The following week I saw him from a distance coming towards me, he was walking fluently and easily!  Yes he had tried it and the effects were very evident, he said he was enjoying some good longer walks again, I love it when that happens!

Following this break through I came across another way of using it, for cleansing the body and hopefully aiding and reducing fibroids, you can put a few drops into your belly button (or navel) before you go to sleep at night allowing it to seep down through the umbilicus area and absorb into the relevant areas.  The skin in that area is generally thinner than other areas allowing for easier penetration into the underlying tissues.  In addition to this the navel is connected to various internal organs via various veins, many people experience relief from all sorts of internal issues due to this practice, including the fibroids as mentioned above.

Conclusion

It is no over exaggeration of mine to say that I am quite literally blown away by Castor Oil… I knew it was good, but I didn’t realise it was this good!  I cannot see me being without some now, ever!  I have a few staple medicine cabinet natural remedies already, including Tea Tree Oil, Lavender Oil, Lemon, Honey, Turmeric etc, but now of course Castor Oil will definitely be added!

Thank you once again for coming with me on my little journey, see you soon!

Theresa x