Castor Oil Packs

Castor oil has been used as a medicine since ancient times. In natural therapy, castor oil packs are immense popular as these can effectively treat a number of health problems. Let us find out more about castor oil packs.

Castor oil is a kind of vegetable oil, extracted from castor beans or castor seeds of castor oil plants. It is found in the form of a pale yellow liquid that has a mild odor, but is tasteless. Castor oil packs are prepared for the purpose of application on various parts of body in order to treat different types of ailments. The therapeutic use of castor oil is due to its anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties. The healing properties of castor oil work best when applied on the skin in the form of oil packs.

What is a Castor Oil Pack?

Castor oil pack mainly consist of pieces of flannel material soaked and saturated in castor oil and then laid on the body. A flannel material is chosen for this purpose, as it has high absorption capacity. Hence, it can hold a large amount of castor oil, required for the application of the pack. The size of the flannel should be at least 12X12 inches. The flannel material could be of cotton, wool or the disposable flannel packs available in the market. In case of a disposable flannel, one side has a protective plastic covering and the other side is a spongy pad. The flannels should not be dyed as they can release colors when soaked in castor oil for a long period of time. Also, people who are sensitive to wool, should opt for cotton pads only.

How to Make and Use Castor Oil Pack?

The ingredients required for making a castor oil pack are: castor oil, a piece of flannel of the size that can cover up the entire area which is to be treated, a container to soak the flannel, pieces of plastic sheets and a bottle of hot water. Firstly, the flannel should be folded into three layers. Then, it should be soaked in the container in a manner such that all three layers have fully absorbed the castor oil. Take out the pad from the container after some time and ensure that the oil does not flow out of the pad.

The pack, thus made, should then be placed over the affected area and covered with a sheet of plastic. When you choose the plastic, make sure that it is slightly larger in size compared to the pack size. In case, you are using a ready-made disposable pack, then pour some castor oil at the middle of the absorbent side of the pack and wait for five to ten minutes so that it absorbs the castor oil and then place it over the affected part. The advantage of using a disposable castor oil pack is that you need not provide any additional protective plastic covering during application. Now, keep the bottle of hot water on the pack and allow it to stay there for an hour or two. Then, the pack should be removed and the applied area needs to be cleaned with a mixture of water and baking soda. The castor oil pack prepared can be stored in a covered container in a refrigerator and can be reused at least 25 times.

Benefits of Castor Oil Pack

Castor oil packs provides a natural remedy to several health-related problems. It is helpful in bringing about an improvement in the blood circulation within the body and contributes towards curing the organs and tissues of the body. On application of a castor oil pack on the abdomen, digestion can be improved and normal functioning of liver can be restored. Due to its anti-inflammation quality, acute pain caused as a result of arthritis can be relieved. At the same time, any kind of nerve inflammations or sore muscles can be cured. Castor oil packs is an effective way for treating fungal infections such as ringworm, athletes foot, chronic itching and also skin problems like sunburn, age spots, boils and stretch marks. In such cases, the skin should be disinfected before applying the pack. This will ensure quick recovery from the skin problem.

Castor oil packs are safe to use and do not have any side effects. However, it is advisable to use the castor oil pack under the supervision of natural health professionals. Pregnant women and lactating mothers should take the advise of the doctor before applying the pack. Even people who have inflammatory intestinal problems or appendicitis should avoid castor oil pack.