From Beauty Aid to Healing Must-Have- The Many Wonders of Castor Oil

Since we’re getting close to what I lovingly call “burn season”, I wanted to share my favorite remedy.   There is nothing on Earth quite like castor oil.  It’s also called “Palma Christi” or “Palm of Christ”, partly because of it’s palm shaped leaves, partly because it is used by many cultures to heal almost anything.  My mom first slathered me up after a sunburn left me in severe pain with bright red skin and horrible blisters.  I couldn’t believe it, but overnight the redness was significantly diminished, and within a few days the burn was gone.  Yes, it would be nice to survive a summer burn-free- but have you seen a picture of me?  The chances of that actually happening are zero (my makeup artist at ABC News called me the “palest person” he had ever seen)  :(

Over the last few years I’ve become castor oil’s unofficial ambassador.  I always carry a bottle on trips- and it’s uses go far beyond repairing burned skin.   From beauty treatments to healing, here are just some ways you can use my favorite oil…

Castor Oil Packs:

The psychic Edgar Cayce advocated soaking a wool flannel sheet in castor oil, and using a hot water bottle or other warming source on top of the pack on various areas of your body.  You can place the castor oil pack on your abdomen (or other areas of concern) to detoxify or heal.

I’ve found massaging castor oil on your belly in the morning or at night also helps with occasional constipation or other skin ailments.

Castor oil is unique, in that it’s molecular weight allows for penetration deep into the skin.  For this reason you can use it to carry essential oils (a friend recommended tea tree oil and castor oil rubbed onto the belly to help with bladder infections).  But that also means, be careful what you mix with the oil before you put it onto your skin.

Many holistic healers advocate castor oil’s use to heal the skin, digestive system, join pain, muscle injuries, back pain, lymph nodes, warts, allergies, etc.

I also add castor oil to my hair conditioner- it makes your hair shiny and doesn’t weigh it down (one part castor oil, one part conditioner in the palm of your hand, mix, then apply to your hair, rinse and shine away

It’s also said that castor oil can help your eyelashes grow longer- although I haven’t tried that, and many castor oil bottles warn of getting oil close to your eye.

Use castor oil on your hands and cuticles to soften and prevent cracked nails.

Have dry, cracked feet?  Put a light coat of castor oil on your feet then cover with socks before bed (note, if you have tile, wood or marble floors- be careful!  I’ve gone flying after trying to get up in the middle of the night to get water)

I’ve used castor oil to heal my allergies (I placed castor oil on welts and they’re gone in no time).  When my dog got a skin tumor on his paw pad, I put castor oil on it to moisturize while we waiting for a vet appointment- the tumor actually fell off in days!

Of course if you’re having any severe symptoms don’t be a knuckle head- see your doctor!  Also you should always consult your doctor to make sure castor oil won’t affect any medications or conditions you may have. There are many other uses for castor oil- feel free to email your favorite tips to christianne@truthfairytv.com or use the forums to share