Castor Oil is used a lot in the products that I create. I love it! Not only are the healing properties superior when applied topically, but when absorbed into the skin the body's lymphatic tissue benefits too! I've taken this excerpt from an online article that I enjoyed reading. If you, or someone you know, are suffering from edema, arthritis, boils, hyperactivity, colon problems, etc, the castor oil packs could be beneficial.
Castor Oil Packs
One of the most useful and least utilized methods of using castor oil is to employ packs. Packs are an economical and efficient method of absorbing the ricinoleic acid and other healing components of castor oil directly into body tissues. (The following basic procedure was outlined in several of the readings of Edgar Cayce.)
To make a castor oil pack you will need the following items: cold pressed castor oil, a standard heating pad, a plastic garbage bag, two or three one-foot square pieces of wool or cotton flannel and one large bath towel.
1. Start by placing the heating pad on a flat surface and turn the setting to high.
2. On top of the pad lay the plastic garbage bag. Next, soak the flannel pieces with castor oil generally about 1/2 cup) and lay them on top of the garbage bag and heating pad.
3. The entire pack can now be placed against the body with the oil-soaked flannel on the skin. For general conditions the pack should be placed on the abdomen. (For treating lower back problems, the pack can be placed there.) To help hold the pack in place and to keep oil from getting on bedding, etc., the body can be wrapped in a large bath towel.
4. The pack should remain in place for at least one hour and the temperature of the heating pad should be kept at the highest temperature tolerable to the patient.
5. When you remove the pack, the remaining oil can be massaged into the skin or cleaned off using a little soda water made from 1 quart of warm water and 2 tablespoons of baking soda.
6. The flannel can be reused if stored properly after removing the pack. Put the flannel in either a plastic bag or zip-loc container and place it in the refrigerator. Before using it next time let it warm up and always add another 1 or 2 tablespoons of fresh cold pressed castor oil. (After a month of use I would recommend using new flannel.)
Conditions Responding to Castor Oil Packs
Due to the many effects of its fatty acid component, ricinoleic acid, the use of castor oil can be used topically to treat a wide variety of health complaints.
Lymphatic Congestion
Obviously, conditions known to be related to poor drainage of the lymphatic system will tend to benefit from this type of therapy. These would include complaints such as:
1. chronic fluid retention with swollen joints and pain
2. arthritis
3. upper respiratory infections involving the sinuses,
tonsils and inner ear
4. colon problems like Crohn's disease or colitis
5. gallbladder disease
6. boils
7. liver cirrhosis, hepatitis, enlargement or congestion
8. menstrual-related congestion
9. appendicitis
10. hyperactivity
11. constipation, bowel impaction or adhesions
12. swollen lymph nodes
13. bladder and vaginal infections
Neurological Problems
Several neurological problems have also been responsive to castor oil. These include:
1. nerve inflammations such as sciatica, shingles, etc.
2. Parkinson's disease
3. multiple sclerosis
4. migraine headaches
5. cerebral palsy
AIDS
Conditions that stress or compromise the immune system will very often benefit from castor oil packs. Nowhere is this more obvious than with AIDS. I have talked with several AIDS patients who have added castor oil packs (usually for one hour a day) to their treatment regimen with very positive results. Within two weeks, it was not uncommon for them to see increases in their WBC counts (white blood cell counts), platelet counts, hematocrit readings and RBC counts (red blood cells).
I should mention also that in addition to the castor oil packs most of those I talked to are also drinking a combination of olive oil and lemon juice to further stimulate lymphatic flow and liver activity. It can be made by blending the following:
1 clean whole lemon, (pulp, rind, seeds and all)
1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups of distilled water
4 rounded tablespoons of frozen orange juice concentrate
The blended material is then strained through a wire strainer to remove the pulp, which is discarded. The remaining liquid is divided in four equal portions of approximately 1/4 cup each and a portion is consumed with each of the three daily meals and before bedtime.
In addition to stimulating lymphatic flow, the drink increases the flow of bile from the liver and gallbladder, which, in turn, enhances one's ability to digest essential fatty acids through the Peyer's patches in the small intestine. It is not uncommon for AIDS patients to experience weight gain and a reversal of a long list of complaints often associated with fatty acid deficiencies.
Source
Castor Oil-Natural Protection from Deadly Viruses
