Unlock Castor Oil Benefits: Guide to Hair Growth, Pain Relief, & More!

Yeast Infections

Posted by Eleny (Graham, WA) on 09/25/2008
★★★★★

My son recently had a horrible yeast infection on his bottom. I did not notice it right away because it was right on the outside of his anus. The reason I did not notice it right away is because he had not been passing regular bowel movements and I had no need to wipe him there. I was giving him his bath and wiping him when I first noticed it. At first I thought it was feces but it would not come off and when I looked he had what looked like a horrible case of acne that was about to pop. Initially I thought it was a diaper rash but soon realized it was not. I took him to the doctors office the following morning and the doctor said that he had a yeast infection and prescribed some ointment. I was honest and told the doctor that I would not try the ointment until I tried a natural alternative first. I then went home and applied diluted _____'s Organic ACV on a cotton square and wiped him and also put some H202 on another cotton square and applied that to the infected area. I then decided to use Castor oil because of the many health benefits it has when applied to the skin onto the yeast and I kid you not within a 24 hour period the infection was COMPLETELY gone! And believe it or not since I have used the Castor Oil on his bottom he has been passing bowel movements regularly.

Beautiful Skin

Posted by Len (Seattle, Wa) on 06/11/2011
★★★★★

No--the castor oil will not clog your pores. In fact, it has made my pores clearer and smaller. I was very leery about using an oil on my face (I thought I'd break out terribly) but after the first application, I realized that it helped get rid of any blemishes or inflammations not caused them. And I have less clogged pores.

Arthritis

Posted by Sunny (Sunny CA) on 12/31/2022
★★★★★

Castor Oil for Arthritis

Helps me take fewer OTC meds on days I overdo it.

I started using organic castor oil on my knees and inner elbows. I rub a lot of oil on my knees and place plastic wrap on them and over them with semi lightweight knee sleeves. I add more oil to it a few times during the day.

It's been amazing, more than I hoped for. I used castor oil in 2005 to save my gallbladder, and use it on the gallbladder liver area off and on even to this day.

Worth a try.. I can NOW GET UP from my computer without a cane and without my knees locking up on me for sitting there too long.

Diverticulitis Pain

Posted by Hilldy (NC) on 02/19/2022
★★★★★

I used castor oil on my stomach where I was diverticulitis pain, and the pain is about completely gone! I just put it on a small rag over the spot where I was hurting and then covered that with a washcloth. Then I pulled my underwear up over that and left it on most of the day. I wasn't moving around much so it stayed in place. If anyone has suffered diverticulitis pain, or any pain like kidney stones etc. this stuff is amazing!

Urinary Incontinence

Posted by Cindy (Illinois, USA) on 05/29/2021 533 posts

Day 7 - coughing fit - coughed up a lot of phlegm from the lungs that I didn't even realize I had. I had sinus issues after covid and some other sort of "thing" about a month after that went straight to the chest after madly working to keep covid from going down into the chest. Expelled a large amount of clear phlegm with no sign of infection but I hadn't even realized I still had "stuff" in the chest. Probably because I was focused on a quite significant form of all-over muscle weakness that went on for almost a year after covid. Until I started rebounding.

Anyway, kind of sore from a LOT of coughing but my lungs and throat are very..."open" so...interesting.

Also had "activity" in the lower left quadrant of the abdomen, which was interesting. Possibly an adhesion dissolving but, of course, I have no way of knowing. Another "issue" I didn't know I had, apparently.

Aside from the hydration - 8 oz every two waking hours - the "Belly Rub of Happiness" 2 or 3 times per day, a little castor oil on a couple of itchy spots, a bug bite of some sort and a spot on my arm that was like a new mole that turned black, then a larger, ugly dead-looking gray but is now pink - no idea what it was - but the castor oil and hydration is all I've been doing so...interesting results.

Oh! And when I started rebounding, it cleared up edema in my lower legs except for two "knots", one on the outside of each leg, a couple inches above the ankle. I would guess it's swollen lymph nodes, possibly "clogged" or something but they've been changing as well. The one on the left is smaller and the one on the right was flat, this morning, so I figured I'd rub some castor oil in while it as flat and was able to detect a small lump so, perhaps applying castor oil while it's flat, in the mornings, will help that along. We'll see. The rebounding didn't seem to be shifting it but maybe it's just a slower process.

And here I was, thinking I didn't have any "real" issues! Very interesting...I suspect the mole on my arm may have been a skin cancer and God only knows what the swollen knots on my leg are...no idea what the gut activity was but it's gone for now.

Can't wait to see what happens next!

Warts

Posted by Becky From Ohio (Ashtabula, Ohio, Usa) on 12/18/2010
★★★★★

I had great success with castor oil and baking soda. I believe it is an old Edgar Cayce remedy? You add enough castor oil to baking soda so that it makes a thick paste (to where you can roll it into a little ball like gum) and put it on the wart. Cover with bandaid. It took me probably a month or so for it to work, but I was not religious about appplying it every day. Sometimes I would forget for a few days.

About the last week (when I could see that it seemed to be dying) I got serious and applied it every day. I think if I had applied it around the clock (instead of just for 8 or 12 hours) it would have disappeared much quicker. I had had that wart for about 10 years (between my toes). I had tried just about everything- over the counter and a foot doctor. I thought that wart and I were going to grow old and die together! After 10 years I was so thrilled to finally be rid of it!

Dogs

Posted by Francine (Playa Del Rey, Ca) on 07/19/2008
★★★★★

I wanted to share my experience with castor oil. One week ago I discovered a large lump on the throat of my dog, the size of a golf ball. Remembering I had found info about castor on your site, I quickly started aggressively applying it to the tumor. I personally have been brewing and drinking essiac tea for years. I keep the left over sludge and started putting that in my dogs food. Remarkably, the tumor is now gone. A little of a week has passed and after applying the castor oil almost 5 times a day. Thank you so much. On a side note, I have been using the oil on my face for beautiful skin, on my strained veins on my legs, which have been disppearing, and my mother in law's dog with tumors also as well as an enlarged liver, has been applying it to her dogs tumors and liver area, after a visit to the vet, the second tests showed the liver had shrunk to normal.

Heart Palpitations

Posted by Adastra (Seattle, USA) on 05/30/2023
★★★★★

Castor Oil for Heart Palpitations/ Arrythmia

I had been having constant heart palpitations for over a month following an especially stressful time in my life! They would worsen or improve but I was still having them daily and nothing was really helping. Finally in desperation, I made a large castor pack over my heart and mid-chest and upper abdomen, thinking maybe I can clean out that area, get more blood flow, calm my vagus nerve... Well, after an hour, palpitations were 99% gone and I slept peacefully all night (I kept the castor pack on). And didn't return the next day. I will continue using the pack if something comes up again but I'm so happy to have a normal heartbeat again!

Cold Feet

Posted by Sara (southern USA) on 11/13/2019
★★★★★

Castor oil is great for SO many things - including my most recent discovery - a cure for cold feet! As a child my mother forced castor oil down me for every illness so I shunned it for years. But thanks to the Earth Clinic community, I've returned to castor oil using it on my face with great results. And on nasal polyps which seems to be helping.

But the biggy for me was this: I finally decided to try a castor oil pack. Made a small pack (4”x6”) using cotton cloth I had available, soaked the cloth with castor oil (wet but not dripping), placed it just below my right rib cage (liver area), plastic wrap over the top, covered with a heating pad on low. After an hour, I felt better - can't quite describe the feeling - surely a combination of being still, quieting my mind and the castor oil. BUT THEN I got ready for bed. I ALWAYS always wear socks to bed because my feet are cold. To my amazement - my feet were warm!!!! Thought it was a fluke. Tried it again the next night. Yes, warm feet!!! Thank you, Earth Clinic community!

Knee Pain

Posted by Al (Collinsville, IL) on 06/13/2008
★★★★★

Call it what you wish, Voodoo, Witchcraft, "BS", whatever, but it DID work for me.

Having recently torn the cartilage in my left knee, simultaneously diagnosed "with a little arthritis" in the same, and swelling behind the knee. My Sport's Ortho said that the swelling was common with the torn cartilage but should go down in time. I began searching on the Web for a magical pain relief remedy (other than my already supplementation of Glucosamine Sulfate, Chondroitin, Taurine, Collagen, HA, Cats Claw, Bromelain, MSM, etc., etc., etc - .all of which I have been taking for years due to 27 yrs of cycling but at almost 68yo, something had to give).

One subject that kept surfacing on the Searches was an old time remedy of Castor Oil. I'm not in terrible pain, but it is a 24/7 aggravation, as anyone who has similar discomforts can attest to.

I decided to give it a try; purchased a package of ladies' cosmetic, cleansing pads (~3"x4") and a small bottle of Castor Oil (CO), I placed a pad on a saucer, saturated the pad with CO (not dripping) and popped it into the microwave for about 35 secs. I, then placed the (105F) warm pad on my knee; wrapped my knee-pad with plastic wrap (to keep the CO from staining the heating pad) and then applied a heating pad, set to Med. heat. I left it on for about 1 hour and when I removed everything,

I did a "test walk" -not only was my knee not stiff, and the swelling was 95% GONE!! I could walk with 100% less discomfort and this was 10x more effective than the Cortisone or three Hydraluronic Acid injections I had received in a two months period. The other nice thing is that you don't have to throw the saturated pad away; place in a Ziploc bag for the next application and just add a little more CO.

I generally apply this treatment daily, each time the knee feels better - I know it's not going to remedy the situation 100%, but has made my life much better.

Beautiful Skin

Posted by Brooke (Montgomery, TX) on 03/02/2008
★★★★★

I have religiously used castor oil for over 22 years on my face. About three times per week, I put it on my face and neck and go to sleep! It has continually given me a fresh look, and I have no wrinkles. I also rub it on my elbows and knees. I wash my face with Dr. Bronners Castile Almond soap. The castor oil is a little thick, but keep on trying it. You will get used to it.

Application Tips

Posted by Cindy (Illinois, USA) on 02/23/2024 533 posts
★★★★★

Castor Oil Trick - UNTESTED

I don't often combine herbs or oils but someone asked about a broken bone and it got me thinking...one could get comfrey tea, as in comfrey tea BAGS, soak one (or more) with castor oil, place it on the break and cover it with a piece of parchment paper (or plastic wrap or whatever one uses), and a piece of muslin and place one of those disposable handwarmers on it to warm it up. Cover it with a tube bandage or otherwise wrap it with a bit of K-tape to hold everything in place, if necessary.

And, of course, this got me to thinking about eucalyptus tea bags soaked with castor oil as a chest pack, for colds and whatnot, or any specific herbal tea as a castor oil patch over a problematic area.

I've been trying to think of some way to try herbal tea bags employed in this way...but I don't have any issues to which I can apply it, at the moment. I DID purchase some handwarmers and, of course, I have a wide variety of herbs and reusable mesh tea bags so if something comes up...I'll try it and let you know.

Urinary Incontinence

Posted by Cindy (Illinois, USA) on 05/27/2021 533 posts
★★★★★

Thought it might be a fluke but, day 5 and still NORMAL!!! The Belly Rub of Happiness!! Yeah!!

Eye Wrinkles

Posted by Citygirl27 (Richardson, Tx, Usa) on 03/20/2013
★★★★★

I use castor oil around my eyes, mixed 50/50 with organic coconut oil as per Bill's remedy. I don't get puffiness or any irritation. Also make sure you are using castor oil labelled as hexane-free.

Diabetic Feet

Posted by Diabetesguy (London, United Kingdom) on 12/26/2011
★★★★★

Castor Oil really works on Sore Feet and Burning Feet - I am diabetic and I massage Castor Oil into the bottom of my feet when sore after walking or exercise.

I also massage Castor Oil at nights to stop BURNING feet - It really works- Hope this helps.

Shingles

Posted by Junglegirl (Haiku, Hawaii) on 08/11/2009
★★★★★

Shingles treatment: My mother used a high quality pure castor oil slathered on the worst spots. She applied it most heavily at night and wore old pajamas because it's messy, but it worked immediately for her. We found the remedy somewhere online, years ago, so I can't reference it. But it worked.

Application Tips

Posted by Merilee (Guelph, Ontario, Canada) on 07/03/2009
★★★★★

I have a Castor Oil application idea that I would like to share:

I have suffered from pain for years - first endometriosis, and now full-blown fibromyalgia, neck (both muscle and lymph), gall, and kidney pain (which I now know all stems from Lyme infection of 15 years...). Ever since using a heating pad for the debilitating monthly cramps in my teens, I have found heat to be an aid. In addition to the over-used hot water bottle, I also use an infrared heat lamp that a Chinese Medicine Practitioner gave me, which I place over whichever organ/area I wish to treat (he uses one to increase the effectiveness of acupuncture). It's about 8-10" in diameter and has a swing-arm stand, which holds the light about 8-12" from my body, resulting in an approx. 12" treatment area.

This has been very helpful to me. Apparently, the infrared wavelength of light penetrates a couple of inches into the body, vibrating at a wavelength that resonates with fat cells (the water in them?), and can cause them to mobilize and excrete toxins (much of our toxic load is attached to fat cells, and hard to remove). It has a greater impact on my pain than the water bottle (greater muscle relaxation, I think), and I find it soothing, especially as it does not have to be particularly hot to work (it works because of its particular wavelength of light, not just the heat).

The reason for my post:

I have recently been using the lamp as a means of Castor Oil application, with the thought that it might produce deeper penetration (and much less mess) than simple Castor Oil packs. I just slap some on my skin and apply the light for 20min-1hr, then wipe/wash it off. I have nothing to compare its effectiveness to (I never tried castor oil packs after a few messy, unhelpful PMS cramp-releif attempts in my teens), but it does seem to ease my uterine and gall bladder pain, and my sore/swollen groin-area glands.

As both therapies are purported to mobilize toxins, I'd like to think they potentiate each other, and together pull out some of the stuff that is giving me trouble.

I would be interested in hearing what someone with more Castor Oil know-how thinks of my practice, and perhaps other infrared lamp owners could give it a try.

Emergency Castor Oil Packs

Posted by Katzie (Calgary) on 08/29/2022
★★★★★

On vacation? Don't have any flannel, plastic wrap, maybe you don't have a hot water bottle? If you cannot make up a castor oil pack in the usual manner, I know of an alternate method.

While on vacay in Mexico, I got some sort of rash on the inside elbow of my right arm. After 3 days of throwing everything I had at it, the darn thing was still there. I also did not have my usual supplies with me - so I improvised.

I used my dog's "pee pads", y'know, those blue & wavy cotton pressed sheets. I cut out an area to cover the area, added a bunch of castor oil, put it on the rash, and since I did not have plastic wrap or a hot water bottle, I simply used my left hand as a heat source and left it there for 20 mins (the plastic wrap is purely for messiness reasons and is not strictly necessary). A few hours later that rash was gone!

So in short, your dog's pee-pads WILL work just fine!! I so glad I remembered that tip and so wanted to share!

Health & healing, everyone!!