Castor Oil craze
Everyone in my social media feed was talking about castor oil. Which, naturally meant that as an enneagram 4, I chose to casually ignore the topic (anything trending is not for someone who holds their value in uniqueness…just ask me how long it took for me to realize Uggs were actually the warmest shoe on the planet!)
But suddenly, I found myself faced with a health dilemma. One day I discovered what felt like a pea-sized bump in my left breast. This discovery was immediately followed by shock, bewilderment, frustration, and lots of questions. I immediately scheduled a visit with my holistic women’s health professional at Brannick Clinic in LaGrange Park. I made the drive from Michigan to Chicagoland while the kids were in school one day.
To my surprise, Dr. Brannick couldn’t locate it that day. I still could, but it seemed to have shrunk in size and I could only locate it upon sitting up. She explained that it was likely fluctuating in size due to hormonal fluctuations, and this was not a surprising discovery considering the fact that my breasts are extremely dense (and likely I have fibrocystic breast tissue).
Mostly relieved, I drove back to Michigan on a sunny day and stopped to celebrate on the way home with lunch at one of my favorite spots on the Third Coast, Greenbush. But in the back of my mind I knew I needed to be absolutely sure that it was a cyst, and not something more insidious, so I scheduled an appointment to have my annual thermography screening done a little early. Thermography is a holistic alternative to mammograms, and is ideal for someone with dense breast tissue, like me. More on thermography and why I love it to come in a future blog post.
Back to the castor oil! In reaching out to my thermographer, I asked her what I could be doing to address what I assume is a cyst… and you guessed it! Suddenly, my apprehension in avoiding the “trending wellness fad” turned into a must-do. But honestly, if someone had effectively communicated to me the AMAZINGNESS behind castor oil, I would have been all over this years ago!
The sexy castor oil pack in all her glory! (But seriously you WILL feel sexy afterwards!)
Here’s why people love it:
Castor oil works by stimulating your lymph and liver function by increasing your lymphocyte count, which allows the body to speed up the process of removing toxins from your tissues. Lymphatic congestion is a key factor in inflammation and disease. So, if you have an autoimmune disease or health issues, you are likely struggling with a sluggish lymphatic system where toxins are building up and making you sick.
Shrinks uterine fibroids & ovarian cysts
Reduces symptoms of PCOS
Relaxes the digestive system and improving constipation
Reduces gallbladder inflammation/stones
Improves lymphatic drainage
Reduces gut inflammation
Reduces headaches and migraines
Shrinks cysts in breast tissue
Detoxifies the liver
Shrinks thyroid cysts and nodules
Reduces painful menstrual cramps
Shortens periods & regulating cycles
Increases circulation
Helps regulate cortisol breakdown
Improves sleep
Breaks down unhealthy gut bacteria
As you can see, almost anyone in our modern era can benefit from using castor oil. A few caveats as to who shouldn’t:
Children younger than 4 or 5
Pregnant women
Women on their monthly cycle
Someone who already has loose stool
If you’re ready to give it a go, here’s what you’ll need:
A glass container— I use a Ball glass jar: https://amzn.to/49wSYuk
Organic, hexane-free castor oil like this one: https://amzn.to/48BOG3v
Organic Castor Oil pack like this one (flannel included): https://amzn.to/3UVhv7T
A heating pad like this one: https://amzn.to/3OXKwvB
An old towel & old PJs
How-to:
Gather supplies
WASH the pack 1-2x prior to use
If you’d like to incorporate essential oils, apply these over the liver area first
Put about 2tsp of castor oil directly on the flannel included in the pack
Velcro the pack snugly around the abdomen, with the castor oil centered on the liver area
Apply towel to bed where you will lie
Apply a heating pad and lay down to enter a parasympathetic (relaxed) state
Some suggest leaving the heat on for 45 minutes, I did mine all night…totally up to you!
As for how long to leave the pack on, you can start small and work your way up to overnight.
Store the flannel in a glass container and away from sunlight ( sun exposure causes seed oils to go rancid). This can be used without washing for months.
Oils to incorporate with castor oil packs
Important— I cannot recommend Young Living Essential Oils enough… I can only speak to their therapeutic benefit & efficacy.
Sleep Oils to add:
Lavender, Frankincense, Vetiver, RutaVaLa, Chamomile, Copaiba, Dream Catcher, Cedarwood
Detox Oils to add:
Melrose, Tea tree, Frankincense, Lemon, Orange, Grapefruit, Cypress, Juva Cleanse, Juva Flex, GLF, Purification, Juniper, Ginger, Release, Forgiveness
Hormone Support Oils to add:
Clary Sage, Ylang Ylang, EndoFlex, SclarEssence, Dragon Time, Harmony, GLF, Progessence Plus
You can get all of these oils here. I cannot recommend their safety and efficacy enough!
I’d love to hear if you give it a try & what you think! Never before have I felt the INSTANT impact from a modality quite like I did with this one. I hope you love it!
***Please note— none of this is medical advice! For educational purposes only.