Benefits of Castor Oil For Skin
HISTORY OF CASTOR OIL
Castor Oil has rich history as a labor stimulator and is suggested by many midwives and doctors as a natural way to get labor started by stimulating the vaginal muscles.
Maybe your mom or grandmother would give you castor oil on a spoon when you were young. There was good reason for it! It is an amazing laxative and tonic for many other health concerns. A study done on mice found why castor oil is so effective as a laxative and labor inducer. The fatty acid, ricinoleic acid are able to bind to receptor cells in our smooth muscle cells in our small intestine and causes contractions and same goes for inducing labor. There still is not enough scientific research to back up any claims our mothers or grandmothers had but it is still recognized as “safe and effective” by the FDA. Which is one thing I can agree with them on.
BENEFITS OF CASTOR OIL
HEALING PROPERTIES:
Due to castor oils lyphatic drainage effects it has gained alot of populatrity to help the body detox from heavy metals, toxins, and other harmful substances. Castor oil penetrates deep into the skin and is a great oil to use externally on the skin. It can be used on a host of conditions such as tumors, acne, wrinkles, dry skin, bone spurs, lesions, cramps, gallstones, and cysts. Castor oil also has anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, and anti-microbial properties. It can help balance skin microbiome and aid in healing for skin issues like eczema, redness, dryness, and wrinkles. list is long regarding castor oils many uses!
PAIN RELIEVING:
Many woman use it during their periods to help ease menstrual cramps. It can even be used for joint pain, muscle soreness, nerve pain, and bloating.
MOISTURIZING:
Since castor oil can penetrate deep into the skin it can provide deep moisturizing effects. It makes your skin soft and supple. When used on the face as an oil cleanser it doesn’t strip the face of natural oils. I use it everyday in my cleansing oil and my face is as soft as a babies butt!
HOW TO USE CASTOR OIL
The best way to apply castor oil is to use a castor oil pack or make one yourself. You can find many online and pretty much wherever castor oil is sold. usually its a thin fabric pad that you use to avoid getting the oil on your clothes while keeping the oil on your skin to allow for maximum absorption. The key is to have it compressed to your skin as much as 1 hour everyday to many hours everyday. I applied it to my hand at least once every few hours to help with dryness and redness. It would be absorbed almost instantly.
HOW TO MAKE A CASTOR OIL COMPRESS
You will need a hand towel or tea towel, plastic wrap, and castor oil! Fold your towel in half and cut a piece of plastic wrapper a little bit bigger than the towel. Place your towel onto the plastic wrap and onto the table. Pour a good amount (1/4 cup) of castor oil onto the middle of the towel in a big circle. Let it soak in a little bit then place it on your problem area (knee, abdomen, back etc). You can wrap more plastic wrap or a long sock around the pad to help support it and keep it from moving around. You can also add a heating pad onto to help absorb more oil into the skin and help ease pain.
CASTOR OIL CLEANSING OIL
Once I found out how amazing castor oil was I had to make my own skincare product. I was happy to mix this healing oil with my handcrafted botanical oil I use in many of my non-toxic skincare products. Adding castor oil to your daily face cleansing routine can help reduce pimples, redness, inflammation, and help fade wrinkles and uneven skin tones! Visit my store for more information!
