Although many people have heard (or have experienced!) taking castor oil by mouth as an intestinal cleanser and/or laxative, fewer people have heard of applying castor oil to one's skin as a healing and rejuvenation agent. However, Castor Oil Packs are an age-old home remedy that have been used in a number of cultures, including in a number of European healing traditions. More recently in the 20th century, they were popularized by the American psychic Edgar Cayce, two-thirds of whose readings provided advice for people with physical ailments. In his readings, Edgar Cayce recommended castor oil packs more frequently than any other remedy.
Because of the connection between Edgar Cayce's work and the Center's founder (Bob McGarey's parents are both holistic medical doctors; they founded the Edgar Cayce medical clinic in Phoenix, Arizona; and Bob's father, Dr. William A. McGarey, wrote the best-known book on castor oil packs, "The Oil That Heals: A Physician's Successes with Castor Oil Treatments"), the Center has for years offered many Edgar Cayce products for sale as an adjunct to our work with holistic health and wellness. Here is a "recipe" for how to create and use a castor oil pack:
- or instead of the Pack Holder, use -
Find or purchase a soft wool flannel cloth. (Cotton flannel is all right, if wool flannel is not available or if you are allergic to wool.) You can purchase castor oil, wool flannel, and/or cotton flannel online here on our website. Fold the cloth until it is two to four thicknesses and measures about 10" x 12". (This is the size needed for abdominal applications. Other areas may need a different size pack.)
If you are using a castor oil pack holder, put the heating pad into the pocket in the holder, safety-pin the flannel cloth onto the pack, and pour some castor oil onto the cloth. Make sure the cloth is wet but not dripping with oil. (You can wring out the cloth if needed.) Now apply the pack holder to your abdomen or wherever area you're wanting to treat with castor oil.
If you're not using a castor oil pack holder, place the flannel in a bowl and pour some castor oil onto it. Make sure it's wet but not dripping with oil. (You can wring out the cloth if needed.) Apply the cloth to your abdomen or wherever area you're wanting to treat with castor oil. Now apply a plastic covering over the soaked cloth. Place the heating pad on top of the plastic. Finally, wrap a towel, folded length-wise, around the entire area and fasten it with safety pins.
Turn the heating pad to "medium" to start with, then to "high" if you can easily tolerate it. (Make sure that you don't burn yourself; the real temperature of the pack can be deceptive sometimes.) The heating pad should remain in place between one and one and a half hours only. The pack itself can be worn all night.
Afterwards, you can clean your skin with baking soda water. (To a quart of water, add two teaspoons of baking soda.) Castor oil packs are usually applied for three consecutive days each week until your symptoms clear up. However, feel free to use them as frequently as you wish as long as they continue to prove beneficial.
Keep the pack in the pack holder for future use, or in a plastic container. You can use the same pack repeatedly for different problems. Each time before you reuse it, add a little castor oil so that it is remains wet but not dripping with oil.
Some people take olive oil by mouth as a cleanser after every third treatment. If you'd like the extra cleansing effect, just take as much as you can tolerate.
Although it's not necessary, some people prefer to refrigerate the pack in between uses because they feel refrigeration keeps it fresher longer.
Most people find that they can use the same pack occasionally for a year or more before cleaning it. Dr. Gladys McGarey suggests cleaning the pack when it begins to get "grundgy." It's probably wisest to wash it separately by hand, using washing soda, soap or detergent, all of which remove the oil effectively. However, it's extremely important to rinse the pack very well after washing to remove all traces of laundry chemicals.