Author of Be Ready for Anything and Bloom Where You’re Planted online course
Did your parents ever insist you take castor oil as a kid? That is some foul-tasting stuff. Luckily for children today, that particular trend seems to have gone away.
But the last generation was on to something – castor oil has many uses, most of which do not require consumption.
Castor oil is made from the seeds of the castor plant. (Ricinus communis) It is an ingredient in many modern drugs, including:
- Miconazole, an antifungal agent.
- Paclitaxel, a mitotic inhibitor used in cancer chemotherapy.
- Sandimmune (cyclosporine injection, USP), an immunosuppressant drug widely used in connection with organ transplant to reduce the activity of the patient’s immune system.
- Nelfinavir mesylate, an HIV protease inhibitor.
- Tacrolimus, an immunosuppressive drug (contains HCO-60, polyoxyl 60 hydrogenated castor oil);
- Xenaderm ointment, a topical treatment for skin ulcers, is a combination of Balsam of Peru, castor oil, and trypsin.
- Aci-Jel (composed of ricinoleic acid from castor oil, with acetic acid and oxyquinoline) is used to maintain the acidity of the vagina.
- Optive Plus (carboxymethylcellulose, castor oil) and Refresh Ultra (glycerine, castor oil), are artificial tears to treat dry eye.
- Castor oil is also one of the components of Vishnevsky liniment. (source)
Castor oil can last for years, making it a great multi-purpose addition to your preps. You can get a whopping 128-ounce container of it for less than $35 here.
Here are a few alternative uses for castor oil.
Here are some ways to use that odious tasting stuff… and you don’t even have to consume it. (Please note that this article does not encompass medical advice and is for entertainment purposes only.)
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- Lubricate kitchen tools. Since castor oil can be ingested, it’s an ideal lubricant for anything that comes into contact with food, like kitchen scissors, knives and knife sharpeners. You can also use it to lubricate other things around the home with no worries about kid or pets because it is non-toxic.
- Use for topical pain relief. Mix castor oil with a little turmeric or cayenne pepper and rub into achy joints.
- Treat fungal diseases. If medical attention is not available, try castor oil for its anti-fungal properties. It could relieve the symptoms of of common infections like ringworm, jock itch (tinea cruris), and athlete’s foot. Simply warm the oil, apply onto the affected area before bedtime and leave it on overnight. Repeat for a week or until the infection has disappeared completely.
- Apply directly to your skin to improve elasticity. Old-fashioned midwives still recommend that pregnant women massage their growing belly to help avoid stretch marks. (Mine did- it worked for me!)
- Aid hair growth. Apply directly to the scalp or sparse brows and lashes.
- Apply to corns and calluses. Massaging the oil into corns and calluses over a period of a couple of weeks will soften skin and help the lumps disappear.
- Treat split ends. The appearance of split ends can be improved by smoothing castor oil onto them. Warm between your palms and smooth on, leave for a couple of hours and wash your hair as usual.
- Apply to minor skin irritations. Scratches and breakouts can benefit from dabbing on a small amount of castor oil. This takes away itching and irritation.
- Treat external hemorrhoids. Soak a cotton ball in castor oil, then leave on the affected area for 15 minutes.
- Get rid of moles. Moles hate castor oil. Mix half a cup with a couple of gallons of water and pour directly onto the mole hills. It’s non-toxic and won’t kill the moles or the grass but it will certainly encourage the annoying critters to move elsewhere.
Bonus: Internal Use
I know – YUCK. But here’s why our grandparents swore by the stuff.
Castor oil can be used as a laxative. When taken orally, ricinoleic acid gets released in the intestine and then it starts functioning as a laxative. The heat created by castor oil initiates action by helping the process of digestion and cleansing the system by helping in proper bowel movement. Luckily, this comes in capsule form, so you don’t have to choke it down.
Look at all those uses, and only once did I suggest you consume it! If you have any more ways to use castor oil, please share them in the comments box below.
Castor Oil: Order it here.
Do you use castor oil? How and for what reason? Can you vouch for any of the above-mentioned remedies? Let’s talk about it in the comments section.
4 Responses
So funny you are talking about this. I recently can’t say enough good about castor oil topically (eeegads, internally??!). I use it for any aching joints. It has been amazing on pickleball & cycling injuries. Crazy. I tend to forget to use it then use Biofreeze (which helps too). I refrain from ibuprofen except when in excruciating pain solely due to healing my leaky gut issues & the damage OTC meds do.
I started using castor oil for liver packs (topical cleanses to purge the liver from toxins). This helps me with any constipation (the next morning type of thing people :)). I told a fellow yoga gal about it for her joints & she did say it helped a little too for her. It all depends on our current body condition & damage. Everyone will be different.
Daisy you spoke of pregnant women using for stretch marks. I read where it can INCREASE muscle contractions (as I mentioned for my constipation) & can start preterm labor!! Please be cautious of this any pregnant woman!!
Grandma used Castor Oil as her body lotion, face, hands- everywhere. Into her nineties she still had nice skin and only a few facial wrinkles. I used to tease her she had better legs than most teenagers. But it was true!
Every time she washed her hands she used her oil. After a shower, and sometimes it was her hair treatment left on 20 before washing her hair.
Even her leather purses got the lightest coating and was buffed off with a fluffy towel once a year. She said it kept them from cracking.
I get busy and too often forget to use it.
Did your grandmother dilute the castor oil? if so, with what? I have found it to be so sticky that I’ve avoided using it.
Im of the periodic era.