Castor Oil Uses | What Can It Do For You and Why Should You Care?

Castor Oil Uses | What Can It Do For You and Why Should You Care? is republished from Total Survival

There are a lot of castor oil uses and benefits people should know about! The oil has been around for ages and is now making a strong comeback. This is because it can be used for anything from skincare to digestive health to deterring garden pests!

Castor Oil Uses: How It Can Benefit You

What is castor oil? Castor oil is a vegetable oil obtained by pressing the seeds of the castor oil plant (Ricinus communis). Its color ranges from entirely translucent to very pale yellow liquid, with a distinct taste and odor once first ingested. Castor oil uses and remedies are widely spread, but here are just some of the benefits I’ll be covering in this article:

• Digestive health
• Treats inflammation
• Soothes achy muscles
• Helps to fight disease
• Treats infected cuts
• Acne treatment
• Treats insomnia
• Skin care
• Deters garden pests

1. Digestive Health

As a laxative, castor oil has been a popular remedy for adults and children.

Recommended dosages:

• Adults: 1-2 tablespoons
• Children ages 2-12 years: 1-2 teaspoons
• Children under 2 years: should not consume more than 1 teaspoon

Expect results 2-5 hours after consumption.

If you hate the taste of straight castor oil, which most people do, you can add it to juice or to a food such as applesauce.

2. Treats Inflammation

If you are constantly on the go but suffer from inflammation within your joints, then you know how painful it can be. Here are a couple of ways you can use castor oil to relieve joint pain.

• Make a poultice using castor oil and herbs and rub on any joint inflammations you may have, like the knee or elbow. The herbs you can use for this poultice include ginger, cloves, rosemary, and turmeric. Once you rub the poultice onto your skin, cover with gauze or a cloth (such as a bandana).
• You can also consume a tablespoon of castor oil to relieve joint inflammation. Just remember, taking it internally has laxative effects.

3. Soothes Achy Muscles

Castor oil is great for circulation, which makes it a great remedy for achy muscles. You can use it as a massage oil.

Here’s a great recipe for a massage oil using castor oil:

• 3-4 drops of roman chamomile oil or peppermint oil
• 1 tablespoon of castor oil

Massage onto those achy muscles. It works wonders!

4. Helps To Fight Disease

Castor oil helps to kick sickness to the curb! Studies have shown that when you rub castor oil onto your skin daily, it can increase your white blood cell count by 20%.

5. Treat Infected Cuts

Not only is castor oil considered an anti-inflammatory treatment, but it has antibacterial properties as well, which makes it great for mild infections due to minor cuts. Apply castor oil directly to the cut using a cotton ball. Apply a few times a day until the wound heals.

6. Acne Treatment

Castor oil is great for treating cystic acne. Apply at night to the affected areas with either a cotton ball or cotton swab. You should already see a great improvement the next day.

7. Treatment For Insomnia

More and more people are using castor oil to fall and stay asleep! As a treatment for insomnia, apply a very small amount to your eyelids at night right before bed. I would suggest applying castor oil with a cotton swab, making sure it is not dripping before applying. (It only takes a tiny dab to do the trick!)

It is not exactly known how it works, but some swear by it!

8. Skin Care

In addition to treating cystic acne, castor oil can be used in other ways to benefit your skin:

• Helps to heal dry skin and/or cracked lips.
• Because of its ability to hydrate your skin, some use it when making soaps and creams at home.
• Castor oil is loaded with omega 6 and 9, which promote healthy hair and hair growth. Heat castor oil, then allow to slightly cool. Apply (with a gentle massage) warm castor oil to your scalp. It is recommended to do this at night, then shampoo and rinse the next morning. Some see results in as little as 2 weeks.
• Can be used to treat sunburn, bug bites, and other minor skin irritations. Apply with a cotton ball or cotton pad.
• Can be used to treat ringworm. Apply castor oil directly to the affected area using a cotton ball 3-4 times a day.

9. Deterring Garden Pests

Common garden pests such as moles, skunks, and squirrels hate the smell and taste of castor oil.

To use castor oil as a garden pest deterrent:

• Mix together 2 parts castor oil and 1 part dish soap.
• Because this mixture is a concentrated solution, add only 2 tablespoons of the castor oil and dish soap mixture to 1 gallon of water.
• Using a spray attachment, spray your garden once a week to deter common garden pests.

Doodle Master Me shows a video on castor oil uses and benefits:

Do you use castor oil in your home? What is your favorite use? Share with us in the comments below.

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